Herbal first aid kit

Anyone have suggestions for the top 18 herbs for an advanced first aid kit? I've already decided on black cohosh, blue cohosh, cannabis, garlic, and sweet gum seeds, plus honey, saline, grain alcohol, activated charcoal, and bentonite clay. I need the plants with the most potent properties and/or variety of uses. The uses include muscle, bone, liver, kidney, digestive, and immune disorders, including arthritis, hepatitis, lupus, and hayfever, as well as poison ivy, burns, bleeding, fractures, snakebite, and viral, bacterial, and fungal infection. Activated charcoal and bentonite clay are on the list as well. The herbs must also be effective dried.

This is what I suggest to my herb students as a general basic kit:

BASIC FIRST AID KIT

Goldenseal powder & Tincture

Erigeron cinnamon oil:
Ceylon Cinnamon Bark oil (Cinnamomum (zeylanicum) verum) 6.25%
Erigeron flowering herb oil (Erigeron canadensis) 6.25%
Grain Alcohol, USP 87.50%
This is the original formula developed by Finley Ellingwood, M.D

Flower remedy/Oplopanax

All purpose salve - calendula, comfrey

Mucilaginous herb such as slippery elm or marshmallow

capsaicin or cayenne salve/oil

Taruma oil or similar product – St. John’s wort, Calendula, Ruta and Arnica

Bug repellant
Example: 2 oz
15 drop citronella
8 drop lemon grass
4 drop Lavender
3 drop Geranium
25% alcohol , 75% water


Eye wash (use sterile saline or in a pinch ad 1/4 teaspoon sea salt to each cup boiled (cooled) water.

Eye wash/drops: Calendula & goldenseal. This is a very simple mix. Take 70% calendula succus and 30% goldenseal tincture and add them to sterile saline for a wash or use as a compress. 10 drops of the mix per 1 oz sterile saline in an eye cup. You can add up to 40 drops of Calendula and 24 drops of Goldenseal in 4 oz of sterile saline to use as a compress over the eye.


Styptic powder- yarrow, and/or goldenseal

Peppermint oil
Lavender oil

Clay

Charcoal

Calendula succus
Nervine

Echinacea Tincture

St John's wort oil

Hydrogen peroxide for puncture wounds and herpetic lesions.


1st aid scissors
tweezers
themometer
band aids
mirror
eye cup
themometer
Sterile gauze
Safety pins
Antiseptic towelettes
First aid tape – can make into strips for tape sutures
1st aid book
bandana
pocket knife
sewing kit (needle, thread,scissors if you don’t have first aid scissors)
dental floss
flash light

Wow that's awesome Sharon, thank you!

The reply above is awesome. Here's one essential for me and a couple of other possibilities. Ragweed tincture (preflowering herb tinctured 1:2 with 75 percent alcohol) is AWESOME for any type 1 hypersensitivity reactions...like hay fever! Works like a charm for everyone who I have given it to. Lavender EO is good for burns, calming, and seizures. I like my all purpose salve to have plantain in it. Butterfly bandaids are good to have on hand, as suture techs and lidocaine are in short supply. Depending on where kit will be used, sterile saline or water or wound wash needs to be included. Chamomile tea bags good for calming and eye irritation or pink eye.

What, no oregano? The more reading I do about oregano and the antibiotic terpene carvacrol, which is a major component of oil of oregano, the more respect I have for this prostrate plant. If you are making a list of useful herbs and don't have oregano on there, you owe it to yourself to find out more.

John Elliott wrote:What, no oregano? The more reading I do about oregano and the antibiotic terpene carvacrol, which is a major component of oil of oregano, the more respect I have for this prostrate plant. If you are making a list of useful herbs and don't have oregano on there, you owe it to yourself to find out more.

Because there's just so many amazing plants out there and it's hard to narrow it down to just 18. Dx

It is hard to narrow it down to 18 herbs. We might have different lists of 18 depending on where we live and what grows in our gardens and bioregions. It's important to know the value and qualities of locally available plants, and obviously what grows one place does not necessarily grow everywhere else. Pretty obvious, right? For example goldenseal is greatly appreciated, and rightly so, but it does not grow in the western states of the USA, and is over harvested in the north east USA.

Here is what one internet site says:
<<The active ingredients of goldenseal include isoquinoline alkaloids, such as berberine, canadine, and hydrastine. Goldenseal has been reported to contain these alkaloids in the ranges of 1.5-4% hydrastine, 0.5-6% berberine, and 2-3% berberastine.>>

There are other herbs, eg: Oregon Grape (Mahonia) and Barberry (Berberis) that have similar actions, and contain significant amounts of berberine and other isoquinoline alkaloids.

A good approach might be learn the geographic, the local equivalents that would provide the same functions of the herbal preparations on the above list. A person could have a first aid kit of prepared herbs, but it is so convenient to know which plants to reach for when hiking, when out in the wilds or the garden. When you get a bee sting, there is likely to be plantain (or comfrey) closer than the first aid kit, unless the first aid kit is on your body at all times. It is great to know that hollyhock root will function similarly to marshmallow root.

But about the oregano, I agree, it's valuable, it grows readily in many climates. I rely on it for topical antibiotic, and I know it is good for a lot of other things but I have to look them up to remember. And it is a treasured culinary herb.

One of my favorites is thyme, another easy to grow in many climates, topical antibiotic (thyme oil is the active ingredient in lysol", with as many benefits as oregano or turmeric.

And a good blood stopper is cayenne powder. You can watch a you tube video on making blood stopper pads impregnated with cayenne.

I hope a lively discussion develops on this thread , I want to learn what others are using.

I think lemon balm is an antiviral, as is holy basil. Most injuries are healed by the growth of new cells, so consider comfrey which stimulates cell proliferation, the basis of healing from most injuries.

Nettle is another great multi purpose plant, it's a natural antihistamine, contains vitamins and minerals and complete protein (I need to check that claim, I have heard it a couple of times recently, but have not read it anywhere).

As I wrack my brain for multifunction plants, I wonder, Aetna, if you are trying to assemble a first response first aid kit (kind of redundant there ) or if you are trying to collect for long term health maintenance.

Thekla McDaniels wrote:I think lemon balm is an antiviral, as is holy basil. Most injuries are healed by the growth of new cells, so consider comfrey which stimulates cell proliferation, the basis of healing from most injuries.

Nettle is another great multi purpose plant, it's a natural antihistamine, contains vitamins and minerals and complete protein (I need to check that claim, I have heard it a couple of times recently, but have not read it anywhere).

As I wrack my brain for multifunction plants, I wonder, Aetna, if you are trying to assemble a first response first aid kit (kind of redundant there ) or if you are trying to collect for long term health maintenance.

It's for a first aid kit meant to be strapped to my thigh at all times when outside the fenced portion of the property, containing the best of what the whole world of herbs has to offer, and it'd be highly impractical to not study the herbs of any locale you plan on visiting.

OK, I get it. So what you want with you are the things that are not already at your fingertips!

Thekla McDaniels wrote:OK, I get it. So what you want with you are the things that are not already at your fingertips!

Exactly. Not to mention I currently live in a very toxic urban area and don't entirely trust what grows here.

makes even MORE sense

I would say dried or tinctures of Osha root ,echinacea Augustifolia , tumeric powder, Cayenne powder,elderberry.It is also important to know what wild plants are used for in your area.I also dry many things that can be taken wiith me when I travel so I don't have to eat thecommercial food on the road . MY favorite is a persimon dried pear fig black walnut loaf that is baked then sliced and rebaked till dry . It keeps very well -made with honey and whole grains fresh ground .
I make a cooking blend that would also be a nourishing medicinal blend that I use in the winter containing dried garlic .cayenne ,nettle, thyme,greek oregano, sacred basil,dill, rosemary,sage and several wild plants such as dandelion and chickweed .

Sharon Carson wrote:. MY favorite is a persimon dried pear fig black walnut loaf

My gracious stars Sharon! would you give us a hint on how to concoct this wonderful creation of yours! Would this be material for a new thread? Others may have similar ideas for emergency and travel food that we could learn from!

I would be glad to share how I make it. I am not very tech savy so please be patient with me. I have lived on this homestead and planted hundreds of trees, shrubs and vines always with edible and medicinal uses in mind over the last 40 years . So the first step is to spend 40 years planting a forest... OR.... get Quality dried fruits and nuts (many bought fruits have sulfer and other additives so get organic ones )Nuts really should be fresh cracked from the shell as the oils go rancid quickly on the shelf .I refrigerate nuts, seeds and oils till I use them. I buy Kamut, Oats, rye, millet and spelt in bulk from my local health food store . I buy in 25# bags and keep the grain in the freezer to keep bugs mice out and keep it fresh . I grind a gallon of flour at a time with an electric kitchen mill and use it for baking . I usually bake in the winter when I can use the woodstove and freeze the breads or double bake it into crackers or travel foods . I use the recipe from Moosewoods Cookbook for Carrot cake or bananna bead (any banana or applesauce recipecake will do). I use unsalted Irish butter or local butter (to avoid the GMOs ) my own eggs from my chickens fed non- soy organic grains with flax, the above flours, Rumford baking powder (no Aluminum) , and REal Salt . I usually put 2 cups of the Blackwalnuts that I grow and pick out into the bread and 2 cups of fresh or frozen persimmon pulp instead of the carrot or banana.I use 1/2 brown cane sugar and 1/2 honey . I useally coat the bottom of a flat sheet cake pan with butter and seseme seed and bake till done... then wait till the cake is cold to thinly slice and rebake . I take this to town or when I travel or hike to eat ..... saves a lot of money and keeps you healthy. The walnuts are a great source of omega 3 fats as well as protein. The persimmons are high in sugars and Vit c .
I would like to figure out an inexpensive solar or other system to provide power for my freezers and well pumps. I do wonder how sustainable these high tech things will ultimately be . I have always been a rather low tech sort.I live in southern Delaware... btw Sharon

I love it, Sharon!

How to make a good walnut cake:

1 plant a walnut tree

2 while the tree is growing towards fruiting age, plant fruit trees that will survive in your region, establish a flock of laying hens or ducks or other birds whose eggs you will enjoy. Establish a bee hive and learn to harvest honey way and propolis. Grow some wheat, oats and other grains that can be ground into flour. Establish a dairy herd, or find one nearby for a source of fresh organic pasture based cream, butter, milk and cheese.

This is how permie food all starts isn't it?

Only then do you get to the recipe!

I live on 40 acres in Northern AZ. We walk around on the peoperty a lot - still in the "observation" stage of planning our home & garden sites. The closest community services are 20- 35 minutes drive depending on road conditions, so I'm motivated to be prepared to handle emergency injuries on-site.

One of my ideas toward this end is to make up a a few small first aid kits and place one in each quadrant of the property (maybe marked with a flag). I'm not concerned about bandaids or pain pills being nearby, I was thinking more along the lines of snake bite or physical trauma - you know, injury that could make walking back to the trailer difficult or dangerous.

I would like to include an herbal venom remedy, herbs to help stop bleeding, maybe a bottle of rinse water and an instant cold pack.

Would anyone like to chime in on this? Will herbal remedies stored in a little box outside make it through a hot summer? Maybe stored in a cooler on the north side of a tree? Or am I just better off to carry a backpack all the time? Anything else I should have available for immediate use in case a half mile seems too far to walk?

Melissa Bracy wrote:
I would like to include an herbal venom remedy, herbs to help stop bleeding, maybe a bottle of rinse water and an instant cold pack.

Would anyone like to chime in on this? Will herbal remedies stored in a little box outside make it through a hot summer?

Things that would keep well and serve your purpose are: activated charcoal powder as drawing agent, bottle of water for rinse or making paste w charcoal, yarrow flower powder as hemostatic, long strip of cloth to use as sling or tourniquet, Motherwort tincture (excellent for 'mothering' calming, decreasing panic).  For me, I would also include an allergic reaction blend as that always seems to be my issue.  My blend at present is Red Clover,  Ragweed, Goldenrod, Lobelia and Licorice root.  Ragweed works well on its own too (tincture of preflowering herb).  Tincture and charcoal should keep well, salves will not in the heat thus the recommendation for charcoal instead of plantain.  A sturdy stick to use as splint or cane in each quad might also be of use.  40 acres sounds huge!  I just got done planting 2 city lots and it took me a week!  40 acres!!!

You have my attention so now I am a student.

Cris Fellows, thank you for these excellent suggestions. I did not consider allergic reactions or calming agents, but I think they are both a must!

I carry always with me activated charcoal (draw out poison from the bites, and internally for stomach flu, severe bloating or indigestion), lomatium tincture (in case I or my son gets a cold coming or some other viral problem), yarrow powder (bleeding stopper and wound healer), and some things for my personal problem- migraines-tincture made with wood betony, skullcap, etc, and also niacin, B vitamin, which can stop migraine cold, although has unpleasant flushing. I love the answers above, and look into adding some things.