The truth is that when STHF having enough food is one of the easier problems to solve. It is simply a matter of storage. But staying alive involves more than just having enough food. Inevitably, even if your belly is full, you are going to get sick or have an accident and injure yourself.
While we normally just head over to a doctor or the local pharmacy for care and medicine, if SHTF you will probably not have access to either. Depending on your disposition you may, or may not, be inclined to believe in herbal remedies but again when SHTF, you are going to have to be flexible.
Remember even the most modern pharmaceuticals originally came from ingredients you can find in nature. The line between herbal remedies and modern drugs is not clear cut and many of the latter owe a lot to the former.
Medical Issues
If you are planning for survival, one of the most common medical issues you should keep in mind is infections. They can appear in a variety of different wounds from boils, to cuts, to even tick bites.
Infections are caused by micro-organisms entering our body, usually through openings in the surface of our skin. Most infections can be prevented by good hygiene.
Simply cleaning cuts and covering them quickly normally allows your body to heal itself without complications. However, if the implement that cuts you is dirty itself or if you don’t keep the wound clean afterwards then you are likely to be vulnerable to infection.
This can be a big problem not only because it will prevent the wound from healing but also because the infection can spread throughout your body causing fevers and other problems that eventually could kill you if left untreated. What started out as a small cut can end in disaster.
Normally infections can be dealt with using topical antibiotic creams available at a pharmacy or by using antibiotics prescribed by a doctor that you ingest either orally or through an IV.
However, when SHTF you will be very lucky if you have access to either of these and simply stockpiling medicines is not as easy as you think. Many of them have surprisingly short shelf lives and are vulnerable to spoilage if not stored properly.
Related: 10 Medical Home Emergencies and How to Manage Them
The Black Drawing Salve
Being able to store, and assemble a variety of different medicines from base ingredients is, therefore, an advantage. One of the best creams, or salves, as they are sometimes called, to fight infections in wounds, is the “Black Drawing Salve.”
It’s called black because of the charcoal used in it and the word “drawing” refers to its job, i.e. to “draw out” the infection from wounds it is applied to.
The Black Drawing Salve can be used to neutralize toxins and ease out splinters and other foreign objects that find their way under your skin. This salve can also help you survive by reducing inflammation from cactus spines, embedded glass shards, bee stings, tick bites, spider bites, thorns, and even ingrown hairs.
Find the ingredients and the recipe below. Most of these ingredients also have multiple other uses for survivalists and preppers which I mention briefly.
Charcoal
Charcoal is an amazing product, useful for so many things from cooking, to toothpaste, to filtering water, and yes to making salves. For a salve the role of the charcoal is to act as a “drawing agent” i.e. it absorbs harmful bacteria from your wound.
Related: Medicinal Uses for Activated Charcoal
Herbal Infused Oil
This is where you can customize your salve. Different herbs serve different purposes. For this one, used to aid the healing of a cut, I prefer St. John;s Wort. It is easy to come by and also helps with pain alleviation. You can use other herbal oils as well such as comfrey infused oil.
Castor Oil
Castor Oil is another one of those multi-use items that every prepper medicine cabinet should have. It is made from pressing castor beans and if ingested is great for constipation. In the black salve, the castor oil has antimicrobial properties when applied topically.
Beeswax
Beeswax has antimicrobial properties and acts as a binder for this salve, helping all of the other ingredients to mix together well. Of course for preppers and survivalists beeswax has tons of other uses, you can make candles from it, preserve wood with it and even use it to seal up food.
Related: How to Start a Beehive
Bentonite Clay
Bentonite Clay comes from the weathering of volcanic rock usually by seawater. It works with the charcoal in the salve to draw out bacteria. It is also one of those many-use items and has, amongst other things, been eaten for hundreds of years as a digestive.
For survivalists, bentonite clay is full of essential minerals that your body needs to function properly, such as iron, zinc, and calcium.
Essential Oils
If you want to add other essential oils to the salve you can do so. Lavender oil or clove oil can give it a pleasant smell. Not essential but why not smell good while you are healing?
Ingredient Ratios
So depending on how much you are making you will use different amounts of each ingredient of course. The key is the ratios.
Below are the amounts of each ingredient I use to make a little over half a cup of salve. If you want to make more or less you can just make sure you keep the ratios the same.
- 1/3 cup herbal infused oil (Again I use St. John’s Wort)
- 1 tablespoon Castor oil
- 1 tablespoon activated charcoal
- one tablespoon bentonite clay
- 3 teaspoons of beeswax
- 10-20 drops of your choice of essential oil
How To Combine The Ingredients into The Salve
Step 1
Put your herbal infused oil, castor oil, and beeswax into a double boiler. Any double boiler system will work.
The goal is to melt the beeswax into the oils. Once that is done, take it off the heat.
Step 2
Next add the charcoal and clay and mix thoroughly.
Step 3
Add your drops of essential oil and again mix thoroughly.
Step 4
Pour the salve mixture into a glass jar. Allow it to set.
It will harden up naturally on its own as the beeswax cools and the oils are absorbed by the charcoal and clay.
This salve has a good shelf life if stored in a cool dry location but it is probably best not to make too much of it at any one time.
Think about how accident-prone you, and those depending on you, are and make enough to last for six months.
Hopefully, you won’t need too much but it’s always best to be prepared!
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I know that magites are good to have for wound care. saw a sow pig one time that was attacked by some dogs. The old sow was riped up but good. She got a real bad infection in the wounds, looked like she was going to die. The flys were bad then, well he called me and said ck this out. Those flys were all in those wounds and I do mean a mss of them. They ate all the infection and also ate all the dead shin and that old sow lived and had many of baby’s. It did take about 3 weeks for That sow to heal, but she did heal.
That was a way that I saw , if I ever got that bad, I say come on magites it’s dinner time.
I’ve had to deal with a lot of infections in my time. From cows to cats and dogs and yes in my own body as well. lot of different ways to heal a wound. A dog is a good way, they will keep a wound cleaned by licking it and keeping it clean. Water theropy is also good.
Just some ideas. Ya sounds barbaric but it dose work. I know first hand.
Yes a good article… Thank you.
Red ant.
I agree with everything EXCEPT the dog licking a wound to clean it. Zoonotic diseases are definitely something a prepper /homesteader should research when possible. When I worked for Animal Control, there was a bunch of vacations we had get. That’s not even counting the PPE we had to wear and virucide we had to use for cleaning, I believe it was Vircon if it remember correctly.
Here’s one video I seen recently.
https://youtu.be/RcyJt0mySKc
Yes I do understand that it might not be good, BUT I have never had any problem when my dogs like a wound.
Now I am not talking about a deep wound. A dog licking you, might not be enough.
I have also read that there is good in saliva both in people and dogs. Caesar did it for his soldiers.
If it works for you, do it , if not then don’t.
It’s about worse case scenario, better a dog clean your wound then to let gangrene set in.
That’s country living… you have to be the doc, the vet, the nurse, the fireman, the police, you have to be everything because you just might be the only one that can HELP…
just saying.
LOL dog licking wounds.
Job’s boil wounds were eased by his dogs licking his wounds. plus he makes reference on the beggar named Lazarus (not to be confused with Lazarus whom Jesus resurrected)
Luke 16:20, 21 (the whole chapter should be read, versus 1-31)
20 But a beggar named Lazʹa·rus used to be put at his gate, covered with ulcers 21 and desiring to be filled with the things dropping from the table of the rich man. Yes, even the dogs would come and lick his ulcers.
your comments inspire me to read the Holy Scriptures
I also heard about Job being liked by dogs at the ash heap. but never saw it written. so can’t say that it’s truth.
If we have faith in GOD that it will work. Then it will be done. Amen…
clearing up something, i don’t know how FVPFv was added since that i’m the one who posted it, computer glitch grrr. Ii did notice my mistake but glad that others have knowledge about the scripture i mentioned. Luke is the only reference of dogs licking a wound, not Job that’s my mistake. I stand corrected.
My sincere apology.
Red Ant quote “I also heard about Job being liked by dogs at the ash heap. but never saw it written. so can’t say that it’s truth.”
Exodus 20 / Deuteronomy 5 quote “With that said, could you please share the scriptures for Job / To having his boils cleaned liked by the dogs? I can’t seem to recall that one.”
i actually can hear the accent, “magites” LOL
my mother had a diabetic wound that was treated with maggots (grammar police) LOL
i also had a neighbor 30 yrs ago who got maggots on a leg wound, he was scared, told him “nah,bro you’ll be the local hero to the youngens” he was the talk of the neighborhood kids would come to see his wound get grossed and then talk about how cool it was and he then shared his collection of snakes. wow, went down memory lane.
Thanx for the Morning Laugh Bro!
It’s country. Y’all can understand LOL
FVPFv
I like your approach about reading EVERYTHING in context and the whole chapter, not just cherry picking.
With that said, could you please share the scriptures for Job / To having his boils cleaned liked by the dogs? I can’t seem to recall that one.
FVPFv
Sorry can’t edit in.
I’ve read the story of the dogs licking Lazarus’s sores, as a witness against the rich man, that even these dumb beasts showed him some form of compassion while he did not. But then again we don’t go to no church and let someone else tell us their opinion of what scripture is saying.
Kinda like the best way to see the night sky is to get away from the city with all it’s light pollution blocking out most everything.??
Man, spell ck dose not know how to speak Texan, LOL and I don’t no how to spell, spellck either…
Having a windy day today and lots of “fun” reading my own post. LOL
Y’all have a good day today.
Hey if you can’t spell then spellck will try and help…LMAO!!!!
Red Ant: I understood what you were getting at, but the squiggly worms in the wounds were maggots. At one time it was a standard medical treatment for infectious wounds, fell out of favor withe the advent of antibiotics and once again in some instances has had a resurgence of use in the medical field for treatment of some conditions.
I would suggest to those who think it might be valuable information to have for future use, go on line and search Medical Use of Maggots. As always be sure to only reference material from reliable sources.
I would wholeheartedly agree with Ex20 about licking wounds. We sometimes have a tendency to stick a cut in our mouths. In seems automatic, a hold over from when we were children. While that may be the cleanest liquid around for cleaning a cut, it is an absolutely last ditch resource. Mouths of everything are not clean. Ever watch a dog lick its anus? You are then going to let a dog lick a cut? If licking a wound is the only resource available to me, I prefer to use my own germs, thank you. If course, you are free to let Fido slobber all over that vicious cut you got from the bottle that broke as you were trying to open it without an opener, you know, the bottle you picked up from the floor of the Sop ‘N Rob that had been trashed. As for me, I will stick it in my mouth and spit out whatever I gather up from the cut. And also try my damnedest not to find myself in that situation.
Yes, I miss spelled the little white worm looking larva, that is call a maggot. LOL
I’m glad that I am not the only one that miss spells words or two.
Were ONLY human. I guess…
If mouths are not clean. Why is it that we kiss our wife or girl friend or our parents. You say because, but don’t they kiss others and then kiss you after. Even being close to some one talking will send out germs or you eat something and then lick your fingers after, but did not wash your hands before you ate or biting your finger nails. Now that’s nasty.
Every time you touch a door knob or slide your hand some where, after how many have touched it before you came along. Then you touch your face or pick at your teeth. Why do I see men in the public bathrooms, there to do there thing and then “not even wash there hands after”. Just watch and you will see how people are nasty and some times don’t even no they are doing it.
There are nasty germs every where, you can’t hide from them. So we just go on thru life best as we can and try not to get sick of any kind.
By the way I have never been to the doctor for any heath probs. Not even a ck up.
Will a clean man get sick or will a dirty man not get sick ?
I would not put a cut or scrap of any kind in my own mouth, I’ve seen people do that and that is nasty to me. It really dose not matter, clean or dirty.
It’s all good. To each his own…
Thank you…
Yeah, Chuck. At one time maggots and leeches were cutting edge medical practices. How far we’ve fallen. LOL!
Have to agree with most of the things you’ve said. If I get a small cut on my finger or something of that nature I AUTOMATICALLY, don’t even think about it, stick that finger in my face. Somewhere I’ve read that human saliva has antibiotic properties. Whether it’s in my mind or it actually does work it does seem to help the cut heal faster. Small cut. Not if I’ve cut off that last remaining finger. Have a hell of a time with knives and forks. Don’t particularly like the taste of blood but if it helps me I’ll put up with that small discomfort. At the very least it helps to clean the wound and I can always spit it out if something doesn’t taste right.
As for those damn dogs I almost get sick to my stomach when I see people letting their dogs lick their faces or their mouths. Yuck and double yuck! Do people forget that five minutes prior their dog was licking its own genitals or butt area? Apparently they have a very short memory. A dog’s digestive system is MUCH more robust than ours. Dogs can drink out of a toilet bowl without getting sick. I wouldn’t even consider that before taking out all the floaty bits and boiling the water for a couple of minutes. 😉 Dogs can drink from a roadside puddle without getting sick. Dogs can eat things that would take us out.
Long time ago (seems to be a recurring theme nowadays) I came across something that said you shouldn’t let an animal lick your face or give you “kisses”. GROSS! I think some of this also applies to cats. They’re even more limber than dogs. So I had to look it up. Here are five diseases that you can get from your “buddy” if you decide to smooch with your pooch.
Salmonellosis – You knew you could get salmonella from eggs, meat or poultry, but did you know it could come from your dog? Salmonellosis is a bacterial infection that dogs can pass on to people. It can cause fever, diarrhea, vomiting and more.
Capnocytophaga Canimorsus – This bacteria commonly found in a dog’s mouth has a reputation for causing dog bites to become infected. However, even a kiss can be dangerous. An elderly English woman became deathly ill because of it after her dog licked her. Still not as bad as the bacteria in a Komodo Dragon’s saliva. That stuff is just downright NASTY!
Campylobacteriosis – Puppies are often a source of infection for this disease, which causes painful gastrointestinal issues. Dogs may even carry the organism that brings on the illness without showing signs of it themselves.
Canine Brucellosis – Although this one is actually a canine venereal disease, it is a zoonotic bacterial disease, which means it can be spread from animals to humans. People typically contract it while helping an infected dog deliver pups, but a person can become infected if the bacteria comes in contact with a cut or wound, as well.
Leptospirosis – This bacterial infection can cause a number of potentially fatal symptoms in dogs, and since it is zoonotic, people can catch it from them as well. Children are especially vulnerable to the disease, which can range from mild to severe in humans.
In conclusion what people seem to forget is that at the end of the day cats and dogs are ANIMALS! Why in god’s name would you let an animal lick the upper end of your gastrointestinal tract? I think part of the answer is that after people take dogs and cats into their lives they may unconsciously anthropomorphize their pets. Would you let a horse or cow or the communal wombat lick your face? Probably not. I certainly wouldn’t. If I had the room for a dog I would take care of it and love it and pet it but that’s it.
people are more nastier then most animals.
we just think because we are human that we are cleaner then every thing else. LMAO!!
we just fool our selfs.
YA, I almost got sick and was over whelmed with the though of someone sucking there own blood. now that’s dam NASTY.
did you remember where your hands were or where they had been, just before you cut your finger and then shoved it in your mouth to suck off what was on there. ? No. probably not. to be honest .
did you ever go swimming in a creek or a pond, you got that water in your mouth and nose and ears. bet you did not no that animals shit and piss every were and what about the run off. what about your own house. not saying that people don’t clean, but dam sure not an operating room.
there are germs every where, even on your face right now getting in your mouth.
have you ever worked on a farm, sorry to tell you, but you got germs on you and most of the stuff y’all mentioned is also every where.
no one is as clean as they think.
reread my last post. if you think we are clean, better think again.
just like before. to each his own.
sickly people are becoming more and more every day.
get out and enjoy the germs and build up your weak immunity system.
O but watch out for those nasty animals. come on now.
I just looked up what, humans can transmit to one another. go and look that up…
I stick to the animals.
Beware! Not all maggots are equal. Fly strike is often caused by a type of fly maggot that eats healthy flesh, burrowing deep into the body and killing by gangrene. Not a pretty sight at all and very painful way to die.
Do you know witch fly and maybe a location ?
Fly strike is the common name for myiasis. Below is a Wikipedia article about myiasis.
“Myiasis is the parasitic infestation of the body of a live animal by fly larvae (maggots) which grow inside the host while feeding on its tissue. Although flies are most commonly attracted to open wounds and urine- or feces-soaked fur, some species (including the most common myiatic flies—the botfly, blowfly, and screwfly) can create an infestation even on unbroken skin and have been known to use moist soil and non-myiatic flies (such as the common housefly) as vector agents for their parasitic larvae.
Because some animals (particularly non-native domestic animals) cannot react as effectively as humans to the causes and effects of myiasis, such infestations present a severe and continuing problem for livestock industries worldwide, causing severe economic losses where they are not mitigated by human action. Although typically a far greater issue for animals, myiasis is also a relatively frequent affliction of humans in rural tropical regions where myiatic flies thrive, and often may require medical attention to surgically remove the parasites.
Myiasis varies widely in the forms it takes and its effects on the victims. Such variations depend largely on the fly species and where the larvae are located. Some flies lay eggs in open wounds, other larvae may invade unbroken skin or enter the body through the nose or ears, and still others may be swallowed if the eggs are deposited on the lips or on food.[2] There can also be accidental myiasis which E. tenax can cause in humans via water containing the larvae or in contaminated uncooked food. The name of the condition derives from ancient Greek μυῖα (myia), meaning “fly”.”
That’s why I suggested reading up on medical use of maggots. Some maggots are worse than others. Thanks, Ginny for reminding everyone about fly strike which affects farm animals more than humans but humans are not immune to fly strike.
Not just any old maggot will do. Dying of gangrene sucks big time and in a world without antibiotics, and with a fly struck wound, I don’t have a clue how ichthammol ointment would work. If the maggot were not too deeply imbedded in the wound, it likely would kill the maggot but it is a contact therapeutic and to the best of my knowledge is not absorbed into the bloodstream.
The Wikipedia article said that myiasis in humans is primarily in tropical regions but that it could occur in other regions also.
I was always sent to the neighbors house with a cut or scratch to have it licked by a dog. As an adult I read that there is an enzyme in dog saliva that is healing. Seems like it put a covering on it that kept the dirt out too…50 yrs ago so…
HH: the problem allowing an animal to lick a wound is they use their tongue as toilet paper. Aside from that, the tongue is like coarse sandpaper. niio
In my Army days, we referred to using maggots to help deal with nasty wounds when proper medical treatment was not readily available as “field expedient medicine.” Leaving a wound uncovered so that flies could land on it, lay eggs, and then let them hatch as maggots served a critical function: the maggots would only eat dead flesh. They do not eat live flesh.
So, they would eat the dead skin in and around the wound, and help reduce the chances of infection by not allowing the dead skin to decay. Nasty way to treat a wound, but when in the field in a critical situation, extreme measures can save lives.
Ron: I know the procedure and it’s good, but when they run out of dead flesh and decay, they will burrow in and eat living flesh. That’s why shepherds dock lamb tails to prevent pintail (caused by diarrhea) where flies would lay eggs. Once the problem is gone, maggots will burrow into the lamb and kill it. Caution, always, yo. niio
Thanks for the Intel buddy! I had no idea about the bentonite clay , I mean I knew about it but I only ever used it to stop leaks in ponds! Lol appreciate your message. Have a good one hoss!
Agree, WKK!!!
Super Thanks for the Intel on the Bentonite, especially!?
A few years ago I actually purchased Bentonite, on the recommendation of a Naturalpath – BUT NEVER ACTUALLY USED IT BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID OF IT!!!!! (And no, am not so wealthy that I have money to burn — but the mystery product just gave me the jitters…?)
So, wise Preppers, now that I have a better understanding of what Bentonite is – THANK YOU!!! – will be budgeting to include it with my regime of natural supplements. (And you can guess: am NOT getting in line for the very unique injections that were never intended to heal).?
again with the glitch LOL i see box was checked to save name correcting back to FVP not FVPFv
This article provides some helpful hints for making your own drawing salve. However, in an end of the world situation, how many of us will have all the ingredients necessary to whip up a batch of our own drawing salve? While we might be able to make some of the ingredients, I would tend to think that the local source for bentonite might be closed for the duration. Obtaining beeswax after the end of the world without some on hand would necessitate doing hand to hand combat with a hive of angry bees. Without a modicum of knowledge in how to go about getting beeswax without the accompanying stings might induce a condition worse than the one you were trying to cure. Beestings can be lethal and even if you have been stung before and not suffered anaphylactic shock, it doesn’t mean that this time will be the same as before. Do you also have epinephrin syrettes to treat that oftentimes fatal condition?
Instead of six ingredients, why not stock up on ichthammol ointment. It comes in 10%, 15% and 20% strengths. If you search for it on Amazon, you will find all sorts of salves for sale. I had used ichthammol since I was a small child to treat minor skin infections. It will draw blackheads. I used it to draw boils when I had a bout of boils. Unfortunately, it did not clear my system of the bacterium that was the underlying cause of the boils. It took a does of antibiotics to finally rid myself of the bug. However, the icthammol ointment did draw the infection from the boil as they occurred and cured the individual boil. It smells like tar and gets all over everything, so one has to be sure to cover the application, otherwise it will wind up on your clothes and leave a permanent stain. I have a tube that is at least 20 years old and still going strong.
Amazon sells a 14 oz jar of it for $14. Fourteen ounces should last your lifetime and you should be able to bequeath it to your heirs. The 20 year old tube I have is a once ounce tube. For small infections, just a dot of it on the gauze of the bandaid is more than sufficient for each application. That’s why the tube lasts so long. A couple tubes take up no space and should last even the youngest reader of this article close to a lifetime.
Plethora of information everyone brings in.
Pot Luck of beneficial knowledge
Why do homeopathic remedies never get mentioned?
Hepar Sulph 30c or 200c will work for infections as do others – research. I don’t remember off-hand the others. Depends on the type of infection also.
I used Hepar Sulph on my kitty’s ear infection – beet red, stinky and in two days – gone. I put 5 pellets of Hepar Sulph in their water and let dissolve, then used a dropper of the same water and put in her mouth four times a day.
Medorrhinum 200 and Cantharis 30 or 200 will work for bladder infections – choose Cantharis if burning feeling (also works on actual burns). I’ve used both with good results.
They have in other posts. anything else mentioned here is gravy.
My Apache grandmother, Yaki to be exact used arnica and sulpher on a gash on my head i got back in ’76. i didn’t want stitches, not brave enough LOL Brave LOL
My mother carefully cut hair around the wound and grandmother used her knowledge of her medicine. i still have a small bump skin grew, not a single hair on it LOL
Arnica cream/gel is great for bumps and bruises, though not for open wounds, I’ve heard…
The homeopathic remedies I was referring to are the white pellets that you put in your mouth and let dissolve. OR they can be dissolved in water and then you drink (or your animals drink) the water.
I can attest to it being a windy day in Texas, I went out to water the periwinkle pots and that’s it for me. People talk about needing shelter from the rain and snow, wind is almost as bad, makes it really hard to spell.
Maggots and leeches are finding some use in modern medicine, a little known fact is that the fresh urine of a healthy human is an effective product to clean a wound and aids in healing, too. Here’s a link to a study done in India. Is it a properly done study? I don’t know…https://www.rjpbcs.com/pdf/2010_1(3)/87.pdf The study cites Proverbs 5:15 but I’m pretty sure the Proverb is not talking about urine. I think the Army Field Manual used to recommend urine for field expedient wound cleaning and spider web for stopping bleeding, the fellow who claimed that said he never saw a spider web during his tour in Vietnam. The Caddo people of East Texas reportedly cleaned wounds with urine and dressed them with spider web mixed with sap from the sweetgum tree, the sweetgum being similar to witch hazel in usefulness.
Now I no for sure, I will let a dog lick my wounds before I piss all over my wound. But again, to each his own. LOL
It’s getting better on every post.
miss spelling because of the wind
A glitch with names
just miss spelling in general
LOL, Have a good day. Just remember no one is perfect on earth and yes, But JESUS has risen.
FVP: Yeah, but I’ll stick to yogurt which is, in a way fecal but purified (a bacteria found in the guts of cows). niio
You are correct on Proverbs 5:15 not talking about urine.
King James Version
15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
NWTS
Drink water from your own cistern, And flowing* water from your own well.
I have read on Urine therapy.
Have you heard of fecal transplant ? that’s when a doctor transplants feces from a healthy donor into another person to restore the balance of bacteria in their gut. Fecal transplants may help treat gastrointestinal infections and other conditions.
Good and enjoyable. I hope we’re all saving these articles. If not, Pappy spanks! Miz Kitty and ClergyLady, take care of my light work.
Post SHTF. you’re more likely to find ingredients for the salve in a pharm than you will soap. One herbal that always seems to work is calendula petals. Down here in sweet paradise, south central Arizona, it’s a perennial if given some protection in summer. In colder areas, call it a self-seeding annual. Let the first and last blooms go to seed. It likes poor soil–too much nitrogen and it’s all greens. Full sun where you can (we can’t). It’s great in hidden gardens, and petals can be used like saffron. niio
https://scratchpantry.com/recipes/2021/10/calendula-salve
On another note…. (besides homeopathic remedies)
Oregano Essential Oil – which wasn’t mentioned above – is a great antibiotic. Just make sure you dilute it to 1% (2 drops of eo in 2 Tablespoons of carrier oil) or you will get a chemical burn. (ask me how I know….)
I’ve used on cuts and scrapes, bladder infections, even put it on my dogs ear infections (before I knew about homeopathic remedies).
how do you know ? giggles yep been there done that
Garclic too is a great antibiotic
Right?!?
and NO. A dark red area on your skin after applying essential oils is not your body detoxing – it’s a CHEMICAL BURN.
Dilute, Dilute, Dilute.
Just sayin’
and it lasts a while. and it can hurt like a sunburn does. or itch. and may prevent your ability to use that oil again. I forget what it’s called…
How do you use garlic as an antibiotic? I’ve heard it is, but can’t remember now how to use it. Just rub it on?
Encountering an unexpected Chemical burn…
Yes, I learned about that from experience when I decided to use some colloidal silver to cure a skin infection that developed on a small portion of a rather large 2nd degree scald burn (larger than the size of my palm…).
.So I used less cs on the smaller infected area and, on alternate days, switched back to using a gel of aloe vera + lidocaine ( INSTEAD of the cs.)
Healing took months, but, thanks be to Almighty God, was well accomplished without a trip to the emergency room. (Adding collagen to my daily coffee permitted new skin to form without showing scars.)
As a 70 year old, I was not going to let anyone in a medical setting even ASK if I had CV shots or boosters — so i stayed home to heal.
Throughout history, billions of people relied on appropriate use of healing herbs and salves…. And the way things are going, billions more will have a better chance at health if they rediscover more of this wisdom.
RM P:
Honey is good for burns, too. I had a bad scald that raised a quarter sized blister. All of the other home remedies didn’t do a thing, but once I put regular good quality table honey and a clean dressing on to keep it protected, the pain eased and it healed with a barely visible scar.
good to know Miss Kitty
I read in a book once – fiction book, that is, that you can also use honey as a type of antibiotic? – not sure. maybe it was just to keep the area clean. She used it in a dressing over an eye injury. (Outlander series) I always meant to try to research that to see if that’s true, but I never did. It wouldn’t surprise me, though. Honey’s good for a lot of things
Over here they have gone back to petroleum jelly for sealing 2nd degree burns n deep grazes. Grand daughter in hospital for a week after being hit by a car and all her missing skin was covered with emollient which was just petroleum jelly but more creamy than a jar of Vaseline. She’s fine now, just red patches of new skin on arms and legs. They did have to knock her out to clean the road oil out of the wounds though before dressing them.
I once read that russian soldiers were given garlic as it was a good antibiotic, and kept them healthy. I believe it was a daily regimen. Has worked for me since I started using it. FWIW…………Nemo
Nemo: Honey and garlic. When honey ran out, garlic worked as well without it. Just planted 150 creole ajo rojo. that was bred in Spain as a medicinal, it’s that heavy with oil! Creole garlic, it goes back to Egyptian times, was bred for subtropics and the tropics. We store it in the garage in a paper bag and it keeps up to 12 months. Even cuban, a very mild garlic, will store well. niio
Clove oil is a “hot” oil also.
Minimum 1% dilution or you will have a chemical burn
and Cinnamon oil.
1% dilution minimum
For young children and small animals – 0.5%
(all the hot oils)
i use capsaicin cream, made from capsaicin peppers when i feel a fever blister coming on, it stops it right on its tracks.
this cream was first made to treat shingles, i knew someone with shingles, she wasn’t told it activates with shower, cold or hot and she was on fire had to rushed to hospital.
i use it to numb arthritis pain, muscle pain, leg cramps, sciatic pain, yeah my crazy motocross days coming back with a vengeance LOL
i like to purposely activate it, the burn makes distracts the pain. i have no problem with it. comes in 2 strengths. available now without a prescription.
Some time ago, I heard of someone who had shingles and was told to wait a bit after a shower before applying the prescribed cream. (I don’t know how that person’s showers went.). With the pores opened up in a shower, the effect of the prescribed cream was too strong. I suppose the fact that our pores do open up in the process of a shower is something to keep in mind when using all topical creams.
Something that might help with the effects you’re now feeling from your “crazy motocross days” is either collagen or gelatin. I am as old as the hills but since I have taken either collagen or gelatin, my joints are fine plus I have more lifting strength. I purchased Dr. Ax’s collagen and Amandean gelatin, as both of those companies were open about where they sourced their animal product but I am sure there are other companies open about where they get their product from.
mash ’em, grate them mix with water to make a paste. spread past on gauze, then put gauze on wound. keep bandage for 2 days. repeat as necessary. some may be sensitive
I love eating garlic.
The Stinking Rose Restaurant 40 cloves chicken plate. I recommend it.
garlic ice cream for dessert. it’s vanilla ice cream with garlic added.
garlic cloves in honey. the list goes on and on
Thank you.
That makes sense.
I’ve made 40-clove garlic chicken from The Sonoma Cookbook. Yum.
looks who’s flexing now LOL
You Go Girl!
Well, I just added a few more things to my shopping list!
If you can, buy Creole garlic to store. Stored right, it can last 12 months. Creole is a type of garlic and goes from very mild Cuban to Ajo Rojo which is so hot it burns like chili peppers. Mine gets stored in a paper bag in the garage. niio
Regarding garlic:
A lot of garlic is grown in China. The pre-peeled version in jars from China is hand peeled or if their fingers are worn out, peeled with their teeth.
If there is no garlic available in your area, that you can be sure of the source, order some garlic planting bulbs on line and get them in the ground now. They need to experience a time of freezing to trigger their growing process to be ready in the spring.
FVP’s advice of how easy it is to put garlic to use is spot on.
WOW, i’m flattered. Thank You for the compliment.
i like to peel my own garlic. that way i know i activate the allicin.
mmm shrimp scampi, rawr…
capsaicin cream continues to activate as far as three days. it even activates with perspiration. if it doesn’t burn i’m not a happy camper. rubbed my eyes by accident, i tend to do that a lot LOL
Hmm ‘ol as the hills, 61 here. lets see dislocated shoulder, right hand was suppose to be amputated, left ankle, bone spurs on my joints, i drink potato juice for that combats the uric acid. also drink baking soda in the mornings
I have almost a decade over on you. All those points of possible pain makes me cringe a bit, thinking of the discomfort. I have heard about how capsaicin oils can affect the eyes. My son accidentally set off a pepper spray can in the car by sitting on it. I appreciate the point about potato juice. I have a relative who would benefit from reducing his uric acid but I am not sure that he would drink anything else other than coffee or beer but I will mention it to him.
FVP: When a kid, if I made a sandwich, it got loaded with fresh garlic. Here it turns out that I was gluten intolerant. Gluten was making allergies cause internal infections and my body was self-medicating. I started to eat lamb (from sheep, not cabrito/goat) only after a friend from Greece made it with Greek sauce. Take several bulbs of garlic, roast whole in oven till done. Clean, spread over what you’re eating.
Planted 120 cloves of garlic yesterday and will plant at least 50 more tomorrow. There has to be open places in the garden for more…
I use Thieve’s Oil for use topically but diluted with a carrier oil. I also mist the air in front of my face if I have been around anyone who isn’t well. Any “bugs” will be killed off before they can work their way further into my system. I keep a small mister in my car for use after being in crowds.
I purchased a big bottle of it over 6 years ago and it is still effective. The large bottle hasn’t been opened very often as I only use it to fill smaller containers that might be opened more often or exposed to temperature changes.
Justin K’s instructions are great. They are easy to follow. I think that it might be useful to collect the ingredients for the salve now and mix small portions as needed in the future. Bentonite clay is very much multipurpose as are all the other ingredients. It would be very useful to keep them on hand.
When I was a young tad, many decades ago, my father brought home a stray puppy from work. We didn’t have the puppy very long when it developed a case of mange that destroyed all its hair except for the tip of its tail. There were no veterinarians in town so my mother consulted the family MD. He recommended applying a mixture of lard and flowers of sulphur to the entire surface of the dog.
My brother, feeling sorry for the hairless dog, painted it with paint from a can of turpentine that my father had left the paint brush in to stay wet until he could finish painting whatever. The turpentine caused the poor dog to run away from my brother and in its agony it ran into a rose bush. My mother rescued the dog from the rose bush and used more turpentine to remove the paint from the dog’s skin and reapplied a coat of lard and sulphur. The dog licked the mixture off and after he licked it all off we reapplied the coating. We repeated that until his hair started to grow back in.
The MD also recommended putting a tablespoon full of cod liver oil in the dog’s food each day.
I don’t know what cured the dog’s mange, the lard and sulphur, the paint, the turpentine or the cod liver oil, but when his coat grew in he had the most luxurious coat of thick fur of any dog that we ever owned.
I also don’t know if there is a disease that lard and sulphur cures for humans, but I understand that mange can be contracted from dogs, so that is a cure if you ever contact a case of mange.
Some folks drink turpentine as some sort of remedy. I have read that cure is not recommended as it will make you sick as the proverbial dog. I suppose now I will get flamed by all the turpentine cocktail fans following this list.
By the way, we are going to be bathed by an X-1 category coronal mass ejection on Sunday. This is following two M category coronal mass ejections. Spaceweather.com said it should prove interesting, whatever that means. Just for the heck of it, you might want to store your electronics in your Faraday cage over the weekend. We have been bathed by X-1 CMEs since I have been following the alert website, but never following two other CMEs. The Carrington Event was so powerful because it was two X category CMEs, in seriatim. The first one creates disturbances in the Earth’s protective magnetic shield which allows more of the sun’s expulsion to penetrate through earth’s magnetic shield.
That isn’t the full-detailed explanation of what happens, it is this layman’s description of what he thinks the full-detailed explanation says. Any solar physicist following this list, feel free to correct any variances from real life.
Your family sure kept busy trying to cure the poor dog. The cure sounds pretty harsh but it worked! I have a grandchild’s dog at my house. A few weeks ago, she developed what looked like a small patch of mange on her lower lip. I tried putting various creams on it but, of course, she licked them off. I then began putting some colloidal silver in her drinking water and that stopped the progression. My grandchild came by and started the dog on antibiotics. I continued with the colloidal silver in the dog’s water as I felt that it would work better than an antibiotic. Today, there is zero evidence of that mangy area on the dog.
Turpentine is a pine product. Pine needles have shikemic acid in it which is something that some say is a preventative against the current bug in the news. It is also the same thing in Tamiflu which is made from Star Anise. There are even pine needles for sale on the internet for making tea with.
Thank you for trying to explain anything to do with electronics to those of us who have a difficult time understanding it all. I appreciate the detail and the possible event this weekend.
Sage: Turpentine taken internally causes spontaneous abortions. Any conifer will. We keep a few cans of it around in case of problems, but it kills off everything in you. niio
LCC: All of them worked. Poor pup, wow. When we bought feeder pigs, they went in isolation because scabies is common. One batch developed scabies and Dad put up two posts with a roll of burlap sacks hung between. He soaked it with used motor oil and the pigs used it. No more scabies. A neighbor’s dog caught mange and his mother told him to spit tobacco juice on the bald spots. He did. Pretty soon the dog caught on and when it needed help, he spit and that killed off the mange. niio
I have read that cows that eat the grass from underneath Ponderosa Pines after a rain, either get sick enough to die and/or have a spontaneous abortion. Other pines do not have that harmful effect. I tried making some tea with Douglas Fir trees needles. I read that they are not a true fir but actually a pine. There was almost no flavor – kind of boring. I didn’t feel any effect after about 3 cups of tea.
Sagebrush: Cow, open mouth, grab with tongue. pull it in and close mouth, swallow. While they might be able to handle some pine needles, eating like that guarantees problems. Pine will kill a calf in the womb. A friend lost 3 very expensive colts because he allowed the mares to eat white pine needles. Each aborted and his wife, an Israeli, gave him a good beating. Mesquite, now there’s beauty! Good feed yearlong, drought tolerant, good in the kitchen, too. niio
My Amish friends put a couple drops of turpentine in a teaspoon of sugar for their children to kill intestinal worms. They offered me some, but I politely refused;). FWIW….Nemo
Nemo: As long as you’re not pregnant… 🙂 Natural turpentine is part of an old cough syrup. It is a ‘hot’ herbal. When I think about it, I’m always surprised growing up around livestock we didn’t get worms. Only one case, a younger sister, picked up pinworms. The doctor prescribed something that made her sick, and Mom stopped it. It didn’t work. Pappy and Nana (means granny) came to visit for a week and brought brass cups for all of us. Hot cocoa or ‘green’ beer, from teens to preteens, none of us turned it down. we used the cups for a few days, then they were put away. No more pinworms. Dad used copper for any internal parasite, but Mom didn’t want to chance it with us kids. niio
Just to satisfy my own curiosity about sulphur and lard, I went on line and searched sulphur and lard medicinal use. This is what I found.
For those who do not know what acari are, they are small arachnids that comprise a large group of mites and ticks.
Sulphur is one of the substances which are fatal to acari, and it still remains one of the best, as it is the commonest, remedy for scabies, though Dr. McCall Anderson and others have objected to it as too irritant.
It is nearly certain that sulphur, when used by itself or mixed with lard, has simply a mechanical effect on the epidermis; but when carbonate of potash is added to the ointment, sulphurated potash is formed, and this compound quickly destroys the acari. We know, from clinical observation, that these insects often live in the plain sulphur ointment for several days without much apparent detriment, while, as Kuchenmeister says, “the acari, kept in a solution of sulphurated potash, die in a quarter of an hour.”
The strength and the frequency of the application should be varied according to the delicacy of the patient’s skin and the amount of the eruption; the more active the preparation, and the more thorough its use, the quicker will be the cure. Thus, painting the body with a solution of chloride of sulphur in sulphuret of carbon is said to cure in five minutes (Medical Times, i., 1856, pp. 247, 368); while Bourguignon’s formula with lime and sulphur (boiled together) is allowed half an hour, and M. Hardy’s method with soft-soap frictions, warm bath, and anointing with 2 parts of sulphur to 8 of lard and 1 of potash carbonate, effects its purpose in four hours (British and Foreign Review, ii., 1852, Lecons); but such results are liable to be accompanied with unnecessary irritation and pain to the patient. Dr. Tilbury Fox, having seen eczematous eruptions and chronic irritation often induced by the excessive use of too strong an ointment, and founding his advice on observation of the parts usually affected, advocates the use of a mild ointment (1 part in 16, i.e., 1/2 dr. to the ounce of lard) to the wrists and between the fingers only, in acute cases accompanied with general irritation (Lancet, ii., 1871); but, as Hebra and R. Liveing observe, the restriction of the application to a few portions needs very exact diagnosis, and, as a rule, the ointment of the selected strength should be applied to every part. A prolonged warm bath (half-hour), and thorough cleansing with soap and friction, should precede the inunction; then, after drying, either the mild ointment of Fox, or the simple ointment of the Pharmacopoeia (1 part in 5), or one of intermediate strength (1 part in 8, with 1/2 a part of potash carbonate) should be plentifully rubbed over the trunk and the limbs, especially the flexor side of the limbs and between the fingers and toes; and then socks, gloves, drawers, and jersey should be used to keep the ointment in contact with the skin (Liveing). An ointment I commonly prescribe is made with sublimed sulphur, 2 dr.; sulphide of calcium, 1/2 dr.; and simple ointment, 2 oz. After a night’s application, a warm bath in the morning may be used to remove the odor of sulphur, but then a second or third inunction may be required; if the first one can be left undisturbed for twenty-four hours, it will often suffice to cure. In some cases, a lotion of sulphuret of calcium (liquor calcis c. sulphure) acts better, because it is more thoroughly applied than an ointment; its use should also be preceded by a warm bath, and it need only be gently applied with a sponge or brush; if used with friction it may cause very severe irritation.
From the article, it would appear that this is an old time remedy. There probably is some modern compound that kills acari. As I said in my original post about the dog, this was when I was a young lad and was probably shortly after WWII when pharmacists were not just pill counters, but actually mixed up drugs in their stores. One could purchase all kinds of chemicals from the pharmacy. In fact, in England they are called chemists from the days when they mixed drugs. You could buy rat poison from the pharmacist.
A pharmacist told me, many years ago, that the injectable heparin I was picking up was rat poison. Maybe, he wasn’t too thrilled that I came by just before closing. (I was going through a bout of some misplaced blood clots and was giving myself injections.)
I have looked at many of the 1700’s and 1800’s books that have been scanned and are now on line. Extremely interesting to read first hand what the thinking was then. Thanks for doing the research.
Heparin is a type of rat poison when used in a high dosage. The rat’s blood simply loses all of its coagulating properties and the rat hemorrhages to death. A painful and inhumane way to kill them, it also will kill any animal that kills and eats a dosed rat, and so on.
The heparin used therapeutically is a lower dosage, but if you take enough it it will have the same effect.
Yup, Lin. A rat poison by any other name. I had to take warfarin after open heart surgery. It has a “narrow therapeutic range” which means you have to be very careful how much you take. After taking that crap for about a year it was starting to destroy my liver. Went off of it. Took baby Aspirin instead. Bothered my stomach so I said the hell with it. I’ll take my chances. have never looked back. Most difficult thing I ever had to do was self inject heparin into my stomach. Not a fan of needles.
Armin, When I was on heparin, I had some blood clots floating around. The doctors wanted me to inject it into my abdomen but I refused because I was carrying a child and it felt creepy to jab a needle toward him. Instead I spent a month injecting it into my legs a few times a day until the child was born. I did some research later and found that it had the potential of harming the unborn child. The docs then wanted me on coumadin forever. That’s when I learned to do more research and not take the word of those who were a little too good at following the textbooks and not understanding the bigger picture of how the human body works. It is much healthier to take Vit. E, Q-10, Hawthorn blends, etc.
This site is great because it has a great many commenters who think outside the box and do their best to understand why certain practices need to be looked at in greater detail.
We all are better for it when various commenters come on line, share their experiences and the results of their research.
We always come down on the side of modern medicine for everything, but the CDC still recommends, for scabies, a sulfur ointment or permethrin cream. Permethrin is originally from the chrysanthemum flower, also from calendula, Red of course often recommends calendula for lots of problems, it was widely used up until the 20th century. The CDC also lists oral Ivermectin as an effective treatment. We used to load a cartridge of Ivermectin into what looked like a big caulking gun, jam the end up in a steer’s mouth and shoot a big old dose in him. Never forget the steers slinging yucky white Ivermectin slobber everywhere, guess they have it in a pill for humans?
Handy to know that a 19th century curative is still the current recommended cure. Just so everyone is clear, sulphur is not sulfa. Sulphur is a yellow element. Flowers of sulphur, from my 70+ year memory is powdered sulphur. It is used in making black powder. If you buy flowers of sulphur, you don’t have to grind it up.
Old Man Sol is surely acting up this week. There is another M-1 category CME headed our way. That is a total of four CMEs this week, if you drag this week over into Sunday and Monday.
Judge: We don’t use ivermectin even for the dog–unless he caught a virus. IV kills dung beetles and that’s a no-no because they kill gnats, flies, horn flies and so on. Copper is better for parasites. niio
@LCC THEY’RE NOT FRIGGIN’ CME’S. THEY’RE FRIGGIN’ SOLAR FLARES. THERE IS A BLOODY DIFFERENCE! Geez! You young guys!
@Judge Holden There’s an animal version of Ivermectin and a human version of Ivermectin. Ivermectin has been used on millions of people without any adverse affects.
Calendula is one of my favorite plants to have around. It self seeds and grows easily in poor soil and limited water. After a super hot summer and the irrigation water being turned off a month early, my calendula is still growing wonderfully. I use the petals to decorate foods and put them in drinks. Of course, there are endless wonderful health benefits in it’s use in all forms.
For anyone starting to get into being more self-sufficient, calendula is a good plant to get started with because it is so forgiving.
Sagebrush: A lot of years ago, calendula petals were selling at $16.00/ounce. Here, it does well in winter but summer is iffy without shade and water. Same with chicory and buckwheat (European version). 2020 was so bad nothing came up and even the cactus were dying. This year made up for it. 🙂 niio
One of the guys in my squad, can’t tell if he was messing with me , the new guy at the time, taught everyone to eat a match head every day from our MREs when we were in the field. He stated we would sweat the sulfur and it would repel ticks. He was a medic before switching to transportation.
Can’t say if he was right or not, but years in the field, never got a tick.
Exo:
With such positive results, he could not have been so seriously messing with you! Both my brother & I had to deal with ticks while visiting relatives on their Texas farm one humid summer…would much rather eat match heads!!!
Additionally, until then, never even heard of being able to get sunburned on an overcast day!!???? ☁ Certainly glad to have been warned in advance! ??
@rm p absodefinilutely You can get sunburned on an overcast day. It’s the ultraviolet that causes the burn. Ultraviolet goes through clouds. If you’re driving it’s even more important to wear your sunglasses on an overcast day.
I read a long time ago about the therapeutic use of leeches in the reattachment of severed digits. Apparently, the leech saliva contains an anticoagulant that liquidises the clotted blood, which the leech then draws out. This stimulates fresh, oxidized blood to flow into the reattached body part, speeding up the healing process and preventing gangrene. They’re also used for deep bruising that is otherwise non responsive.
RM P:
Black tea, made double or triple strength and cooled, is wonderful for sunburn. I’ve used it myself and it works really well. Tea contains tannic acid which is what heals the burn. Make sure you apply it cold as even at room temperature it won’t ease the pain as well. Easiest way to apply it is to soak a piece of cloth or paper towels in the tea, wring out some of the excess, and apply it fairly wet. It does stain fabric, so put down something to catch the drips. Reapply when the compress gets warm. Don’t use tea that has a lot of extra flavorings in it – just plain black tea. You can use the cheapest tea you can find in the grocery and it works fine.
Another good recipe I use is:
Amish black salve recipe
Ingredients
• 3 Tablespoons comfrey root and chickweed (or substitute plantain) infused olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 Tablespoons Beeswax
• 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
• 2 Tablespoons Activated Charcoal Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Kaolin Clay or Bentonite Clay
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 20 drops (or more) Lavender Oil
• 20 drops (or more) Tea Tree Oil
• 20 drops (or more) Pine Needle Oil
• 20 drops (or more) Eucalyptus Oil
• 20 drops (or more) Wintergreen Oil
The universe of pathogens is incredibly huge…and if they are zoonotic, our own pets can transmit a nasty bug to us and/or our children.
Your cat can get attacked by an “alley cat” that is infected with rabies, one of the most deadly zoonotic viruses…even if your cat is vaccinated, the cat may have the some saliva with the rabies virus under its claws…if it accidentally scratches a child, that child could get rabies and suddenly die a few weeks later. It may not be known what the child died from unless they perform an autopsy of the brain.
Always vaccinate pets, especially against rabies. A dead bat on the ground may have rabies. Keep your pets and children away from dead bats. Skunks are also common vectors of this virus and can bite your pets. If your pet ever comes home smelling like a skunk…beware!!!
Rabies was my nightmare as a kid…
I had the unfortunate experience of taking a series of rabies shots directly into the stomach after bit by a wild animal (I was not as smart as I thought I was at 12 years old).
What was true decades ago is no longer the truth for today. The overuse of antibiotics has created super-bugs that are practically unstoppable. Having pets as members of your family is wonderful, but protect them from pathogens and keep them healthy.
Be smart, Be safe.
As an old retired meat plant operator I can tell you a blow fly larva in a critters back is really nasty site. As for infections I always use my home smoked bacon to draw it out. Factory bacon wont work. I still cure and smoke my own bacon and hams.