|
Post by hawkeyes on Sept 28, 2019 8:16:53 GMT -7
Why not showcase those medical kits? When it comes to medical supplies I do feel one can stay within the realm of the 18th century to an extent. I use that word with caution and must say as a disclaimer "do at your own risk". What I carry is obviously no replacement for modern medicine and for true emergencies as much as it pains me to say it the cell phone is always the last line for real help. We have a multitude of understanding when it comes to medicine than they obviously did during the time period. Yet again, I feel one can stay safely within the boundaries with good judgment and the practical use/ knowledge of the components they choose to carry. From the start I think when examining your medical needs in a so called 18th century fashion one needs to stop and think about their own environmental conditions and personal needs. I have approached my kit from a few angles relevant to what I may come across while in the forest or attending a event. From my environmental perspective sprains due to terrain, bruising, insect bites, cuts, scrapes, debris in the eye and burns are the norm. Everything I carry can help with all the above ailments and conditions plus more. One of the most prominent kit components I carry are an assortment of dry dressings of cotton and linen along with a modern sterile dressing for any larger laceration or wounds that need packed after cleaning or to cover a bad burn. Next I carry a vile of iodine for obvious reasons and a vile of salt. Salt is a wonderful medicinal that has been used for centuries. It's uses and benefits are to long to list. Next I have two small viles containing natural witch hazel, natural apple cider vinegar and natural cedar oil which is a wonderful insect repellent, and it smells amazing. A small bottle for mixing any solution or topical and can be used as a eyewash. Worth noting, getting junk in the eye is a horrendous ordeal and can be debilitating. A simple bottle such as this can be a lifesaver. The bottle also contains a few feet of natural silk. Now if you haven't a clue on suturing a wound I would advise you forgo doing so. More harm can come from closing a wound improperly than if you just control the bleeding and dress it accordingly. A tin of my black drawing salve which contains a beeswax base, naturally harvested pine tar, extracted plantain and natural cedar oil. This salve is exceptional as a antiseptic, topical treatment for bug bites, draws out infections and helps with inflammation just to name a few. Lastly a pair of medium sized scissors.
|
|
|
Post by Black Hand on Sept 28, 2019 8:23:31 GMT -7
My field kit is modern but kept in a cloth bag. As far as first-aid, modern materials are far superior and user-friendly. I will add a roll of Vet-wrap to this kit for its multiple uses. Ultimately, nothing works better than modern waterproof band-aids. I do use pine pitch and ash for a "band-aid" and yarrow to clot cuts, repel insects and relieve pain. On the other hand, my 19th century medical supplies used for display:
|
|
|
Post by hawkeyes on Sept 28, 2019 10:22:51 GMT -7
My field kit is modern but kept in a cloth bag. As far as first-aid, modern materials are far superior and user-friendly. I will add a roll of Vet-wrap to this kit for its multiple uses. Ultimately, nothing works better than modern waterproof band-aids. I do use pine pitch and ash for a "band-aid" and yarrow to clot cuts, repel insects and relieve pain. On the other hand, my 19th century medical supplies used for display: Very neat 19th century setup! I'm always intrigued by such early medical equipment. How did you come about such a complete set? Also I won't mention the unit trauma kit hiding away in the trunk at all times... ;-)
|
|
|
Post by Black Hand on Sept 28, 2019 12:16:48 GMT -7
Some I bought, some I made and others were gifted to me - several of the items are original 19th century. I read many period medical writings and found medicinal items available today and added them to the kit.
|
|
|
Post by spence on Sept 28, 2019 12:38:20 GMT -7
I'll come to regret it, I'm sure, but I have to ask....
Don't all the well thought out, organized, "kits" for shooting accessories, sewing, first aid, backpacking, cooking, etc. with special packaging which we tend to use in our living history activities seem a bit modern? I have a great deal of difficulty picturing anyone in 18th century approaching such problems in the way I so often see us do.
Incoming.
Spence
|
|
|
Post by hawkeyes on Sept 28, 2019 13:20:25 GMT -7
I'll come to regret it, I'm sure, but I have to ask.... Don't all the well thought out, organized, "kits" for shooting accessories, sewing, first aid, backpacking, cooking, etc. with special packaging which we tend to use in our living history activities seem a bit modern? I have a great deal of difficulty picturing anyone in 18th century approaching such problems in the way I so often see us do. Incoming. Spence I think you have some valid points. May be it our "modern" frames of mind in a society full of madness. I do have to say with certainty though, going into a warzone multiple times I have honestly planned and thought out every single piece of gear, it's exact location and be dead set in muscle memory it's intended purpose. My organizational mindset is a result of previous endevours and honestly me in general. I'd venture to say though the logic of thinking was certainly approached much differently during the period than we "glamorize" it today out of enjoyment than necessity. Yet, maybe few did utilize a very organized approach. Certainly a interesting topic, are we approaching it all wrong? Indeed excellent thoughts for discussion.
|
|
|
Post by brokennock on Sept 28, 2019 19:44:52 GMT -7
I'll come to regret it, I'm sure, but I have to ask.... Don't all the well thought out, organized, "kits" for shooting accessories, sewing, first aid, backpacking, cooking, etc. with special packaging which we tend to use in our living history activities seem a bit modern? I have a great deal of difficulty picturing anyone in 18th century approaching such problems in the way I so often see us do. Incoming. Spence I think you have some valid points. May be it our "modern" frames of mind in a society full of madness. I do have to say with certainty though, going into a warzone multiple times I have honestly planned and thought out every single piece of gear, it's exact location and be dead set in muscle memory it's intended purpose. My organizational mindset is a result of previous endevours and honestly me in general. I'd venture to say though the logic of thinking was certainly approached much differently during the period than we "glamorize" it today out of enjoyment than necessity. Yet, maybe few did utilize a very organized approach. Certainly a interesting topic, are we approaching it all wrong? Indeed excellent thoughts for discussion. Yup. Well though out and said. I do think Spence has a good point. Myself, I am guilty of not bringing much thought out 1st said stuff when going afield in an 18th century mindset, except for some very modern trauma gear for extreme emergencies. Anything short of needing a modern tourniquet, Israeli bandage, and/or wound packing gauze (with or without clotting agents), I figure I can improvise and make use of what is on hand. I already carry too much stuff playing the "what if," game in my head, and I'm trying to pair down the stuff that rarely if ever gets used, or is clearly a modern solution to a possible contingency, without putting my life, or the life of someone else at too much risk. I am trying to come up with some 18th century items that are, or can be, used for something else, that can be pulled together to make an effective modern tourniquet. I would like to get my hands on some of that black drawing salve though.
|
|
|
Post by hawkeyes on Sept 29, 2019 3:29:32 GMT -7
We live in a modern society and there is no getting away from that. The evidence of modernization is everywhere and even our minds think differently from that modern programming. As simple as I personally try to live I'm always finding myself trying to crawl back further away from modernization but in reality I'm getting nowhere it feels, rather depressing. I mean when Amazon says one day delivery by golly it better be one flipping day! All jokes aside I think one beautiful thing about this hobby/ lifestyle is the ability to check yourself and look at your kit like you mentioned and think "do I really need this"? Likely answer is no... Just did that with my food provisions, I felt my previous post on the market wallet needed adjustments. So I removed all it's contents and tried to justify each item. The result, removed allot of unnecessary things.
|
|
|
Post by spence on Sept 29, 2019 7:17:18 GMT -7
"I would like to get my hands on some of that black drawing salve though." Everyone needs to be cautious with these 'black drawing salves'. The idea that salves or anything else can draw out infection is an old wives tale. That doesn't happen. And, some concoctions sold under the name of black drawing slave have chemicals in them which are very dangerous to normal skin and any other cell, can leave serious, deep scars. Do some research before you use them....and don't talk to the old wives. Spence
|
|
|
Post by spence on Sept 29, 2019 7:32:11 GMT -7
Yes, getting into the mindset of the old boys has always been the most difficult part of the hobby for me. I think it's not really possible, we can't unlearn a lifetime of a culture much different from theirs. I don't know about anyone else, but I never feel I'm a person in that day, I'm always a person in my own, looking on from the outside when I'm engaged in living history activities. I decided long ago that the best I can do, for my own pleasure, is to do what they did, with their gear and under the circumstances that existed for them. That gives me a small window to their experience, which is probably the best I'll ever be able to do.
Everybody has to decide for himself how far to go with such an idea. I don't ever carry a first aid kit, but do always have my heart medicine on me somewhere...and of course my flip phone.
Spence
|
|
|
Post by Black Hand on Sept 29, 2019 8:05:48 GMT -7
I decided long ago that the best I can do, for my own pleasure, is to do what they did, with their gear and under the circumstances that existed for them. That gives me a small window to their experience, which is probably the best I'll ever be able to do. This is the message I've tried to communicate on every message board in which I've participated. Some will accept these self-imposed limitations while (many, all too many) others prefer the "if they'd a had it, they would'a used it" approach. I do this to get a small glimpse into how things were done - this can't be achieved if you insist on taking a modern approach to a period problem... I've previously given my exceptions - health & safety first. This means a water filter, modern medications and a cell phone (though where I've gone rarely has service). All that said, the most I've used have been an occasional Band-aid and Ibuprofen.
|
|
|
Post by hawkeyes on Sept 29, 2019 8:51:27 GMT -7
"I would like to get my hands on some of that black drawing salve though." Everyone needs to be cautious with these 'black drawing salves'. The idea that salves or anything else can draw out infection is an old wives tale. That doesn't happen. And, some concoctions sold under the name of black drawing slave have chemicals in them which are very dangerous to normal skin and any other cell, can leave serious, deep scars. Do some research before you use them....and don't talk to the old wives. Spence I think the term "draw out infections" is used to loose, lets clarify this a bit better... Essentially we have a salve that will act as a antibacterial, antifungal and is inline with bacitracin. No infection as noted can be "drawn out" per say by a salve. Should have clarified this portion better. I also agree, be careful with crap that is purchased. Be it the Lord only knows whats in it. Five ingredients in the recipe my grandparents used: Beeswax Naturally harvested pine resin Naturally extracted plantain (Olive oil used for extraction) Natural cedar oil That is the whole recipe. Does anyone remember or use porters salve? Along with this and porters that essentially summed up the medicine cabinet of my grandparents be it the best I remember.
|
|
|
Post by Black Hand on Sept 29, 2019 10:44:37 GMT -7
When people come by to visit my 19th century medical display, I am often brutally honest about period medicine. As someone with better-than-average knowledge about modern medicine, I am not shy about expressing my opinion. There is so much new-agey "medicine" about today that is touted by some celebrity with the medical knowledge of a 4th-grader, I will tell it like it is. I have cupping jars in my display that are period (but essentially wishful thinking when it comes to any medical efficacy other than perhaps to help slightly reduce swelling), I told a visitor exactly what I thought. He replied that he had just had some cupping done. Face it, Michael Phelps is NOT a doctor and nothing he does should be considered medical advise.
I can't remember the times that someone came by raving about "essential oils" and their magical effects in curing everything/anything. I tend to let these people go on thinking they are right because is it useless to argue with them. Yes - there are some extracts that have medicinal properties, but with the ones available today, you never know what is in the extract or how much of the active ingredient (if any) it actually contains. That said, I have spent considerable time over the last many years learning about wild plant medicinals - seems like a contradiction, but if the SHTF, at least I know what might work.
Much of the new-agey stuff is used today is wishful thinking, innocuous or could be dangerous or deadly...
|
|
|
Post by spence on Sept 29, 2019 11:05:27 GMT -7
People being people then as now, I would imagine there were a variety of approaches to this problem in the day, too. I frequently think of the experience of James Smith when I begin wondering about this question. He and three companions spent 8 months on horseback exploring the Kentucky frontier, and then he decided to walk home from where Paducah, KY is now, a straight-line distance of 415 miles. He was injured at the beginning of the walk, and described how he treated the wound. No mention of any pre-designated first aid equipment or medicines, no indication he had made any preparations for such a possibility. He used his awl, knife and a bullet mold, made medicines from plant material, and recovered. It took him 3 months to finish his trek, so he was in the wilderness for 11 months, apparently just trusting to luck and his own abilities to take care of himself whatever came. On the other hand, Dr. Thomas Walker describes treating a member of his party exploring Kentucky 1750 with "volatile drops" and by bleeding after he took a fall, and reading the journals of Lewis and Clark, you see that they did take along what were considered medical supplies at that time, and used them. So, maybe James Smith was the outlier. I'm afraid I led the discussion astray with my question, not making myself clear. I wasn't thinking of whether to take first aid supplies or not, but of the very systematic, organized way we as moderns tend to approach these things. Can't tell you how many times over the years I've seen posts about neat, organized arrangements of various materials, from shooting supplies to food, along with the compartmented packages for them. It's that hyperthink approach that makes me wonder. It runs counter to the general attitude I've come to expect in primary documentation of men picking up gun, horn, pouch and a sack of cornmeal and out the door for the outing. But then, maybe they just didn't tell us about all the neat, organized other stuff they were carrying. Spence
|
|
|
Post by hawkeyes on Sept 29, 2019 13:04:19 GMT -7
Good thoughts and points by both of you for sure, I definitely like the examples of the explorations through Kentucky.
I think my idea of the medical supplies posting could have been explained better in more detail. It's relatively clear as mud 18th century medicine was a crab shoot, often more harm was done than good. It's postings and conversations such as these that make me personally re-evaluate the game plan.
Medicine is a touchy subject and something that shouldn't be taken lightly, no ill was intended from my approach of the subject. There are to many nut jobs a loft who claim this and that and I'm certainly not one and I don't believe the modern day medical movement of regurgitated BS by the masses that oils heal cancer and stones cure ED... We shall continue onward gents! I'd still be very interested in seeing what documentation can be had on the subject as I personally find my curiosity tingling.
|
|