The Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide Part 20

* You'll also want to stock a traveling medical kit with your basic bandages, gauze pads, medical adhesive tape, alcohol prep pads, a small pair of scissors, and any medicines you use on a regular basis.

Remember to rotate the medicines in your bag regularly so they don't go beyond their expiration dates.

Nan also suggests keeping the same list of your medicines and diagnoses in a plastic bag in your freezer and putting a sticker on your door that says Medical information in freezer; that way, paramedics know to look for it there if and when there is a fire or other emergency at your house.

I think you should actually consider having three medical kits: The first is a small, basic kit for your bug-out bag that includes Nan's list of medicines as well as other basic first-aid supplies. This is one you'll take traveling and can be stored in your car or close to the car. The second is your basic home medical supplies (see sidebar). The third should be an extensive medical kit stored with your survival gear for use at home when going to a hospital is too dangerous.

Survival Medical Kit

Below is a list of basic medical supplies no home should be without:* Bandages * Rolls of gauze * Several sizes of sterile pads * Medical adhesive tape * Antibiotic ointment * Alcohol prep pads and/or antiseptic pads * Aspirin and non-aspirin pain relievers * Children's aspirin * Cough medicine * Sore throat lozenges * Burn medication * Anti-itch treatment * Athlete's Foot powder * Poison Ivy medication (urishol) * Sunscreen * Diarrhea medication * Eye drops * Thermometer * Small scissors * Tweezers * Safety pins * Moleskin (for blisters) * Rubber (latex) gloves. (Find out if you're allergic to latex-some people are-before you pack the gloves in your kit.

* Basic first-aid instructions Your more advanced medical kit can be expected to include the items listed above as well as some or all of the following:* Special bandages for trauma and field dressings * Eye pads * Sponges * Cotton b.a.l.l.s * Burn treatments * Rubbing alcohol * Hydrogen peroxide * Iodine * Larger scissors * Sterile sutures, in several sizes * Mouth-to-mouth s.h.i.+eld * Instant hot pack * Instant cold pack * Prep pads * Cold medication * Decongestant * Antihistamine * Insect and snakebite poison extractor kit. Even if you've never seen one, you need one. Poisonous insects and snakes are all over the United States. Check out http://tinyurl.com/d8pbtn.

* Splint materials * Pota.s.sium iodide (anti-radiation pills). There is no medicine that will effectively prevent radiation poisoning. However, pota.s.sium iodide can help protect you against radioactive iodine released in nuclear fallout or from nuclear accidents, which is highly carcinogenic and attacks the human thyroid.2 Today, nearly half of the survivors of Nagasaki studied have identifiable thyroid disease.

* EpiPen (epinephrine). You cannot get epinephrine without a prescription, but if anyone in your family is at all at risk of a severe allergic reaction, consider putting an EpiPen in your medical kit. Sh.e.l.lfish and bee stings are just two of the things that can cause severe allergic reactions in some people. The technical name for this severe allergic reaction is anaphylaxis. Victims suffer swelling of the throat or tongue, hives, and trouble breathing. When it strikes, life is at risk and time is short. The good news is you can administer epinephrine, using an EpiPen (single-shot injector) or Twinject (two doses of epinephrine). There are side effects, so consult your doctor.

* In-depth first-aid/surgical guide You may also want to consider putting the following in your advanced medical kit. While you may be of the opinion that you would never be able to do surgery: (1) you'd be surprised what you can and will do when lives are depending on it, and (2) someone may be doing surgery on you:* Forceps * Scalpel-keep this well protected from exploring hands * Hemostats * Wound probe * Surgical thread You may also want to put some kind of anesthetic or whatever pain pills you can find in your emergency medical kit. The end of life as we know it will be made doubly difficult if you or someone you love is in intense pain.

And as with your other medical kits, remember to rotate the medicines in your bag regularly-moving the old ones to your home medicine shelf to be used up and putting new ones in the bag-so they don't go beyond their expiration dates.

Having a medical travel bag is just good common sense. This can make a difference when disaster strikes, and if you ever need it, it'll be worth every penny you've invested.

So let's say you've stocked up your medical kit as much as possible, you're losing weight, and you're getting in shape. You're still stuck with the fact that it's very difficult to stockpile medicine legally in this country.

Think Twice Before Buying from an Internet Pharmacy You may be thinking of buying meds online at a web site called My Canadian Pharmacy. They advertise everywhere and you probably get spam from them in your e-mail inbox. Be forewarned that SpamWiki.com (http://spamwiki.com) reports My Canadian Pharmacy as "a longstanding Russian or possibly Ukrainian spam operation which has been relentlessly spamming email users around the world since at least the spring of 2004. The operators are currently wanted by numerous international law enforcement groups including Interpol and the FBI. They largely appear to be tied to credit card fraud and ident.i.ty theft."

SpamWiki.com adds: "My Canadian Pharmacy is part of an umbrella group of web sites which purport to offer discounted pharmaceuticals to an unwitting public. They are notable in that literally every single word, every single claim are 100% false. They lie in the spam messages they send, they lie in telling you their site is secure, they lie when they say your order is on its way. Even the name itself-My Canadian Pharmacy-is a fallacy. No known connection to the country of Canada is present in anything this group has done."

Sounds like just the kind of people you want to give your credit card number to, eh?

There are reputable web sites for buying drugs online, but it's hard to do this without a prescription, not to mention illegal. In April of 2009, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began enforcing new regulations designed to target rogue Internet pharmacies. The new law amends the Controlled Substances Act by adding several new provisions aimed at preventing the illegal distribution of controlled substances through the Internet.

The new rules:* Require at least one face-to-face medical evaluation before a patient can receive a prescription for a controlled substance via the Internet.

* Create new definitions of what can be considered as an online pharmacy and what it means to deliver, distribute, or dispense medication via the Internet.

* Expand regulatory requirements to online pharmaceutical sales.

* Establish prescription reporting requirements for online pharmacies.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says it's trying to protect patients. Excuse me while I roll my eyes and think that maybe they're trying to protect the profits of fat-cat pharmaceutical companies and the members of the American Medical a.s.sociation.

Nonetheless, the law is the law.

And that brings us back to the conundrum of how to stockpile drugs for a major disaster. One solution is to talk to your doc and explain that you want to have extras in case of emergency; maybe he or she will write you a refill sooner. Be sure to use your oldest meds first.

There is another solution: Grow your own.

Herb Garden-Medicinal Plants You Can Grow Yourself

Many people already use centuries-old natural remedies. They don't trust doctors, or the pharmaceutical companies, often for very good reasons. One solution is to learn to identify and grow your own medicinal herbs and prepare them to suit your needs. It's not hard, despite a sophisticated industry dedicated to telling you exactly the opposite. If you're willing to trust treatments that folk-healers used for generations, herbal medicine may be what you're looking for.

Medicinal herbs are what our forefathers used when they felt sick-along with bleeding themselves with leeches and drinking themselves insensible with rum. While leeches and rum aren't on the doctor's Rx pad anymore, even today, nearly 80% of drugs on the market are derived from plant material.

It is difficult for the home gardener to extract the medicinal parts of the plant. Echinacea, for instance, must be extracted by boiling only the roots, reducing it over a period of hours while skimming off the impurities. That's a lot of time and effort when you can buy it off the shelf at the drugstore.

However, down the road, if things go to heck in a handcart, medicinal herbs might well be worth the time and effort. They could even turn into a profitable side business for you if your neighbors are looking for cures for what ails them.

Here are some common medicinal herbs you can grow and what they are good for. Many are used as teas. Steeping teas in hot water is called infusion:* Angelica-Dried leaves can be steeped in hot water to improve energy, stimulate circulation, and reduce flatulence. Angelica also has antibacterial and antifungal qualities.

* Basil (sweet)-Steep leaves in water for a few minutes to make a tea to help indigestion. Make a cold-oil infusion to ma.s.sage sore muscles.

* Calendula-Flowers make a healing mouthwash for the gums. Mix a cream using calendula petals and plantain leaves for healing of cuts.

* Catnip-Make a tea to relieve colds and fevers. Also used to treat headaches and upset stomachs. Catnip also has mild sedative qualities, except for cats.

* Chamomile-Use in a tea as a mild sleep aid or to aid digestion. Make a cream to treat dry, rough skin.

* Common Yarrow-Infused tea fights colds and fevers. Make a cream with its flower petals to use on cuts and burns.

* Coriander-Chew leaves or infuse as a tea to relieve upset stomach. Also used as a mild sedative.

* Feverfew-Eat three to five leaves daily to reduce migraine headaches. Infuse as a tea to relieve muscle spasms or reduce fever.

* Garlic-I'm growing a lot of this herb in my vegetable garden. It has been shown to help a whole bunch of ills including high blood pressure. See sidebar for more on garlic.

* Hawthorn-Its berries, flowers, and leaves can be made into a tea that is an old-country treatment for high blood pressure. Hawthorn helps improve the contractility of the heart muscle, increase cardiac performance and output, and increases the heart's tolerance to oxygen deficiency.

* h.o.r.ehound-Make a tonic of chopped h.o.r.ehound leaves and honey to treat sore throats. A cold infusion will help relieve heartburn.

* Hyssop-Make a cream to treat bruises and burns. Infuse as tea to treat colds, flu, bronchitis, and sore throats.

* Lemon Balm-Made into a tea or added to food, it calms the nerves and improves blood flow.

* Purple Coneflower-Also known as Echinacea, it's often infused into a hot tea to stimulate the immune system.

* St. John's Wort-Infuse as tea to treat depression or as a mild sedative. Makes a cream to treat bruises and skin inflammation.

* Summer Savory-Make a hot tea from this plant and gargle with it to treat a sore throat. Also drink as a tea to treat diarrhea and indigestion.

* Thyme-Make a tea sweetened with honey to help relieve sore throats and coughs. Infusion used to relieve hangovers.

* Valerian-Roots used to relieve nervous tension, anxiety, insomnia, and pain. Roots used in a cream to treat acne or skin rashes.

If you're going to make teas from herbs you grow in your garden, you'll need either a tea ball infuser or a mesh infuser. You can buy both on Amazon.com, and they're cheap.

You can buy seeds or starters for these herbs just about anywhere, and grow the ones you think you'll need. If you want to order a seed kit for a bunch of different medicinal herbs, you can find them for sale all over the Internet. Here's one example: http://www.herbkits.com/medicinal.htm, but be sure to check around for the best prices.

It's important to remember that not all herbs will help you, and many U.S. doctors will argue that none beat modern medicine. Some herbs are actually harmful for people with various ailments. For example, licorice and Asian ginseng are both suspected to cause high blood pressure in some individuals when not taken properly. And be cautious about mixing natural remedies with any prescription medicines, as there may be side effects.

Finally, you'll see that herbal treatments won't cover some serious diseases like diabetes. There is some new research showing that cinnamon (yes, cinnamon) may help treat diabetes, but I think it's beyond the ken of most backyard gardeners to extract cinnamon for use in treating diabetes.

There is one plant that deserves its own section-if you aren't growing this already, start now.

Aloe Vera-The First-Aid Station In Your Backyard

You can grow aloe vera in your backyard or even in your home, and it has many medicinal uses without processing. You might already have one of these plants in a pot on your porch!

Aloe-vera gel is used as a common ingredient in many commercially available first-aid products. Most people are probably most familiar with its use in lotions and sunburn creams. Extracts from aloe vera are said to help prevent bronchitis, sinusitis, and treat allergies. Aloe vera extracts also show antibacterial and antifungal properties. There is some preliminary evidence that aloe vera extracts may be useful in the treatment of diabetes.

Aloe vera is a succulent that is very drought-tolerant and resistant to most diseases and insects. About the only thing aloe won't tolerate is cold. But if you live up north, aloe can live in a pot in the warmth of your kitchen-it's that easy to grow and maintain.

23 Home Remedies from the Spice Rack In a real pinch, medical relief may be as close as your spice rack. The web site Tipnut (http://tipnut.com) offers a collection of home remedies that you don't even have to grow, not if they're already sitting by your stove. This is not professional medical advice, and some spices and herbs may conflict with prescribed medicines. My lawyer will be very happy that I'm telling you to always check with a doctor before treating yourself with any home remedy.

1. Allspice: Relieves muscle aches and pains. First, grind Allspice into a powder and then add water to make a paste. Spread on a strip of clean muslin and apply to sore area.

2. Anise: Helps congestion from allergies, colds, or flu, and settles upset stomach with gas. Make a tea by steeping one teaspoon of anise seeds in one cup of boiling water. Strain before drinking. Also chew a couple anise seeds as needed for bad breath.

3. Basil: For relief of cough, make a tea of dried basil using one teaspoon per one cup boiling water. Steep, then strain, add a spoonful of honey, and drink.

4. Bay Leaves: Helps with dandruff. Make a rinse by crus.h.i.+ng a handful of bay leaves to one liter water (first brought to boiling then removed from heat). Cover and steep for 20 minutes. Strain and cool. Apply to hair and leave for 45 to 60 minutes. Rinse clean.

5. Black Ground Pepper: Stops bleeding. Sprinkle a generous amount on a cut and voila!.

6. Caraway Seeds: Chew on a few seeds to help with flatulence. You can also make a tea by steeping one teaspoon seeds per cup of boiling water. Strain before drinking.

7. Cardamom: Digestive aid. Brew a tea with one teaspoon of cardamom and one cup boiling water. Steep. Drink tea with meals.

8. Cayenne Pepper: Sprinkle a pinch of cayenne pepper on meals to clear sinuses. Also a natural appet.i.te suppressant that increases metabolism. Sprinkle cayenne pepper on a toothbrush or add to a gla.s.s of water to gargle and rinse mouth-helps prevent gum disease and speeds up healing gingivitis. For toothaches, make a paste with cayenne pepper and water, and apply to sore area.

9. Celery Seed: Relief from fluid retention. Make a diuretic tea by crus.h.i.+ng roughly one-and-a-half teaspoons celery seed and steep in one cup boiling water (20 minutes). If you're menstrual cycle is running late, this infusion can be used to bring on menstruation. Also helps with high blood pressure and anxiety.

10. Cinnamon: Mix one-half teaspoon of cinnamon to coffee or tea to help raise good cholesterol levels. Arthritis pain: Try one-half teaspoon cinnamon mixed with one teaspoon honey. To help with heavy menstruating, add a bit of cinnamon to tea or coffee, or sprinkle on foods.

11. Cloves: Chew one clove for bad breath. For toothache pain, rest a clove against the sore area until pain goes away. You can also chew on three or four cloves to relieve nausea. To relieve a sore throat, slowly chew on a few cloves.

12. Coriander: Helps with high cholesterol. Boil one teaspoon of coriander seeds in one cup of water, and drink.

13. c.u.min: Drink for cold relief. Boil one cup of water with a teaspoon of c.u.min seeds, and simmer for a few seconds. Strain and cool.

14. Dill Seed: Try swallowing one teaspoon of dill seed to stop hiccups. Mask bad breath by eating a bit of dill seed.

15. Fennel Seeds: Chew a couple fennel seeds for bad breath. For stomach cramp relief, you can brew a tea by steeping one teaspoon seeds per cup of boiling water. Strain before drinking. Crush seeds slightly when making tea. Fennel is also good for flatulence.

16. Garlic Powder: Mosquito Repellent. Make a garlic powder and water paste. Apply to pulse points, behind knees, on shoes and ankles, and a dab or two on your cheeks or somewhere on your face and neck-keep out of eyes.

17. Ginger: Helps with nausea. Brew a tea with one-half teaspoon ginger per cup of boiling water. Strain before drinking. If you have fresh ginger on hand, chewing a bit is more effective than ginger tea. For headache relief, make a paste of ground ginger and water, apply to temple area. Mix one-half teaspoon of ground ginger with one teaspoon of honey for cough relief. Drink tea or chew on a fresh piece of ginger to fight motion sickness.

18. Mustard Powder: To relieve congestion, mix one tablespoon of mustard powder with one liter of hot water then soak feet.

19. Mint (peppermint or spearmint): Helps with stomachaches and cramps. Brew a tea with one-and-a-half teaspoons dried mint per cup of boiling water. Strain before drinking.

20. Sage: Control hot flashes (caused by menopause) by drinking sage tea three times a day. Boil one-half teaspoon sage per one cup boiling water. Steep (10 minutes), strain, and drink.

21. Salt: Canker sore remedy. Apply salt directly to the sore or rinse your mouth a couple times a day with a strong salt-water solution. Warning: This stings. For mosquito bite relief, make a salt and water paste and then apply to bite area.

22. Thyme: Sooth a cough with thyme tea. Brew one tablespoon of dried thyme in one cup boiling water. Strain then drink (for sore throats, gargle with this tea). Helps relieve gas and stomach cramps. Brew a tea with one teaspoon dried thyme per one cup boiling water. Strain before drinking.

23. Turmeric: Fever relief. Mix one-half teaspoon turmeric powder with one cup of warmed milk, and add a teaspoon of honey.

See the original article, with links to other home remedies and cures, at http://tipnut.com/home-remedies-spice.

Garlic, The Survivalist's Wonder Herb!

Humble garlic is a member of the lily family. While not as easy to grow as aloe vera, growing garlic isn't too tough either.