My Historical Trekking Medical Kit.

I had two requests yesterday to make a video about my medical kit. At first I thought it was not worth my while, and said so. But on further reflection I decided that perhaps I should. It is not the first time I have made the mistake of taking something for granted. So I made part 1 and 2 yesterday, and took some stills at the same time.
There is not much to my medical kit, and if I were going on a long trip I would add some items. But what I have suits me for the present. Bandages are for me the most important items. Originally I made my own, but these days I use modern bandages. You need bandages for breaks, cuts and snake bite.
Modern medical advice re snake bite sais you DON"T wash the area, and you DON"T suck on the wound! You simply bind the limb firmly over the bite area and work your way down the limb to the ankle or wrist, then bandage upward again, over the bite area to the top part of the limb. What you do next may depend on your situation. Best advice is don't move, stay where you are and rest. Low venom snake bite has been survived, high venom bites act very fast.
Some snake bites do not inject venom, and simply give you a warning strike. If you are on foot you will probably not get far if you try to walk out, but in the end the decision is yours depending on the situation and how you feel.
If you can get to a hospital, they can take a sample of the venom from the wound or bandage to identify the type of snake. If you can definately identify it all the better.
My advice is to stay away from snakes and they will mostly stay away from you.
The other item I rarely see in first aid kits these days is an eye wash glass. If you get something in your eye it can be very debilitating. Below are the few items I carry in my knapsack.

My leather drawstring medical pouch. Always important to disguise any modern equipment that you need to carry with you.

 Nail scissors and tweezers. If I need larger tweezers I can use my round ball mould. The needles in my sewing kit are also used to remove splinters.

Salt. Handy for cuts and removing leeches.

Iodine. Note how the cork is secured with a leather tie.

I substitute this chemist bottle for an eye wash glass.

I would like to make it quite clear here that I will not compromise my health and safety for the sake of authenticity. Hence the modern bandages I carry and the suture needle and thread. I also recommend that anyone who participates in historical trekking attends a first aid course. Enquire at your local hospital.

Primitive First Aid.

This post is prompted by Karl's post at: http://ranger-pathfinder-notes.blogspot.com/2011/03/some-last-aid-for-woods.html  which I might add is a good post and gives some good advice.

For those of you who find yourselves in need of medical attention but do NOT have a modern first aid kit, you do have some items in your gear that you can use.

First let me say that I totally agree with Karl's post, especially if you are going out for more than a day & you are far from home. I have a first aid kit on my "wants list", but it looks like I will have to get it myself! (hint to family!!!).

The period medical kit I carry at present includes: iodine, salt, bandages, tweezers, nail scissors, panadol tablets, a bottle I can use as an eye glass, and some suture needles & thread (see Karl's advice on stitching up wounds).
Not a lot there, but in the rest of my gear I have: A ball mould which doubles as large tweezers, a sewing kit/housewife which has needles for digging out splinters, and there is also an awl. Urine fresh from the body is good for washing out wounds.
I did sustain a large gash in my hand one time that needed stitches, but pulled it together with a bandage. I was a long way from any town, so kept a watch on the wound & re bandaged. It healed up just fine. However, I cannot emphasise enough the need to clean the wound or make sure it is clean, which is Karl's basis for not stitching up wounds.

The eye glass on the left I think is essential. There are so many ways in which you can get dirt in the eyes & it can be painful, damaging & crippling.

My leather medical pouch.

A ball mould can be used as tweezers.

The housewife sewing kit holds needles for digging out splinters.

The awl can be used if nesassary for helping to remove large splinters/slivers.

Unless your eyesight is extremely good, carrying reading glasses is a good idea and essential for treating & dressing wounds.

Fire strilises so a sure method of making fire is essential. Hot water may be required, and implemets may need to be sterilised.

When I was a kid my Indian friend & I sterilised an old sacking needle in a candle flame before cutting & binding our wrists together for blood brothership. It must have worked because we are both still alive, but fire flame is much cleaner.

If you should ever need to be cut open without any anesthetic what so ever, it is a very painfull process and unless it is urgent and nesassary I do not recommend it. I have undergone such surgery and needed something to strain on, that is hold onto, grip tight and brace oneself, & I used my handkerchief rolled up to put between my teeth and bite down on. Believe me, by the end I wished that I had fainted! Afterwards I needed strong pain killers, so carry something with you.

Personal Medication.

Never leave your personal medication at home, not even for a days trip. You can never tell what might happen. I carry mine in two period pill containers.