With the world situations rapidly unspooling, there is a need for survival preparations. We can't possibly prepare for any and all contingencies but there are some scenarios that are more probable than others.

With the current economic situation it is likely we will at least see hunger, disease and pestilence. As self-reliant preparers it behooves us to face the certainty that guns and grub will not be all we need.

Maintaining hygienic conditions is paramount to survival even in these relative times of peace. In chaotic times there will undoubtedly be an upsurge of diseases that developed countries have not had to deal with in generations. We need to know how to recognize and deal with these illnesses even though we will likely not have access to "modern" medicine.

Many people are opting to not receive vaccinations for themselves or their children. After researching the subject, I can't say I blame them but the consequences will (and have been) an increase in formerly controlled epidemics.

Even working as a health care professional for the past 30 years I have only seen 1 case of lockjaw (tetanus), 1 case of small pox, and 1 case of ebola. I've never seen or dealt with things like plague (even though it hasn't disappeared from the world scene) or leprosy, cholera, whooping cough or any number of other currently controlled diseases. Without access to antibiotics or possibly even clean water, how will we cope.

I spent the day trying to answer that question and came up with some interesting research that's been done by people smarter than me asking the same question. In retrospect, I should have cited my sources as I encountered them but hindsight is 20/20. You are encouraged to do your own research on this topic and come to whatever conclusions you need in order to make preparations that are right for your family's health.

Diptheria is a gram positive aerobe that is spread mainly through infected droplets in the air and on the surfaces of objects. It can also be spread via blood. Symptoms occur 2-4 days after contact and initially resemble tonsillitis. There's fever, fatigue, increased pulse, sore throat and depresssion. Definitive diagnosis is based on a greyish or whitish membrane that forms in one or both nostrils, thickens, moves to back of throat and causes swelling and redness. Treatment consists of isolation and, in lieu of traditional medicine which may not be available, the following alternatives:
Pineapple juice at regular intervals to help separate the infective membrane.
Eucalyptus oil in hot, moist inhalation to relief symptoms.
Garlic raw and chewed to decrease temp and fight infection.
Curled dock to hasten recovery.
Diptheria can progress to heart failure. If it does, foxglove and prickly pear cactus are the alternative treatments.

Pertussis (whooping cough)
A gram negative bacteria that is highly infectious.. Known as the 100 day cough. That's not an exaggeration. It can really last that long. There's a 10-14 day incubation period. The early symptoms present as the common cold. More definitive diagnosis (without access to lab equipment) is the distinctive barking or "whooping" cough that is severe enough to cause vomiting in its victims.
Butterbur in powdered form 1-2 grams in 2 cups water. Drink 2-4 ounces 4 times daily.
Queen Anne's Lace 2-4 grams in 2 cups water steeped for 5-10 minutes. Strain and give 3 times a day.

Tetanus is a gram positive clostridium with a 3-21 day incubation period. It is usually obtained through deep puncture wounds with contaminated objects like rusty nails but can be transmitted via animal scratches or bites. The first symptoms are a stiff "locked" jaw. It gets ugly after that. Difficulty swallowing, muscle stiffness, full body spasms that are violent enough to tear muscles and break bones. Initial treatment should be a thorough cleaning of the wound and cauterization. Castor oil will help to draw out toxins.
Lobelia 1/4 oz. per rectum (locked jaw means they can't swallow).
Echinaccea and baptista for sepsis.
Bayberry cold infusion with 2-4 oz. 3 times a day for muscle relaxing.
Lavender oil 3 drops with 2 drops of olive oil applied topically for relaxing the patient.
Yellow jasmine 10 drops in 1/8 oz alcohol added to 4 oz. water. Take 1t. every 1-3 hours.
Due to the patient's inability to eat and the long period of recovery, nutritional intake becomes problematic. Without an intravenous feeding and perfectly sterile equipment and preparations to be injected into someone's blood stream, rectal feeding is the only alternative. It's not at all ideal and, in fact, will barely keep them from starvation under the best of circumstances. That said: a 20% solution of dextrose using 1 oz. added to 1 oz. of Absolute alcohol and 1 qt. normal saline infused over 8 hours will provide 555 kilocalories.
Fats won't absorb at all via the lower intestines but certain oils (mainly cod liver oil) rubbed in lymphatic areas will absorb some fat into the body and help prevent nitrogen wasting (starvation). Only under the most dire of circumstances would I consider injecting sterilized olive oil subcutaneously (30-40 cc or 1-1.3 oz) in divided doses which would provide 500 kilocalories.
An interesting side note on tetanus. It affects muscles but not the heart muscle because the heart has an intrinsic electrical quality. It makes me wonder if a stun gun or some other electrical application to the wound site might prevent tetanus altogether much the same way that snake bite venom is allegedly neutralized by electrical stimulation. It's theoretically possible (and certainly worth a try) but I wouldn't delay treatment waiting to see if it would work.

[edit on 2-9-2009 by whitewave]

Measles is contracted after a 14 day incubation from contact with the viral droplets of someone's infective sneezing, coughing, spittle-spraying rants or outbursts of hearty guffaws. It is characterized by fever, blood shot eyes, cough, sore throat, runny nose, red spots with bluish-white centers inside the mouth, red and itchy blotchy rash on face spreading to rest of body and enlarged lymph nodes.
There are apparently herbal treatments available but measles is usually self-limiting and the recommended herbs so inherently toxic that it seems more prudent to just give supportive measures. Since measles clusters on the optic nerve it's important to not strain the eyes by letting the patient "watch tv", read, play video games or stare at any other digital screen. They'll be bored silly so be nice and read to them or engage them in conversation. Lights need to be dim for comfort's sake.
A rose hip infusion of 1-2 grams powdered herb steeped 10-15 minutes in 2 cups water sipped throughout the day can bring necessary vitamins and nutrients to help their body fight off the infection. Pregnant women should avoid all contact with measles infected persons. If the one who has measles IS pregnant, at an appropriate time they should be informed of the possible risks to the fetus (meningitis, blindness, deafness, retardation, etc.).

Mumps is another virus that is also contracted through contact with droplets and has a 14-25 day incubation period. Characterized by swelled parotid glands (the ones that make your saliva), stiff jaws, drooling, fever. Again, supportive measures are generally good enough. Warm compresses on throat with a ginger paste will help reduce swelling and pain. Alternate with an occasional cool compress. Offer a soft diet (soups, mashed potatoes and such). Warm salt water gargles and/or bayberry gargles are supportive and comforting. There is the possibility that if treatment is delayed or the episode particularly severe, sterility will result.

Rubeolla is just a milder form of regular measles and requires the same supportive measures.

Cytomegalovirus sounds like a supergerm on steroids but the reality is that most of us probably got it within 40 hours after being born. It's transferred from person to person via body fluids of all types and can recur throughout your life. It's mainly hazardous to developing fetuses but exacerbations in adults are no fun either.
Clove tincture 5-30 drops of a 1:3 solution given every 6 hours will help with discomfort. Most people are usually asymptomatic or may experience a slightly sore throat and fever.

E. Coli is a gram negative anaerobe that is transmitted via the fecal-oral route with a 1-4 day incubation. Some strains are "friendly" and necessary and I'm happy to let them continue living in my gut doing their job. It's the hostile ones that ruin my perfectly good spinach salad that get my attention.
Wash your food thoroughly. Cook your food thoroughly and drink clean water and you shouldn't encounter any "hostiles". If, despite your best efforts, you find yourself with a urinary tract infection, bloody urine, severe cramping, bloody diarrhea, high fever, mastitis, sepsis or even pneumonia after inhaling when you should have swallowed your water then there's this:
Barberry decoction of 1.5-3 grams taken by mouth daily and/or
Clove tincture 5-30 drops diluted in a 1:3 solution every 6 hours should offer relief.

Cholera is a gram negative bacteria with a water born transmission method. You can also get it from undercooked shellfish or any of the "waterways" plants you may be foraging. This is one of the fastest killers in the germ world. It's been morbidly quipped that with cholera you can have lunch with your friends and supper with your dead ancestors in heaven. Death can occur in 18 hours after onset of symptoms! If your blood type is "O" you are much more susceptible than any other blood type. Curiously, "AB" blood type is almost immune.
Rehydration! is the key here. You will have exhaustive diarrhea followed quickly by hypotensive shock shortly resulting in death. Keep the electrolyte replacements going non-stop.
Barberry decoction of 1.5-3 grams daily and/or anise 1-5 drops in 2 cups water three times a day. Both are abortifacients in large quantities but you have to weigh the risks against the benefits.

Giardiasis is a parasite transferred via fecally contaminated water or food. You can get this one even from treated city water. It's a nasty bugger that resists chlorination, iodine and ozonolysis. Anything that can live through chlorine gets my respect. Water must be boiled and filtered to 2 microns (preferrably to 1 micron) and UV light helps.
It presents as watery diarrhea, severe cramps, vomiting, foul sulphur smelling flatulence, foul smelling greasy stools and can last for weeks to months! You'll need rehydration with electrolytes with this one too.
Again, barberry in the same doses as before and also goldenseal dried root 2-4 grams in a tea three times a day.
As tempting as it is to want to take something to stop the diarrhea in these intestinal illnesses, resist the urge as you need to expel all those bad bugs. Just stay hydrated.

Parasite infections.
There are so many that it's almost a certainty that every person on the planet either currently houses one or more parasites or has in the past. Probably will again in the future. The damage they do is insidious but over time adds up to very poor health. If you experience intestinal "upset", joint pain, chronic fatigue, runny nose, restlessness, mouth blisters, bloating, allergies, anemia, brain "fog", fluctuating glucose levels, hair loss, diarrhea, arthritis, cramps, foul mucous stools or grind your teeth at night--you might have a parasite.
Peach tree bark 1/2 oz. in 1 pt. water steeped 15 minutes, strained and taken three times a day helps to expel many types of parasites. Wormwood and walnut hulls are the holistic treatment of choice but wormwood is getting hard to find. Bentonite clay 1-3 T. every day in divided doses will "draw" all parasites.. It's good for a lot of other uses but right now we'll just focus on parasite removal. I'll spare you the graphic photos. Since re-infestation is an ongoing losing battle, get in the habit of taking Bentonite clay every day.

[edit on 2-9-2009 by whitewave]

TB
It's never really been eradicated and the invasion of foreigners guarantees that we'll see (and are seeing) an increase in it's prevalence. Tuberculosis is a gram positive aerobe that is airborne. It has a 3-4 week incubation and a high death rate. There are a few versions of TB but they're all bad. Classic symptoms are a chronic cough with blood tinged sputum, fever, night sweats, weight loss and fatigue.
Barberry again. There are other herbs to treat all these ailments but I'm trying to stick with a handful that are good for several things. There's also nettle. Just so we're clear about which nettle, it's the urtica dioica. You may prefer the TB over dealing with that nettle but rethink it and just put on a pair of stout gloves. Two teaspoons of the dried leaves in 8 oz. boiling water steeped 15 minutes and taken twice a day has surprisingly effective results. Even after you're feeling better, treatment will need to continue for about 6-8 months. It's a persistent and hardy killer.

Influenza is a virus with a 1-2 day incubation period that is transmitted via contact with infective droplets, body fluids (all of them). UV (good ol' sunlight) deactivates it on surfaces. If only we could breathe in sunshine we could avoid the chills, fever, sore threat, muscle pains, headache, coughing, weakness, even the death producing pneumonia. Good handwashing and hygienic practices have helped in the past but the current strain of flu seems to be laughing at our efforts as evidenced by the level 6 global pandemic we're experiencing. Wash down contaminated surfaces with bleach OR ammonia (not both). Take liquids, lots of rest, Tylenol.
Catnip 10 t. dried leaves in 1 qt. water steeped 10 minutes and take 2-6 oz. three times a day.
Poplar 2-5 grams powdered bark in 1 qt. water steeped and taken three times a day.
For the cytokine storm that accompanies the flu, I took N-acetyl Cysteine, 2 every 12 hours with good results.

Malaria is mosquito born and develops 7-9 days after an infective bite. Artemisia is the treatment of choice if no antimalarials are available. From the studies I've seen, it looks to be more effective than the allopathic antimalarials. Malaria is characterized by chills, fever, sweating, headache, shaking, nausea and vomiting, muscle aches.
Bitter Melon in an aqueous extract of the fruit, leaves, seeds or seed oils 15 grams daily, (about 2 oz. day).
Neem is also very effective and if you can't find artemisia, neem is the next best thing.

Leprosy has such a long incubation period (3-5 years) that they're still not sure if it's airborne or transmitted via parasitic bites. Good evidence has been presented from both sides of the argument but if you contract it, you probably won't care about such details. Fortunately, it doesn't seem to be highly contagious. It presents as 1 or more hypo- pigmented skin lesions with decreased sensation to touch, heat or pain and that don't heal after several weeks to months. Numbness or absent sensation in hands, arms, feet or legs, muscle weakness causing foot drop or dragging of feet when walking. Loss of body hair including eyebrows and eyelashes.
If you don't have access to Rifampin then Chaulmooga oil from the seed 5-10 drops applied topically. Taken internally in SMALL doses due to it's toxicity and irritation. The seed powder 3-5 grams in a tea once daily. It's at least a 4 month treatment so go easy on the tea.

Bubonic Plague (black death) is a gram negative anaerobic bacteria transmitted from the bite of fleas and ticks on rodents or the bite of the rodent itself (that includes squirrel, etc.). Can also be picked up from the droplets from infected cats and people. Very high death rate and can kill in 24 hours after symptoms begin. It has a 2-4 day incubation.
It starts with swollen lymph glands then quickly progresses to red spots on the skin turning black, heavy breathing, bloody vomit, coughing, severe pain. You literally are decomposing while still alive.
Europeans are assumed to have a higher resistance to it since their ancestors are those who survived the last outbreak of plague (there have been many). The only alternative therapy I've seen to combat this one is "thieves oil". Apparently, so the story goes, the gypsies during the European plague were robbing the bodies of plague victim with no ill effect to themselves. When captured and threatened by the king, they revealed the secret of their formula and for their compliance were granted a hanging instead of being burned at the stake.
Like Kentucky Fried Chicken, there are a few different versions of the "original" recipe floating around but they all share a few things in common. Here's a typical recipe:
1t. each of clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus, rosemary in 1 oz. carrier oil (olive, almond, whatever). Delivery is via inhalation from an infuser or just rubbed like Vicks Vap-O-Rub on your chest or upper lip. The oldest known recipe and therefore the most likely to be the true original is:
1/2 C. wormwood, 1/2 C. meadowsweet, 1/2 C. juniper berries, 1/2 C. sage, 2 oz. rosemary, 3 grams camphor, 2 oz. elcampagne root, 2 oz. horehound, 2 oz. angelica, 2 oz. cinnamon and 50 cloves in a base of 3 pts. white wine vinegar. An essential oil is made of each of the individual ingredients before combining in a base. It's a lot of trouble to make but history records that none of the perfumers of the day (including Nostradamus himself) got the plague.. You can currently buy pre-made bottles of it for relatively cheap. It's worth the space in my BOB to avoid this god-awful disease.

Scabies & Mites
These little freeloading carriers get up under your skin and start constructing colonies using your body for the building materials. Intense itching, red splotchy rashes.
Neem is par excellence for ridding yourself of both bugs (and several others). Full strength to affected area thrice daily. You can make a strong tea of either rosemary or tansy with 1 T. dried herb to 1 C. water. Steep 20 minutes, strain, cool, then wash the affected area with the tea three times a day.
Clove oil 10 drops in 1 C. vegetable oil or a mix of 1/2 C water and 1/2 C. honey applied generously especially before bedtime. I'm not kinky enough to dip myself in honey before going to bed so I'd probably stick with the clove oil.
Onion skins 1/2 dozen boiled 15-30 minutes in 1 qt. water, cooled then applied liberally is another treatment.
Head lice can be smothered with any kind of oil left on overnight with your head wrapped. A few drops of rosemary oil on your comb or hairbrush daily should prevent ever getting them.

Vectors like fleas, ticks, mites, mosquitos, biting flies, etc. can carry deadly diseases that will so severely incapacitate you that you are unable to provide for or defend your family in chaotic times. In addition to maintaining hygienic standards, learning a few natural insect repellents could make all the difference to your survival.

Wow nice thread whitewave>>> s+f I can't believe you've actually encountered ebola, you should start a thread on your experience with this disease, I'm sure it would be fascinating.

Should I have put this in the survival section? I honestly thought it would generate more interest.

Without giving this divine woman away for the super being she truly is, whitewave I have to say thank you a million, this is one page I will be saving and will download for the file.

You are an amazing healer, and one of the most insightful and giving people I have ever met.

God Bless you and love you deeply.


PS, This woman knows her stuff, I still horde the gifts she presented me with, use them as the powerful treasures they are. (a beautiful deep royal blue case filled with the 'best' herbal remedies, bolts of the most beautiful material for elegance, and a few other special things...)

When whitewave offers this, know that she is very much on the inside track of health issues and awareness in a timely manner, this is a gift.

Bumping it too, please keep adding to this whitewave , these are the things we can have on hand now if we care one bit about our selves and our families and friends.

Please keep going!

Thanks antar and redleader. Very kind words.
I deliberately posted it at a late hour because I wanted to be sure to get all the information posted in one big chunk. I've posted other herbal stuff in other people's threads so, when I get some time, I'll try to transfer it with additions to this thread.

HERBS FOR WOMEN

Beth root-induce labor (uterine stimulant) and dysmennarchea (cramps)
Bitter melon-for uterine contractions and bleeding (don't use if lactating)
Black cohosh-antiabortifacient (prevent miscarriage), cramps, antispermicide
Black pepper-for abdominal pain and cramps
Blue cohosh-induces labor, increases menstrual flow
Caraway-relieves cramps
Catnip-relieves cramps
Celery-uterine stimulant
Saffron-abortifacient

CONTRACEPTIVES

Baby's breath
False spikenard
Green gentian
Milk thistle, common
Orange honeysuckle
Pisum sativum (garden pea)-spermicidal and contraceptive
Safflower
Snake root
Soap weed
Star flowered lily of the valley
Thistle, blessed
Wild carrot

HELPS FOR OLD BROADS
Beta carotene (but not if you smoke)
Bilberry
Black cohosh
Boron
Calcium
Clary
DHEA
Dong quai
Ginkgo biloba
Glycine
Hops
Jojoba (topical)
Soy
Wild Yam Root (phytoestrogen)

MOISTURIZER

Avocado oil and calendula oil

ASTRINGENT

Rose hydrasol
Witch hazel
Vinegar
Plantain
Tinctures of elder flowers, lavender, juniper (essential oils)

LICE TREATMENT

Tea tree oil, Lavender oil, Eucalyptus oil in base of grapeseed oil and Jojoba oil. Wrap with plastic 30 minutes. Shampoo. Can put in spray bottle and spritz. (Don't forget to put a few drops in laundry too). Actually, I've found that plain old cooking oil of any kind (or even Vaseline) will suffocate the little beggars. Need Dawn dishwashing soap to wash it out though.

ANTIBUGS

Bay-cockroach repellent
Bitter melon-antihelmintic
Bitter orange-mosquito repellent
Black hellbore-antihelmintic
Black pepper-scabies
Castor-antihelmintic
Centaury-antihelmintic
Chaulmoogra oil-scabies, tinea
Clove oil-antihelmintic and larvacidal
Coriander-antihelmintic
Cucumber-antihelmintic (WILD cucumber seeds)
Elcampane-antihelmintic
Garlic-antiparasite
Hops-antihelmintic
Horehound-antihelmintic
Horseradish-antihelmintic
Male fern-antihelmintic
Milk weed-for expulsion of worms
Mugwort-antihelmintic
Myrtle-worm infestations
Neem-antihelmintic
Oleander-insecticide, & for ringworm, parasiticide, antihelmintic
Oregano-insect repellent, & for intestinal worms
Pennyroyal-insect repellent
Pomegranate-tapeworms and opportunistic intestinal worms
Pumpkin-antihelmitic (tapeworms)
Queen Anne's Lace-intestinal parasites
Quinnine-inhibits parasite replication
Wormseed-antihelmitic
Yellow dock-scabies
Yew-tapeworms

HERBS FOR MEN

Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH):
Pumpkin
Bee pollen
Buchu
Couch grass
Chaste tree
Nettle
Pygeum
Horse chestnut
Saw palmetto

Increase athletic performance &/or stamina:
Androstenediol
Angelica (cream applied 1 hour "prior" prevents premature ejaculation)
Inosine
Schisandra
Siberian ginseng
Carnitine

Erectile dysfunction:
DHEA
Arginine
Bee pollen
Chaste tree
Sassafras
Saw palmetto
Yohimbe

Aphrodisiac:
Clary
Nutmeg
Pau D'arco
Damiana
Pybeum
Jambel
Sassafras
Tonka bean
Yohimbe

Treats prostate cancer:
Beta carotene
Nettle

Sperm and Testosterone:
Androstenediol-increases testosterone
Coffee-heavy consumption decreases number of motile sperm.
Gossypol-spermicide
Saw palmetto-increases sperm count
Astragalus-increases sperm motility

Hemorrhoids:
Bilberry
Avens
Beth root
Horse chestnut

Thanks EMT for your contribution. Can't say that I'm familiar with the "SODIS" method for water distillation. Any distillation that doesn't require a fire is news to me.

I take it that sodis stands for solar distillation? Thanks for posting a link to educate the rest of us. I'm always interested in learning new things.

I, too, have had giardiasis and it was extremely unpleasant (for the whole household-lol). Took a long time to get rid of it too.

I felt bad for bailing on the nursing staff that night but if the patient came in with a diagnosis of ebola then surely the ER staff at least knew and should have passed on the seriousness to the rest of the staff that would be taking care of the patient. Admitting should have put the guy in an isolation room. It should have been passed on in report that the CDC had been called, etc.

None of the proper procedures had been followed, other exposures had taken place and me and my family's health is more important to me than some strangers. That may be cold hearted but I wasn't about to walk into the middle of the sh** storm I saw brewing there.

I foresee in the not too distant future that our access to health care supplements and alternative treatments will be seriously limited or denied altogether. It is my intention to prepare as many people as possible for this eventuality so that they may be able to help themselves and their loved ones as best they can.



[edit on 3-9-2009 by whitewave]

Hypothyroidism herbal treatments

There are things you can do to support your thyroid and kick it into stimulating some hormone for you. And there are things you can do to avoid further damaging your thyroid.

That said: bladderwrack (kelp) for iodine replacement, green oats (aveena sativa) helps support hormone function. Coleus forskohlii (makendi) helps regulate TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), bugleweed (lycopus spp.). These all help with support of the thyroid but the ONLY thing I've found in the literature that actually stimulates TSH production is guggulu. (funny name).

If you're drinking fluoridated water--stop. Fluoride kills the pituitary. Also, there are foods that depress the thyroid: broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, spinach, turnips, soybeans, mustard greens (damaging effects are reduced by cooking these things), sugar, dairy products, wheat, caffeine, alcohol.

Essential fatty acids are needed for hormone production like flaxseed oil, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, oysters, shrimp, leafy grens, sea vegetables, walnuts, coconut oil.

Vitamins and minerals are needed to convert thyroid products into something your body can use. Calcium and magnesium (always together! in a 3:1 ratio!), selenium. L-tyrosine.

I understand that drinking fluoridated water is not awesome. I also understand that drinking bottled water has recently been proven to be harmful too. So, where should a city dweller like myself get safe drinking water?

I'd recommend a Berkey water filter. You can get them for home use. Just bottle your own water for travel.