Category: First Aid/Medical

Letter Re: TEOTWAWKI Medicine and Minor Surgery

James, In general, [the recent medical articles are] great stuff to have on your web site. However, it is really best for trained and knowledgeable medical and paramedical people to get involved in medical and surgical issues rather than looking at these as Do-It-Yourself projects! With all due respect to your many readers with far greater mechanical intelligence than I have, the Almighty engineered the body and sustains it in a more complicated manner (beyond human comprehension) than the best human conceived and built retreat plan! As soon as you finish a course of antibiotics, drink yogurt, (fermented) buttermilk, or …


TEOTWAWKI Medicine and Minor Surgery–Part II: Skin Infections, by Dr. K.

Introduction The skin has three layers. 1. The epidermis is the outermost layer. It protects our bodies from the environment and has pigment cells. 2. The dermis is the middle layer, and it contains hair follicles, sweat glands, oil glands, and capillaries. 3. The hypodermis (or subcutaneous layer) is the inner layer, and it contains layers of fat that provides cushion and insulation for our body… some more than others. Any of these layers can become infected, in whole or in part. In a TEOTWAWKI scenario, that minor scratch could lead to a painful death. Knowledge is vitally important. Understanding …


Letter Re: TEOTWAWKI Medicine and Minor Surgery–Part I: Ingrown Toenails

Jim: In Part I of his article, Dr. K. mentioned some options on do-it-yourself cautery. My suggestion is to consider buying new tips [not contaminated by solder metals and rosin] and a butane soldering torch for times when no electricity is available. For example, see: Pro-120 Tectra Tools UT-100 TS600 Regards, – Craig W.


TEOTWAWKI Medicine and Minor Surgery–Part I: Ingrown Toenails, by Dr. K.

Introduction Onychocryptosis (ON-ee-ko-krip-TOE-sis), an ingrown toenail, is a very common problem that usually affects the big toe. This occurs when the corner of the toenail grows into the soft tissue on the side of the toe. This can cause pain, redness, inflammation, and even an infection. Signs of an infection are warmth and drainage of pus. Prevention and treatment of an ingrown toenail is relatively basic, and it is a valuable skill to have at TEOTWAWKI. Causes An ingrown toenail is caused when the nail curves down and grows into the skin at the nail border. The most common causes …


Emotional Stressors During Societal Collapse by Campcritter

As determined men and women of yesteryear made their way west to make for a better life, pioneer women often kept journals of their life on the great prairies or sent letters home to their sisters back East. In those letters they described the silence as the most unwelcome guest. These brave women wrote about being left for weeks on end alone, lost in an endless sea of grass with only the wind for company while the men hunted or went for supplies. In some cases the quiet was so severe that it became unbearable and the women developed mental …


My Tale of the Hurricane Rita Evacuation. August, 2005, by Dan G.

I was working in a pawnshop in Aransass Pass Texas, about 20 miles North of Corpus Christi, Texas. Two days earlier my wife and I watched the destruction of New Orleans on National Television, the news coverage was continuing around the clock as the drama unfolded. Gasoline had shot up from $1.56 to $2.99 a gallon overnight and of course I had to fill up that morning to get to my menial low paying job. Late that afternoon a rich looking couple driving a huge brand new pickup truck, came into the pawnshop. They spoke very loudly about how their …


Herbal Cures at Your Doorstep, by Organic Cathy

“Health care” in America – while having “evolved” – leaves much to be desired i.e. cost, effectiveness, government restrictions of natural medicines, deaths caused form “modern” medicine, control and pharmaceutical greed to name just a few. in the blaring light of reality of today’s coming collapse even simple health care will be challenging to say the lease. While I am not formally trained in herbal medicine, I do have some medical background and twenty plus years of growing and using herbs and more recently delving into wild herbs. TEOTWAWKI will change the availability of “home health care” from government regulated …


Letter Re: Advice on Contact Lenses

Mr. Rawles I’ve worn contact lenses for all of my adult life. On your published advice, I’ve also bought two pair of inexpensive glasses, from LBEeyeware–a company mentioned in SurvivalBlog That was great advice. ($23 per pair, complete? You can’t beat that!) The glasses are the correct prescription, but after so many years of wearing contacts, glasses feel downright “clunky” to me. I worry about breaking them, much more than I ever worried about losing or tearing a contact. My question is: What should I do about spare contact lenses and solutions? Should I skip them–and just plan to wear …


Letter Re: Some Preparedness Lessons Learned

James, The need for usable skills in tough times, goes without need for embellishment. The grand question is: which skills are the most valuable? In any situation the basic needs are obvious – food, shelter, and clothing. Choosing what I would concentrate on learning, became predicated on what I could do, and what the community could provide in stressful times. I moved some time ago from the gulf coast to Tennessee to retire and begin preparing for the coming events. I moved into a community which is pretty much self sufficient, mostly by religious choice. Livestock husbandry ranges from cattle …


Did the American Indians Have it Right?, by MMJ

In these trying times when civilizations are at the brink of disaster and many people are already in personal collapse, we should look back through history to find out how to salvage what we have and how to survive what is to come. [Minor rant snipped.] It seems that economic collapse is imminent and that at some point in the near future it is going to be every man for himself. As we watch countries collapse, global economies fail and people across the world starve and die, I ask myself has any culture or civilization in history gotten it right? …


Depression Proof Jobs for a 20 Year Depression – Part 2: Developing a Home-Based Business

Yesterday, in Part1, I discussed the “safe” and counter-cyclical occupations for the unfolding economic depression. Today, I’d like to talk about one specific approach: self-employment with a home-based business. I posted most the following back in late 2005, but there are some important points that are worth repeating: The majority of SurvivalBlog readers that I talk with tell me that they live in cities or suburbs, but they would like to live full time at a retreat in a rural area. Their complaint is almost always the same: “…but I’m not self-employed. I can’t afford to live in the country …


Perspectives on Prepping on a Very Low Income, by Kuraly

I was raised in a missionary family, on nine different mission fields around the world. At the age of nineteen, I went out to serve the Lord on my own in the former Soviet Union. I had no formal Theological training, but was accepted by the missionary societies of my denomination because of my experience under my father and my willingness to go to dangerous areas. I married, and my wife and I have now six children. A few years ago, due to some changes in my theology, I fell out of favor with my denomination and had to return …


Preparing Your Feet for TEOTWAWKI, by The Surgeon

This essay will cover several common foot problems which can be prevented with proper care. These problems can lead to impaired walking, running, and decreased mobility, which may adversely affect survival in a serious post disaster situation. The foundation for this information is basic knowledge gleaned from the 1930s edition Scout Handbook, which relied heavily on Lord Baden Powell’s experience in the British Army.The author is a Board-Certified Surgeon. The feet have a hard job to do. They support the weight of the body standing, walking, running, and jumping. Any time there is excess body weight, the added load on …


Letter Re: Gaining Situational Awareness and Old-Time Knowledge

Jim, Situational Awareness has a number of definitions, from the rather complex to the “simple”. They include: The process of recognizing a threat at an early stage and taking measures to avoid it. (Being observant of one’s surroundings and dangerous situations is more an attitude or mindset than it is a hard skill.) The ability to maintain a constant, clear mental picture of relevant information and the tactical situation including friendly and threat situations as well as terrain. Knowing what is going on so you can figure out what to do. What you need to know not to be surprised. …


Letter Re: Some Online Resources on Determining Prescription Drug Shelf Lives

James, I worked for 20 years as an analytical chemist and was responsible for running experiments to determine the expiration dates of our medicines. We were always conservative when setting limits. There are many factors that affect the stability of medications. The most easily controlled by the end user is temperature. As a general rule for biological compounds near human temperatures the rate of decomposition approximately doubles with each 18° F rise in temperature and is roughly halved with each 18° F fall in temperature. So if the shelf life of a medicine is six months at 90° F and …