The First Aid Kit

As a young girl, I saw a magazine ad for a “free” first-aid kit. I painstakingly filled out the request card and quickly placed it in the mail box. I could hardly wait for the kit to arrive! I clearly recall the day a salesman showed-up on our door-step asking for Bonnie Jones. When he discovered that his potential client was an elementary aged school-girl, he was not a happy camper. While I didn’t quite understand why he was so disturbed, my older siblings evidently got the picture. This fella was in the business of selling insurance policies and not in distributing first-aid kits to young girls! In fact, he had it in mind to leave without presenting me with the promised kit. Knowing how disappointed I’d be, my siblings expressly informed the shyster that he needed to follow-through with the company’s agreement which indicated no age requirement.

Having a first-aid kit on hand is still important to me. In fact, I just restocked ours and thought you might be interested in my list of contents. I use a multi-level tackle box that I can easily transport wherever it is needed.

In my opinion, no natural health first-aid kit is complete without:

Essential Oils

• Eucalyptus - strong action against lung congestion, bronchitis and sinusitis.
• Helichrysum – very effective wound healer and anti-inflammatory.
• Lavender - great antiseptic for cleansing wounds and anti-inflammatory.
• Oregano – 12 micro liters of oregano essential oil has the antibacterial equivalence of 10 units of penicillin! Unlike traditional antibiotics, Oregano doesn’t wipe out the necessary good bacteria in our bodies while killing the bad and is effective against penicillin resistant diseases.
• Peppermint – alleviates headache and nausea.
• Tea Tree – broad spectrum anti-bacterial with excellent anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. Use directly on burns, abrasions, abscesses and infected areas.

Herbals

• Aloe Vera – A must for treating burns, bites, and other skin maladies
• Arnica Herbal Oil - Apply immediately after injury to prevent, relieve and reduce swelling, bruising and pain. Not recommend for open wounds
• Comfrey Infused Olive Oil – Also called Boneset and used to relieve pain from blunt injuries, promote healing of broken bones, sprains and bruises and reduce swelling. Not recommended for open wounds.
• Ginger tea – relieves nausea and indigestion.
• Slippery Elm - a mainstay for treating irritated or inflamed skin as well as cuts, scrapes, scratches, and minor burns. Relieves inflammation and irritation in the throat, urinary tract and digestive system.
• Willow Bark Capsules – contains salicin. Its modified form is “aspirin.” Used for colds, fevers, minor infections, headache, and pain from inflammation. Unlike aspirin, willow bark does not increase the risk of bleeding or irritate the stomach lining.
• Witch Hazel Extract – indispensable astringent, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal, and anesthetic properties. Used for bedsores, bruises, insect bites, poison ivy or oak, sore muscles, swelling, diaper rash, windburn, and sunburn.

Bulk Ingredients:

• Activated Charcoal – a must for internal poisoning and drug overdose.
• Baking Soda – relieves indigestion, insect bites and stings, rashes and sunburn.
• Bentonite Clay - absorbs toxins, heavy metals and other internal contaminants.
• Epson Salts – used as a compress, it soothes aches, reduces swelling, inflammations, draws splinters and toxins, sedates, relaxes muscles and provides relief from joint pain.

Miscellaneous Essentials:

• Apple Cider Vinegar – Organic/unpasteurized – soothes irritated skin, aids digestion, relieves muscle pain, removes toxins, and is insecticidal.
• Hand Sanitizer
• Poison Ivy Soap containing Jewel Weed
• Bug repellant
• Muscle Rub
• Throat Lozenges

Dressing Supplies:

• Non-stick pads and Band-aids - various sizes
• Surgical, Transpore and cloth tape
• Ace wraps – various sizes
• Gauze pads & wraps – various sizes
• Elastic self-adhesive bandage wrap – various sizes
• Steri-strips – various sizes

Tools:

• Thermometer – Stethoscope – Blood pressure cuff
• Finger Splints – various sizes
• Scissors - Tweezers
• Dropper
• Q-tips
• Rubber gloves

Quality counts! www.mountainroseherbs carries organic herbs and oils that you can trust.

I tweak the contents of the first-aid kit as our needs change through various stages of life. So have fun developing a kit that works for you.

I’m sure I neglected to list some important items and I’d love to be able to offer more details on “how to use” specific items. Hopefully, you’ll find such information in my previous and future articles.

Oh! You are probably wondering, “Did she get a first-aid kit from that salesman? I sure did and in one way or another, I’ve had my hands in emergency treatment ever since!

Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie

P.S. Please feel free to contact me with questions, thoughts, topics you’d like to ponder or to read past articles at: http://whole-heartedlife.blogspot.com/. You may also contact me at:

Bonnie Jaeckle

In Search of the Whole-Hearted Life
Diagonal Progress
505 Jefferson St.
Diagonal, IA 50845

DISCLAIMER:

The author of this article does not endorse everything represented on/in suggested links, books, etc. Each of us is accountable to God to weigh everything according to His Word.

All content of this article is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. The author sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. The information herein is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. The information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. This is best left to the Creator of the universe. In all health-related situations, “qualified healthcare professionals” should always be consulted. The author deems THE GREAT PHYSICIAN to be most qualified. The author assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material.