Medicine Bag

Sustainable Civilization: From the Grass Roots Up
Medicine Bag Appendix - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
As we passed the end of the 1800’s, improved nutrition and sanitation can be credited as much if not more than medical advances for the increase in the average lifespan. Yet virtually all aspects of these are dependent on cheap abundant energy and the economy it provides. Absent such, what level of modern medicine can be sustained?
Disclaimer: This document is not intended to provide medical advice. It is intended to provide incentive for those contemplating, or experiencing, a “worse case” scenario, such as the collapse of the present medical establishment to actively investigate alternatives appropriate to their available technology and medical expertise. 
INTRODUCTION
The purposes of medicine include:
- Prevent infection
- Treat injury
- Cure disease
- Manage/mitigate symptoms/suffering
- Eliminate toxins
- Promote health
- Serenity/Inner peace
Little more than one hundred years ago, for most families the garden was also the medicine chest. The medicinal benefit of plants of local plants was still common knowledge. An essential aspect of long-term sustainability is going to be renewed education in locally available cures.
We may have to go back to the old days when patients got “TLC”. Natural antibiotics and antioxidants may give unvaccinated people who have been exposed to biological or chemical weapons enough time to secure professional care, or they may provide the time for their body to do it’s own curing. Despite potential stress/strain well beyond what we are accustomed to, the coming paradigm requires NOT getting run down. Do not abuse your body by late nights, drugs, drinking or eating too much of the wrong things. Prevention, and early attention to problems will be essential. 
Switch to broths, fresh vegetables and fruits, natural juices, etc. NOW. 
Keep surfaces and tools, especially in the kitchen, and your hands CLEAN. Flush and sterilize wounds IMMEDIATELY. HOT water, strong lye soap, and mild acids like vinegar will take care of most of the common "bugs' in a household. Thyme oil, oregano oil, tea tree oil and lavender oil are all strongly anti bacterial. Alcohol is a very strong disinfectant.
The party is over. A cold progressing to pneumonia can be fatal. Infection from a careless would can be fatal. At the onset of illness, pour down the fluids. Keep up your nutrition (and the calories & weight DOWN). 
FIRST AID
Many sources sell kits, or you can assemble your own from individual purchases. The Red Cross, and many locations (including some phone books) set out a basic kit. The vast majority of those "kits" though, are intended only as initial response, to minor incidents, assuming you can call "911" or go to a hospital for serious incidents. In a crash or long-term aftermath, organized emergency response and medicine may not be available.
Training. Everyone takes CPR, first aid, etc. classes. 
Knowledge. There are many books available showing "first aid" for serious, life threatening accidents and diseases. Like the crash itself, you hope you'll never need them, but if you loved one needs surgery, and there is no one else to do it, would you prefer to let them suffer/die, or to work with a guidebook, and reasonable tools to help them? 
AVOID
Acetaminophen - The main ingredient in a number of over the counter medications. There are reports of kidney damage, and liver destruction by using up a free radical scavenger normally found in the liver, making you more susceptible to aging and other diseases. The bad effects of acetaminophen are compounded by quite a number of other prescription and over the counter drugs. 
Non-Steroidal Anti-Infalmmatories - Ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, indomethacin, nabumetone, meloxicam, all indicated to be associated with stomach ulcers and kidney failure. 
GENETICS
Some people live longer with less illness and susceptibility to disease simply because it's natural for them. 
NUTRITION AND DIET
Lack of a proper balance of vitamins, complimentary proteins, etc. can preclude health, regardless of other factors being optimized. 
Even the lack of a sufficient digestable supply of a single element can lead to problems. Aim for a diet that provides something like:
A - 5000 - 10,000 iu
D - 1,600 iu
E - 400 - 1200 iu
B
C - 2000 milligram
EFA - 1000 - 3000 EPA, 700 - 2000 DHA
COQ10 - 30 - 100 milligram
Lutein - 6 milligram
I3C aka Carbinil, 300 - 400 milligram
Aging studies show humans need a high nutrition, but low calorie diet. High-protein, high-fat foods provide this, and "satisfaction". Eating fat does not necessarily make you fat. Carbs tends to be high PROFIT products, so do you wonder why the USDA food pyramid has been lobbied for them to be the base? It is an approach that puts keeping people fueled and working (at least for the short term) ahead of long-term health. Dr. Douglas reports a study which showed that cyclists following a diet that included only 7 percent carbs could pedal twice as long as those on a 74 percent carb diet, and that increasing protein intake and decreasing carbohydrate intake increased energy and gave a definite nutritional and biochemical advantage to exercising rats with energy levels over three times as high.
Beer. Has a wide range of amino acids, proteins, polypeptides, and minerals, including potassium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and copper. In moderate quantities, beer can actually aid your digestive system, help your body transport water, decrease stress, and benefit your heart. There’s even new evidence that shows beer can help protect you against cancer. Beer is 93 percent water, contains no sugar or fat, and has only low levels of additives. It's the "chips" or other snacks (carbs) that pile up the fat.
Carbohydrates (breads, starches, and simple sugars) easy to absorb quickly become glucose in our blood, the body then pumps in the hormone insulin to convert the glucose into fuel. The insulin also tells your to stop burning fat, to put more into storage. 
Cooking. Some cooking may be required to make foods safely edible (i.e. yam vines or killing disease vectors in meat), but don't be surprised, but OVER-cooking foods causes a breakdown in the molecules, effecting the nutrient value and structure. It can even turn a food into substances unrecognizable to the body, which, in turn, elicits an immune response.
Peppers. Capsaicin, the main ingredient in hot peppers is an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory. Peppers contain various vitamins, including more vitamin C than oranges. Peppers help thin the blood and lower blood pressure, and may lower the blood level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), the cause of arteriosclerosis. 
Salt. Is a vital mineral in your diet. It is essential for many chemical processes. Low-salt diets may actually be dangerous. One theory holds that people with high blood pressure are at greater risk for heart attacks if their kidneys produce excess levels of the enzyme renin. A low-salt diet causes renin levels to increase. 
Water. The most abundant molecule in our bodies. Note though, that not all water is the same. As touched on in MESS, depending on what is dissolved in it, water varies over a 14 unit scale from highly acid to highly alkaline. A general guide for human consumption might be a ph of 9.5 to 10 (more alkaline than acid). 
ALKALINE 
FRUITS
Apple 
Apricot 
Avocado 
Banana (high glycemic) 
All Berries inc. - Blackberries, Raspberries*, Strawberries 
Cherries, sour 
Coconut, fresh 
Currants and Raisins 
Dates and Figs, both dried 
Grapes *Purple, Red 
Grapefruit 
Lemon and Lime 
Melon - Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Musk, Water 
Nectarine 
Orange and Tangerine 
Peach 
Pear 
Pineapple 
Umeboshi Plums 
Rhubarb 
Tomato 
Tropical Fruits 
ALKALINE
PROTEIN
Cottage Cheese 
Chicken Breast 
Nuts - Especially Almonds and Chestnuts 
Seeds - Pumpkin, Sprouted, Sunflower - Millet 
Tempeh (fermented) 
Tofu (fermented) 
Whey Protein Powder 
Yogurt, Plain 
ALKALINE
SWEETENER
Stevia 
ALKALINE
SPICES & SEASONINGS
All Herbs 
Cayenne* and Chili Pepper 
Curry - Tumeric* 
Cinnamon - Ginger 
Miso - Tamari 
Sea Salt 
ALKALINE
OTHER
Apple Cider Vinegar 
Bee Pollen 
Lecithin Granules 
Molasses, blackstrap 
Butter, unsalted 
Soured Dairy Products 
Probiotic Cultures 
Alkaline Antioxidant Water - Mineral Water 
Tea - Bandi, Dandelion, Essiac*, Green*, Herbal, Ginseng, Kombucha 
Fresh Fruit Juice - Green Juices and Wheat Grass Juice* - Veggie Juices 
Organic Milk (unpasteurized)
ALKALINE
MINERALS
Cesium: pH 14 
Potassium: pH 14 
Sodium: pH 14 
Calcium: pH 12 
Magnesium: pH 9
ALKALINE
VEGETABLES
Alfalfa 
Asparagus 
Barley Grass 
Green Beans 
Beets* 
Broccoli* 
Brussel sprouts 
Cabbage 
Carrot* 
Cauliflower* 
Celery 
Chlorella 
Cucumber 
Dandelions 
Dulce 
Edible Flowers 
Eggplant 
Fermented Veggies 
Garlic* 
Greens - Beet, Chard, Collard, Mustard, Wild 
Kale 
Kohlrabi 
Lettuce 
Mushrooms 
Nightshade Veggies 
Onions 
Parsnips (high glycemic) 
Peas 
Peppers 
Potatoes 
Pumpkin 
Radishes 
Rutabaga 
Sea Veggies 
Spinach 
Spirulina 
Sprouts 
Squashes 
Sweet Potatoes 
Tomatoes 
Watercress
ALKALINE
ORIENTAL VEGETABLES
daikon Radish 
Dandelion Root 
Maitake, Reishi and Shitake Mushrooms 
Sea Veggies - Kombu, Nori and Wakame Seaweed 
Umeboshi (pickled plums) 
ACID
VEGETABLES
Corn 
Lentils 
Olives 
Winter Squas 
ACID
FRUITS
Blueberries 
Canned or Glazed Fruits 
Cranberries 
Currants 
Plums 
Prune 
ACID
GRAIN PRODUCTS
Amaranth 
Barley 
Bran, wheat 
Bran, oat 
Bread 
Corn 
Cornstarch 
Crackers, soda 
Flour, white 
Flour, wheat 
Hemp Seed Flour 
Kamut 
Macaroni 
Noodles 
Oats (rolled) 
Oatmeal 
Pasta 
Quinoa 
Rice (all) 
Rice Cakes 
Rye 
Spaghetti 
Spelt 
Wheat 
Wheat Germ 
ACID
BEANS & LEGUMES
Beans - Black, Kidney, Lima, Pinto, Red, 
Soy, White - Lentils 
Almond Milk, Rice Milk, Soy Milk 
Peas - Chick and Green 
ACID
DAIRY
Butter, Salted 
Cheese - Cow, Sheep and Goat 
Cheese - Parmesan and Processed 
Ice Cream 
Ice Milk 
ACID
NUTS & BUTTERS
Brazil Nuts, Cashews, Peanuts, Pecans, Pistachio, Walnuts 
Legumes 
Peanut Butter 
Tahini 
ACID
ANIMAL PROTEIN
Beef 
Corned Beef 
Lamb and Veal 
Pork and Bacon 
Sausage 
Turkey 
Venison 
Rabbit 
Organ Meats 
Fish - Carp, Cod, Haddock, Pike, Salmon, Sardines, 
Tuna 
Shellfish - Clams, Lobster, Mussels, Oyster, Scallops, Shrimp 
Eggs - Less acidic if natural feed, no hormones, no anti-biotics. 
ACID
FATS & OILS
Oil - Avocado, Canola, corn, Flax, Hemp Seed, Olive, Safflower, Sesame, Sunflower 
Butter 
Lard 
ACID
SWEETENERS
Carob 
Corn Syrup 
Sugar 
ACID
ALCOHOL
Beer 
Hard Liquor 
Spirits 
Wine 
ACID
OTHER FOODS
Catsup 
Cocoa 
Coffee 
Mustard 
Pepper 
SoftDrinks 
Soy Sauce 
Distilled Vinegar
ACID
DRUGS & CHEMICALS
Aspirin 
Chemicals 
Drugs - Medicinal and Psychedelic 
Herbicides and Pesticides 
Tobacc 
ACID
JUNK FOOD
Beer: pH 2.5 
Coffee: pH 4 
Coca-Cola: pH 2
CONDITIONING AND ACTIVITY
SAFETY & ACCIDENT AVOIDANCE
Do you recall seeing on soda machines the little graphic of the machine falling over on someone, warning no to shake the machine? 
People do stupid things, and take pointless risks. 
AVOID CONTAMINATION
Common cold viruses such as rhinoviruses can live on hard surfaces for at least 18 hours. YOU DO NOT have to come in close contact with someone who is ill, to catch a cold or similar virus from them. Washing you hands, NOT touching surfaces you have not cleaned, etc., is one of the best protections. 
Remember, the Doctor's office and hospital are where the sick people gather seeking a cure (and sharing their various infections). Far from being sterile places, they may be breeding grounds for disease not found in the "real world". 
Do you have air-ducts in your home, or vehicle? Can you clean the inside of these? What's growing in there? Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of often fatal Legionnaire's disease, is in its natural state a minor soil component kept in check by the micro ecosystem of healthy soil. When introduced to the inside of air conditioning ducts, it can grow to be a killer.
Swift, worldwide transportation of people and goods is quite an achievement. But diseases also benefit from our transportation systems. Viruses that were once isolated in a small pocket of the world can now travel anywhere, and spread before they can be noticed. Even "new" products can harbor invisible contamination, and it may be in your best interest to view and handle new possessions with caution, and clean them before introducing them to your home. 
PREVENTING illness is an aspect we've come to ignore, relying on our insurance paid system to cure us after the fact. Insurance though is just a part of the larger economy, which probably will not continue to function.
HEALTH INSURANCE
General Motors (2006) has $64 billion in outstanding UNFUNDED healthcare obligations, which is $50 billion more than its market capitalization. Do you want to be dependent on something such as this?
The Doctor / Patient relationship is not something sacred, it is a business relationship. Insurance, or the means to have others pay for your accidents or illnesses, used to be your family, friends, or perhaps a formal agreement within a private organization. In these relationships, the interactive group was empowered with significant influence upon each other in a positive feedback loop leading to a healthier, less risky lifestyle. The effectiveness of such feedback is stripped away in socialized medicine, or anonymous group coverage.
If you know your smoker friend, coworker or brother will call on your to pay a share of treatment or surgery, won't you make an effort to influence the actions of this individual that are contrary to their long term health? 
Personal responsibility for one's health, with “promptings” by family and friends will return as a more significant aspect of health care.
APPROACHES TO TREATMENT
Chiropractic
Osteopathy
Massage/
 Herbs/Drugs/Vitamins
Surgery
Ritual/Prayer/Faith
ACCUPRESSURE/ACCUPUNCTURE
Although in use in the Far East for thousands of years, the science behind these techniques is not readily available. 
SURGERY
BIRCH TREE SUGAR - Xylitol stops the growth of Streptococus pneumoniae, the typical ear infection bacteria. 
An obsidian blade can be significantly sharper than is possible with a steel scalpel. 
Israeli research has developed a relatively simple means which uses a parabolic mirror to concentrate sunlight onto a fiber optic cable, which then leads to a light scalpel, useable as a laser scalpel. 
Medicine Bag Appendix - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5