Disaster Cures the Kitchen Medicine Cabinet Hold

What Cures the Kitchen Medicine Cabinet Hold (copyright Amber Higgins)

Here's an article I wrote for a newspaper about 20 years ago and the same advice remains true!

This is great information to know when other medical supplies are not available and after  disasters when first aid is needed..look in the kitchen cabinet for these natural medical aids.

All of these kitchen cures are safe for pets too!

Back in the day when the kitchen held the cures
free source photo

When injuries happen at home it’s good to know what can be used immediately to prevent further harm until a doctor can be reached or help arrives.

The majority of kitchens in America contain four basic commodities that are extremely helpful when injury strikes. The kitchen holds a wealth of medicinal cures that are often forgotten during emergency situations. These common ingredients can be carried in vehicles, back packs and camping gear in case of an emergency while away from home.

Onion

The first and most common medicine in the kitchen is the onion because onions have the amazing ability to extract poisons and venom from a person’s skin in the event of a spider bite or bee sting.  A fresh onion works best but pure onion powder works for traveling or when a fresh onion is not available, moisten the onion powder a tiny bit to help the powder stick to skin.

Apply a fresh slice of onion to a spider bite or bee sting immediately and hold or bandage in place for fifteen minutes. Then remove and the bite should be hard to see and almost gone. The onion will have pulled out any stingers that remained also. If the bite is still apparent apply a fresh paste of onion powder or slice.

Black Tea Bags

Regular tea bags are the most important emergency medicine in the home because the common tea bag stops bleeding. Common tea bags, such as those used for ice tea, make an easy bandage that stops the bleeding on an injured finger by wrapping the finger in the bag and using the string for tying in place.

Large tea bags come in handy for large wounds or wounds that are bleeding profusely. Moisten the tea first and then apply to the wound and hold in place. The tea bag will soak up the blood and the chemicals in the tea will stop the blooding within fifteen minutes on the most serious of wounds.

 Do not give up on the tea. Change the tea bag when necessary. If the bleeding is not slowing within five minutes call 911 but continue to apply the tea bags until the paramedics arrive.

One of the most stubborn of bleeding areas can be a pulled tooth cavity and biting down on a moisten tea bag not only stops the bleeding faster then cotton but also stops the pain and taste better.

Cloves

Cloves are an old fashion home cure for tooth ache and pain. Infant teething formulas often contain clove extract for this very reason.  To apply cloves to a sore gum or toothache wet a finger and touch a small amount of clove powder so that the powder sticks to the wet finger then rub on the affected area. 

Do not eat the cloves in any form for pain; because the nut is to bitter in large quantities and will make a person sick.

Honey

Honey is one of nature’s natural bandages that not only seals a wound to keep out germs but also contains ingredients that fight infection and pain. The honey will dry like an invisible bandage when a small amount is applied in a thin layer over a non bleeding wound. This will seal the wound to keep dirt and germs out plus increase healing.

Read more about preparing at Family Disaster Dogs