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Geoffrey Deihl's avatar

Self-reliance is the future to have a chance. Sharing your considerable knowledge with everyone is the right thing to do. The most basic skills forgotten by industrial society are the necessary ones. Our collective learned helplessness is fatal.

Jessica's avatar

Thanks! And I'm learning more every week. You're right. This is the only way we have a chance, to figure all this out now.

Geoffrey Deihl's avatar

Yup. Supply chains are going down. Another area of exploration might be compounding your own medicine. Even the mundane like BP meds will be an issue. Sorry, like you need more work...

Jessica's avatar

It's a great idea. Herbal antibiotics and antivirals, tinctures, etc, is on my list of things to add to the guide. And I would rather work on figuring it out now than wait. Community production of meds is highly possible, and there's even a few orgs working on it, although they've been pretty quiet lately.

Corrie's avatar

might be good to collaborate with a collapse aware/accepting herbalist, although there aren’t many who are “out” in that way. I’m a student for about 8 years, approaching a time when I will be able to treat. Can say that botanical medicine is as complex as western bio medicine in some ways, and it’s pretty wise to go deep with the help of experienced teachers.

I’m growing specifically in permaculture style, plus stewarding in a way that focuses on supporting the stressors that are increasingly experienced by our outdoor family of life, and that also at the same time supports the stressors humans are experiencing, and will in the near future. with a focus on nutrition as well, and repairing soil, etc.

Geoffrey Deihl's avatar

Great respect for your work and best wishes for your success prepping, Jessica.

Thomas Reis's avatar

When it comes to medicine or other applications like Pyrolyse this solar Destille is a Tipp

Digital Canary 💪💪🇨🇦🇺🇦🗽's avatar

Evokes Leanne Betasamasoke Simpson’s “Murder of Crows”:

courage lights our fire and she begins to make our tea

she takes our offerings sits ready on folded knees

unrolls the canvas and puts up the drying rack

she smokes our whitefish and is surrounded by smoke stacks

https://leannesimpson.bandcamp.com/album/live-like-the-sky?t=3

Dan Vie's avatar

Stephen Buhner's book Herbal Antivirals (2nd Edition) is an authoritative reference. He does focus a fair bit on less common Chinese herbs that need to be sourced (or grown). Still, it's important to know about herbs like andrographis and Japanese Knotweed, although more immediately valuable to know how to make a plantain spit poultice, etc.

See also the work of Sam Coffman, Herbal Medic; and the extensive free resources from 7Song, both of whom specialize in first aid. 7song has plenty of youtube videos also. This is good, direct knowledge for first responders, and crosses over well with the field of 'austere medicine'.

https://7song.com/resources/