Cold Times — How to Prepare for the Mini Ice Age

by Dr. Anita Bailey

  Sores, irritations, and skin infections can be treated with a poultice made from the roots.

  The flowers have bactericidal (germ-killing) properties. Soak a cup of flowers in a cup of olive oil for a month, shaking daily, then strain off the oil and dispose of the flowers – use as drops for earaches, to treat rashes, and boils, and carefully worked into the skin if frostbite occurs. May also be used on hemorrhoids.

  Finally, if that wasn’t enough, the flower stalks can be dipped in animal fat or wax, and used as a torch.

  Forms: tea, dried, poultice, smoked, decoction in oil, ear drops, toilet paper.

  Valerian Root

  This attractive garden plant, with its feathery leaves and sweetly fragrant small white to pink flowers is another ancient remedy. Valeriana officinalis has a long history of being used as an oil decoction or taken as a powder to restore sleep to insomniacs, to relieve anxiety, and to reduce migraine headaches. One ingredient in the root is also the basis of a pharmaceutical anticonvulsant medicine valproic acid – and valerian has been used to treat convulsions, too. Don’t make a tea from it, though, as hot water can drive off some of the volatile healing constituents of the root. The leaves aren’t potent for most uses.

  Valerian root has a strong odor, quite the opposite of the sweet flowers. Some people compare it to the odor of gym socks; others say that it is heavy but sweet. The odor is said to attract rats, and historically valerian was used in rat traps as bait.

  One of its best uses is as a sedative and sleep inducing agent. This will be especially helpful during trying times. Valerian shouldn’t be used on a daily basis, though. It’s for occasional use only. Pregnant women should not use this medication -- use chamomile instead for its gently calming properties.

  Uses: sedative, anti-anxiety, sleep, pain relief, convulsions, migraines.

  Form: tincture, decoction in oil, powder, in a poultice or as the green leaves bent and bruised and laid over the head or any injured area for pain relief.

  Cannabis

  Despite the modern hysteria surrounding this ancient herbal remedy, marijuana has a 6,000 year history as a medicinal treatment for multiple conditions. Many states now allow sales of medical marijuana by prescription, and some have deregulated growing the plant for personal use. The laws are constantly changing, so you’ll need to check your local regulatory environment online for the current information.

  There are two primary strains of this plant, indica and sativa, although most wild varieties have become crossbred and carry qualities of both. Indicas have narrow leaves, a somewhat fruity odor, and when used produce a sense of creative energy. They originated in warm climates, grow well outdoors, and take three to four months to reach full height and flowering. Excess recreational use can lead to anxiety.

  Sativas, on the other hand, have a broader more rounded leaf, a “skunky” odor, and when used produce relaxation and sedation. They originated in harsher mountainous climates, grow as smaller bushier plants than indicas, and flower in about half the time. Excess recreational use can lead to depression.

  When utilizing cannabis for recreation, it is most often the flower bud that is used. Bud is somewhat sticky and collects into “nugs” or clumps. Dried, the bud can be taken internally within baked goods (the proverbial brownie), as a tea or tincture, or smoked. The plant material must be heated to at least 350oF or extracted with 40% or higher alcohol, to release its tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC has qualities in controlling epilepsy, reducing pain, stimulating appetite, relieving glaucoma, and producing the feeling of being high. In other words, it has neuroactive potential.

  More current studies have found that the green leaf itself -- generally not of much value to those who use the plant for recreation since it is low in THC – may have remarkable healing and pain relieving properties. Green leaf, juiced or eaten raw, has potent levels of cannabidiol (CBD) which is the active agent that appears to prevent inflammation, reduce the risk for Alzheimer’s, inhibits rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and reduces symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. It is neuroprotective, and may even shrink cancerous tumors.

  While there is little pharmaceutical research on such a potentially valuable medication, reports from individuals who have used cannabis to resolve their own medical problems are appearing more and more consistently online and occasionally in the main stream media.

  For the Zen-slap and beyond, cannabis is shaping up as a valuable resource for pain control, sharpening the mind, fighting dementia, relaxation, and maybe even eliminating tumors and other cancers. The challenge today is finding a good source for seeds, growing it under the coming potentially harsh conditions, and avoiding problems with law enforcement in jurisdictions that don’t yet allow private individuals to grow or use it medicinally.

  Uses: pain relief, controlling epilepsy, reducing dementia, appetite stimulation, relieving glaucoma, treating tumors and other cancers, relaxation and sedation, recreational highs.

  Forms: smoked, baked, tincture, or tea of dried bud; paste, or fresh consumption of leaves. CBD healing oil can be extracted from whole plants using the technique at:

  http://www.growweedeasy.com/cannabis-extract-hash-oil

  resulting in a CBD rich oil that in rice-sized bits can be taken orally or used as a healing and pain-reducing rub.

  White Willow Bark

  Willow trees are lacy or feathery plants that grow as a clump or as a standard tree form. All members of the Salix willow family contain the active salicylic acid that is capable of reducing inflammation, pain, and fever. It was the first natural medicine that was commercially synthesized and sold: aspirin.

  White willow, a variety that is often found near rivers, streams, and ponds, has the highest amount of the medicinal component among willows. It generally grows in more of a tree form, rather than as a bush. The portion of bark that has the potent medicinal agent is underneath the crusty outer bark, and right next to the inner tree – it has a very slight pinkish color to it. Some people experience the same medicinal effect by chewing the green twigs.

  It’s possible to harvest bark from a single tree or from many. The bark dries readily, better under low heat in a dehydrator, Harvesting the bark requires a sharp knife and a small prying bar or screwdriver.

  Select a tree that is healthy and has a fairly large area of bark. The area you will cut can be as small as 1” wide by 4” long, or even up to 10” long. Make it a narrow up-and-down cut. Don’t cut a wide strip that goes around the tree. That’s called “girdling a tree”, and it kills it by preventing the tree’s transport of sap from roots to leaves.

  Make your initial outline slices, and then press and cut deeper. The pinkish inner bark may be 1/3” to ½” or maybe deeper on a big tree. Pry back a little of your piece, and look at it. When you reach the right level, the cambium layer, the outer bark hunk will separate from the inner tree a little easier. Pry the section out. It’s okay if you get it in pieces.

  To use this, cut off one or two hunks about the size of your thumb and chop it into small bits. Bring two cups of water to a boil, let it cool a little, and drop your bark into it. Let it set until cool, strain out the bark; then it’s ready. Start with a half cup, sweetened a little and with a squeeze of lemon. You should notice pain relief and fever reduction within an hour. Take another half cup in four hours or so, if needed, and may continue until it is all consumed. If you don’t use it all, it will keep for a few days if stored at near- freezing temperatures.

  You can also gently dehydrate or air dry the bark, too. The useful medicinal qualities are preserved for later.

  Collecting Wild Herbs

  Make sure you know EXACTLY the plant you are collecting, and be sure to collect it in the right season and form (leaf vs fruit vs root). NEVER take all the plants in one area. Leave some to reseed and provide plants for future years. Native American tradition requires practitioners to leave a “gift” to the remaining plants, usually some tobacco. It’s
a good idea to leave something for the remaining plants for two reasons: (1) it trains you to respect the natural supply; and (2) gifting a sprinkle of compost or dried manure helps feed the remaining plants.

  Basic Care

  Having a physician, dentist, veterinarian, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, registered nurse, paramedic, EMT, military medic, or someone skilled in first aid will be a huge asset to your group. For the long run, a naturopath, chiropractor, acupuncturist, Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, or a herbalist would be your best bet. That’s because these alternative types of healing practice utilize much fewer manufactured pharmaceuticals than the first group, pharmaceuticals which may be in short supply, extremely expensive, or non-existent. Ultimately, anyone who is a healer by nature will learn to use whatever supplies you have on hand and become pretty skilled utilizing natural medicines.

  Acquire first aid training for as many people in your group as possible. The more who are knowledgeable, the better chance you have of catching some incident before it gets worse.

  Boost immunity by daily sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to build Vitamin D3, especially during the winter. Make sure you have sources of Vitamin C during the winter months. Pine needle tea, made from fresh pine needles, is an excellent vitamin C source. So are rose hips, the round red seed pods of wild and domestic rugosa roses, as is a tea made from blackberry or raspberry leaves. Grow and eat microgreens from extra radish, mustard, turnip, and bean seeds.

  Use the healing power of hot or cold water soaks, especially when a handful of Epsom Salts have been added. Skin infections, muscle aches, sprained ankles, bruises, and overused joints all improve with soaking in Epsom Salts water. Use hot water soaks for infections and muscle tension; cold soaks for new bruises, sprains, and strains. If you treat a sprained ankle with cool packs, elevation, and immobilization for the first 24 hours after it happens, it will heal significantly faster than if you try to “walk it off.” Store Epsom Salts today!

  Tinctures

  Tinctures are extractions of the healing properties of herbs in an alcohol base. These are very simple to make and work nearly as effectively as fresh herb, allowing you to store your herbs in a very small space in an immediately accessible form.

  A basic recipe that works adequately for most herbs (some do extract better in heat or in oils) is to take about a cup of dried, chopped herb, or two cups of fresh chopped herb. Add to that twice as much drinking alcohol of 40% proof or higher. Everclear, vodka, rum, brandy, or other alcohols are suitable. Let it soak for at least two weeks – four weeks is better -- shaking the container daily. Strain out the herbs and dispose, storing the tincture alcohol in tight small containers, ideally with droppers. Use 10 drops, more or less (1/8 tsp) in liquid to drink or as a rub on, depending on the herb involved.

  Decoction

  A decoction is an herbal remedy that consists of a hard, woody, or brittle herb (roots and bark) that has been ground and put into boiling water, then gently boiled until the water has been reduced by half. The end result is an herbal concentration. Use about 1 ounce of pulverized herb to one quart of water, boiling that down to about 2 cups of liquid. Strain out the herb, and store the decoction in tight, closed jars, ideally in cool and dark conditions. You may add a tablespoon or so of 40% or higher alcohol such as vodka or brandy to help preserve the contents. Use ½ tsp orally or as a rub.

  Infusion

  This is the most familiar form of herbal remedy, effectively a tea. It’s generally used with soft herbs, fresh leaves, flowers, and citrus peels, and herbs that are very volatile and could lose their subtle properties under other methods. Simply boil water, and add a tablespoon, more or less, of herb to the water. Let steep for 5 to 10 minutes until it has cooled to drinking temperature. Strain and flavor with sweetener and lemon if desired.

  Salve

  This is the form I prefer when utilizing the wonderful qualities of comfrey – simply because it can be used at any time, even during the winter when fresh comfrey is in hibernation. Check the recipe section for the method I use.

  A Word About Essential Oils

  I’m a big fan of essential oils, and make several home remedies with different combination of ingredients, including tea tree oil, camphor, menthol, peppermint, bergamot, sweet orange, oregano, eucalyptus, cassia, rosemary and others. If I had the means to produce my own essential oils from various plants, I would be one happy camper.

  But, I can’t make essential oils at home. It requires distillation equipment, solvents, and presses I don’t have, as well as copious plant materials that don’t grow in my area. Should we all find ourselves in circumstances that limit us to what we can produce at home, essential oils will be far down on the list.

  Consequently, I am storing extras of the oils I like and use routinely, but I am also not making them an important part of my medicine chest. If you have the means to make your own, it’s definitely worth the effort to produce them. They will be valuable home care materials after the Zen-slap.

  Four Conditions and Their Treatments

  Of the hundreds or thousands of potential conditions that healers may see during the Zen-slap and Hang On phases, including the resurgence of many forgotten diseases such as cholera or smallpox, we will deal with only four here, These are the most likely to be seen early on under “austere” Cold Times onset conditions, and the ones we can readily care for within our groups.

  Acquire medical books now, but be prepared to substitute alternative remedies for pharmaceuticals.

  Diarrhea

  Every major disaster is followed by a remarkable increase in diarrhea among survivors. It is consistent and predictable, so expect to see this recurring among your group. Diarrhea is the onset of watery feces, sometimes accompanied by lower abdominal cramping. Occasionally, some blood streaks will be seen in the feces, along with chunks of stringy or mucous tissues.

  Usually diarrhea is “self-limiting”, that is, it resolves on its own if the person rests, drinks plenty of fluids, and takes light meals or soups. However, the distress associated with Zen-slap, along with decreased immunity resulting from stress and shortages, can make a “simple” diarrhea into a big problem.

  Worse still, is diarrhea caused by eating tainted food or drinking water that is contaminated – problems that also accompany disasters.

  The first step is to identify the probable cause and type of the diarrhea. This can often be determined by either asking the person to describe the appearance and odor of their feces, or by examining the waste yourself. If it is mostly clear fluid with liquid feces and a few pieces of feces, treat conservatively. Conservative treatment is designed to replace lost fluids, repopulate the gut with good intestinal bacteria, and slowly add foods back to the diet.

  A solution made with 2 tablespoons white sugar, 1/2 tsp potassium “salt replacer”, ½ tsp salt, and a pinch of baking soda fully dissolved in quart of water will replace critical electrolytes. A half cup of solution can be sipped by teaspoons over the course of 30 minutes. A small amount of fruit juice may be added, if the flavor is too unpleasant. This is similar to drinks like Gator Ade and Power Ade in its action. If you have some of that powdered, you can reconstitute it and use it instead.

  You can use the formula for children over age 2, but reduce the sugar by about a third. Better to NOT use commercial Gator Ade or Power Ade in children – too high in some elements for little kids and can make diarrhea worse. Pedialyte is much preferred, if you have it. Pedialyte also is okay in infants with diarrhea, along with breastmilk.

  Next, feed yogurt, clean raw milk, kefir, cottage cheese or buttermilk. These contain probiotic that will help replace the gut bacteria. Colostrum from newly freshened dairy animals is also a suitable source. So is the juice from homemade sauerkraut, which is loaded with nutrients, enzymes, and biologicals.

  Finally, a drink or slurry made from “rice water,” water in which rice has been soaked for several hours; or a solution of oatmeal water made the same way. This will sooth
the bowels and slow the diarrhea. Homemade, salty chicken soup made from bones, cleaned chicken “paws”, vegetables and lots of garlic can be fed until the diarrhea has stopped. See recipes section. Then resume normal foods as desired and tolerated.

  If the stool shows significant mucous, blood staining or is frankly bloody, and if the person is very weak, pale, sickly, drawn up, or unable to stand on his own, the case is much more serious. This may be seen in people who are horribly run down, or even with cholera or other contagious diarrheal diseases, so the wastes should be treated as potentially infectious and kept in a separate area so they don’t contaminate your water supply. Wastes should be disposed of by thoroughly burning.

  Conventional medical treatment would include fluid and electrolyte replacement by IV, along with oral or IV antibiotics (usually Cipro), followed by commercial probiotics, anti-diarrheal medications, and slow refeeding.

  The great problem with this severe type of diarrhea is two-fold: the loss of beneficial bowel bacteria, and damage to the lining of the intestines. This causes bleeding, dehydration, and increasing weakness. Lacking IVs, it’s difficult to restore fluid balance since most fluids given orally are simply swept through the person’s system, taking additional fluids out of him at the same time. Remarkably, mucous membranes, such as the lining of the mouth, vagina, and colon, become more permeable – and may be a route by which fluids can be brought back onboard.