Prepper’s natural medicine: lifesaving herbs, essential oils and natural remedies for when there is no doctor

241 Pages·2015·1.26 MB·English

by  Cat Ellis

ELLIS
GET MEDICALLY
P R E PA R E D
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When disaster strikes and you lose all access to doctors, hospitals R
and pharmacies, natural medicine will be your family’s best hope for E
survival. Prepper’s Natural Medicine is the definitive guide to creating P
powerful home remedies for any health situation, including: P
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Herbal Salve for INFECTIONS R
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S
Poultice for BROKEN BONES

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Natural Ointment for POISON IVY A
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Infused Honey for BURNS
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Essential Oil for MIGRAINES
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Soothing Tea for ALLERGIES L

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Nutritional Syrup for FLU
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With easy-to-read herbal charts, a breakdown of essential oils, tips D
for stockpiling natural medicines and step-by-step instructions for I
C
creating your own elixirs, salves and more, this book offers everything
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you need to keep you and your loved ones safe.
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$15.95 US
$18.95 CAN
Distributed by Publishers Group West
PREPPER’S
N AT U R A L
MEDICINE
Lifesaving Herbs, Essential Oils
and Natural Remedies for When
There Is No Doctor
Cat Ellis
Copyright © 2015 Cat Ellis. Design and concept © 2015 Ulysses Press and
its licensors. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in
part or dissemination of this edition by any means (including but not limited
to photocopying, electronic devices, digital versions, and the Internet) will be
prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Published in the U.S. by
ULYSSES PRESS
P.O. Box 3440
Berkeley, CA 94703
www.ulyssespress.com
ISBN: 978-1-61243-438-4
Library of Congress Control Number 2014952014
Printed in Canada by Marquis Book Printing
109 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Acquisitions Editor: Kelly Reed
Managing Editor: Claire Chun
Project Editor: Casie Vogel
Editor: Susan Lang
Proofreader: Lauren Harrison
Indexer: Jay Kreider, J S Editorial
Front cover and interior design: what!design @ whatweb.com
Cover artwork: © images72/shutterstock.com
Layout: Jake Flaherty
Distributed by Publishers Group West
NOTE TO READERS: This book has been written and published strictly for
informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as medical
advice or to be any form of medical treatment. You should always consult your
physician before altering or changing any aspect of your medical treatment and/
or undertaking a diet regimen. Do not stop or change any prescription medications
without the guidance and advice of your physician. Any use of the information in
this book is made on the reader’s good judgment after consulting with his or her
physician and is the reader’s sole responsibility. This book is not intended to diagnose
or treat any medical condition and is not a substitute for a physician.
This book is independently authored and published and no sponsorship or
endorsement of this book by, and no affiliation with, any trademarked brands or
other products mentioned within is claimed or suggested. All trademarks that appear
in ingredient lists and elsewhere in this book belong to their respective owners and
are used here for informational purposes only. The authors and publishers encourage
readers to patronize the quality brands mentioned in this book.
This book is dedicated to my best friend, soul mate, and
loving husband, Eddie. Thank you for your love, patience,
and humor. You are my hero, now and always.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: Introduction.................................1
CHAPTER 2: Stocking the Home Apothecary.................8
CHAPTER 3: Basic Skills ................................ 27
CHAPTER 4: Materia Medica ............................ 50
American Skullcap............................................53
Arnica......................................................54
Astragalus...................................................55
Berberine ...................................................56
Bilberry.....................................................58
Black Cohosh................................................59
Burdock ....................................................60
Calendula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
California Poppy..............................................63
Cayenne ....................................................64
Chaste Tree..................................................66
Chinese Skullcap .............................................67
Cleavers ....................................................68
Codonopsis, a.k.a. Dangshen ....................................69
Comfrey ....................................................70
Cramp Bark .................................................72
Dandelion...................................................73
Echinacea...................................................74
Elder.......................................................76
Elecampane .................................................78
Garlic ......................................................79
Ginger .....................................................82
Goldenrod ..................................................84
Grindelia ...................................................85
Hawthorn. ..................................................86
Hyssop .....................................................87
Juniper. .....................................................88
Lavender....................................................90
Lemon Balm.................................................91
Licorice.....................................................92
Lobelia .....................................................93
Ma Huang ..................................................95
Marshmallow ................................................97
Milk Thistle .................................................98
Motherwort .................................................99
Mullein.................................................... 100
Nettle ..................................................... 101
Oats ...................................................... 103
Peppermint................................................. 104
Plantain ................................................... 105
Sage ...................................................... 106
St. John’s Wort .............................................. 107
Sida....................................................... 109
Spilanthes.................................................. 110
Thyme .................................................... 111
Turmeric................................................... 112
Usnea, A.k.a. Old Man’s Beard.................................. 113
Valerian.................................................... 115
White Willow .............................................. 116
Yarrow .................................................... 118
CHAPTER 5: Herbal First Aid Kit ....................... 119
CHAPTER 6: Everyday Natural Medicine ................. 163
CONCLUSION..........................................196
APPENDIX .............................................197
GENERAL INDEX.......................................221
INDEX OF AILMENTS ..................................230
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................233
ABOUT THE AUTHOR..................................234
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever wondered what you would do if there were no pharmacy?
What if access to health care were suddenly cut off? Are you concerned
about the rise of drug-resistant bacteria? Do you have a backup plan?
Prepper’s Natural Medicine can help you put your plan in place.
Natural medicine is everywhere, even growing up through the cracks of
sidewalks and occupying vacant lots. The addition of a medicinal herb
garden at home and some simple stored items can provide you and your
family with a wealth of effective remedies as well as valuable barter items
in the event our current systems fail.
This guidebook teaches the basics of crafting natural medicines, gives
detailed information on the therapeutic properties of 50 different herbs
(plus a few extras), and shares some time-tested remedies for emergencies,
first aid, and common complaints. Everything you need to learn how to
make your own formulas for your specific needs is in this book. I’ve also
provided a list of books, suppliers, and other resources for your further
study.
As an herbalist who is also a prepper, I am concerned about antibiotic
resistance, emerging viruses, and the risks posed by chronic disease. I am
concerned that the United States currently ranks #60 in maternal mortality
in spite of (or because of) the many interventions now considered part
of normal birth in our hospitals. I am concerned about the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that one of every two
adults in the United States has a chronic illness. I am concerned about the
political shenanigans over health coverage and the suppression of natural
medicine and nutrient-dense foods by our government’s regulatory
agencies in favor of corporate food. I am also concerned that we are
Introduction 1
moving to a system in which access to health care and type of treatment
are determined by our government rather than health care professionals.
I wrote this book to help others get ready for a number of scenarios.
During a crisis, pharmacies and hospitals will be among the first places
raided. Millions of people on maintenance drugs will suddenly be without
medicines that their bodies depend on for normal functioning. Even now,
before a crisis, antibiotics that once easily treated common infections are
no longer working, and pharmaceutical companies are not interested in
developing newer generations of antibiotics because they make more
profit by investing research and development funds in maintenance
drugs instead. Antibiotics are typically taken for a mere 10 to 14 days.
In contrast, maintenance drugs like blood pressure medication and
cholesterol-lowering drugs tend to be taken for the rest of the patient’s
life. This provides a far greater return on their invested research and
development dollars.
Most important, I wanted to share my love of herbalism and natural
medicine. My hope is that this love and appreciation for plant-based
medicines will translate easily through this book and inspire you to
learn more. Get outside, go on a “weed walk,” identify the vegetation in
your area, plant some herbs, and begin to take a new, more active role in
creating your own traditional medicine:
Traditional medicine refers to health practices, approaches,
knowledge and beliefs incorporating plant, animal and mineral
based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and
exercises, applied singularly or in combination to treat, diagnose
and prevent illnesses or maintain well-being.1
China has maintained its more than 5,000-year-old traditional healing
practices alongside a modern biomedical system. The two are not
in competition. Instead, the Chinese use modern science to explore
how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) works from a biomedical
perspective. The Chinese have done much to study and document the
antiviral properties of TCM herbs. This information may prove lifesaving
1 “Traditional Medicine Fact Sheet,” World Health Organization (May 2003), http://www
.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/2003/fs134/en.
2 PREPPER’S NATURAL MEDICINE
given the emerging viruses for which biomedicine currently has no
treatment. India has also retained its traditional medicine, known as
Ayurveda, alongside modern biomedical practices. In fact, traditional
medicine has been practiced all over the world.
In the West, traditional medicine is often referred to as alternative
medicine or sometimes complementary medicine. Alternative medicine
implies “instead of” orthodox medicine. Complementary medicine
conveys a sense of “in support of” or “in conjunction with” orthodox
medicine. Within alternative and complementary medicine are modalities
like reflexology, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and herbalism.
Germany has led the way in both research and an evidence-based health
care system that incorporates natural, herbal, and other alternative or
complementary therapies with pharmaceutical options.
Although it might seem that we in the West have no traditional form
of medicine comparable to TCM or Ayurveda, herbalist Matthew Wood
has pieced together what he terms “traditional Western herbalism” from
nearly forgotten folk traditions and drawn correlations between the
worldviews of various Western cultures regarding health and medicine.
His book on the subject, The Practice of Traditional Western Herbalism:
Basic Doctrine, Energetics, and Classification, is an interesting and worthy
read.
WHY USE NATURAL
MEDICINE?
If you’re a prepper, you understand the value in planning ahead and having
backups for vulnerable systems. You grasp the importance of growing a
garden, storing food, and saving seeds for the following year. You have
multiple ways of heating and powering your home if utilities fail. You are
ready for almost anything—a layoff, severe weather, economic collapse,
and maybe even an electromagnetic pulse (EMP).
One area that does not always get the attention it deserves, however, is
the medical side of preparedness. What if you were to get sick or injured
when professional medical help is not an option? If our medical system
Introduction 3