Part of being prepared for medical emergencies is simply thinking ahead.  For example, in really hard times people will be out cutting firewood, perhaps even building log structures.  They are going to get cut or at the very least get splinters in various parts of their anatomy.  One trick which has been used is regular super glue. A dab of super glue on a splinter will dry to the splinter, and then tweezers can pull it out.  But what about a thin slice on a leg or arm?  I'm not talking about a deep cut, but rather a shallow slice that leave a large flap of skin that is slow to heal. These happen often and can be debilitating, even life threatening if the person has to walk to an evacuation area, or just be able to continue working.  First, the wound can be thoroughly cleansed by flushing with oxygen peroxide.  Once the bleeding has stopped, the wound can be lightly packed with Nolvasan Antiseptic Ointment.  Then the edges of the cut are carefully cleaned and flap of skin super glued in place.  The entire area must then be wrapped with an Ace bandage and must be checked for abscesses periodically, but the person can at least be mobile again instead of being a liability on a whole family group. 

Another example of thinking ahead and being prepared is for eye injuries.  Eyes are very delicate!  In very difficult times, people will be doing hard work, sometimes under expedient conditions.  Debris can get into eyes, and eyes can be burned.  The treatment required is mentioned in the articles linked below, but bears repeating.  Do not rub injured eyes!  Eyes should be flushed with copious quantities clear water or a saline solution to flush out any debris or chemicals that can cause burns.  "Flushing" means more than a slow dribble of water!  A squirt from an eye dropper is barely adequate.  Actually, turkey basters work very well, as they hold a lot more water but do not produce too much water pressure.  Metal slivers from striking metal tools or welding can become stuck in an eye and not be flushed out with water.  A small, powerful magnet, such as a pencil type stud finder, can be very carefully moved 1/2" over the eye while holding the eyelids up, and ferrous metal particles will spring up to the magnet.  But the eye will still be injured, and eye injuries are extremely painful, so treatment is needed.  Prilocaine, or Neomycin eye drops, will help the eye heal very quickly, and also lessen the pain considerably, but those antibiotics are prescription items and must be on hand.  Farm animals are always scratching their eyes, and ranchers often treat those eye injuries using "NFZ Puffer," a veterinary medicine 0.2% Nitrofurazome.  Some ranchers use it on human eye injuries as well (heeding the advise on the label that some people are hypersensitive to this medication) when a physician is not available and losing an eye could well result from no antibiotic treatment at all.  If there is an irritant reaction, flushing the eyes with copious quantities of water will quickly dilute the Nitrofurazome, as it is water soluble.  Then, of course, the eye should be covered with a patch so there will be no incentive to move the eye and continue any irritation.  The treatments mentioned above are repeated daily until the eye is healed.

With readily available medicines you can treat cholera and typhus, the plague, and other diseases with broad spectrum antibiotics. Those who have the ability of discernment can stockpile certain veterinary medicines if they cannot obtain other types from a physician. It is very important to know how long medications last.

I sometimes have the feeling that honest, tax paying, God fearing citizens have their heads in the sand when it comes to emergency medical preparedness, like they just don t "get it." Heck, even the radical left gives medical advice for protesters, but the common person is left out in the cold. 

The new H5N1 avian virus spreading around the world now, in June, 2005 March, could well prove to be a roaring pandemic by the winter of 2005, killing millions of people worldwide. There is reportedly a news blackout on this avian flu in the US media, but reliable reports are that 121 of the 200 people in China who contracted this flu have died - it is extremely lethal!  Large areas of China are quarantined in a vain attempt to keep this avian flue from spreading.  Being a new strain of flu, no one has immunity.  The Bush administration has issued an Executive Order for the quarantine of civilians when the H5N1 avian flu reaches the United States. 

Get prepared! It could save your life in the not too distant future. You will be on your own.