Jeremiah 8:22: “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why, then, is there no healing for the wound of my people?”
We will all need medicine at some point in our lives and hope we can always go without it. Many medicines may come to mind immediately: pharmaceuticals and engineered drugs designed to target specific things within the body. Herbal medicines, on the other hand, are a versatile and powerful resource. They are not just trendy; they are a part of our history and culture and are generally sold in our local health food stores as dietary supplements. These plant blends can be used for various things related to digestion (Slippery Elm), memory enhancement (Ginko Biloba), and weight loss (Green Tea). Then, there is homeopathic medicine, which believes that the body can heal itself, and supplements of food, vitamins, or minerals are used in small amounts only to aid healing. These things have their respective place in the healing spectrum, producing helpful results. So, in a post-apocalyptic setting, it would make sense to take advantage of all of these avenues of medicine and have, if possible, the ability to select from various streams of medicine to treat ourselves or our friends and loved ones should the need arise.
Let’s face facts: injuries can and do happen when you are in the woods for a significant amount of time. The simple injuries range from splinters, bites, and thorn scratches to more severe injuries such as embedded fish hooks, knife cuts, and burns. Only a handful are considered common for the myriads of common injuries that could occur in the woods, according to the consensus of The Wilderness Medical Society, National Outdoor Leadership School, and Yale School of Medicine. These include ankle sprains, burns from fuel stoves, broken bones, scrapes, and cuts (lacerations). While a solid understanding of Wilderness First Aid and CPR is beneficial, this training does not cover long-term care when help is unavailable. In this case, Herbalism, homestead nursing, and herbal balms can make healing more efficient and effective. It's crucial to be prepared, and there are simple methods for making your herbal balms, soaps, and homeopathic ointments from natural ingredients. If properly stored, they would suit your preparations; some could even be made on the fly.
Balms and Salves are mixtures of an oil with an herb, plus beeswax. These are used for topical/external applications and can protect the skin while helping to heal a wound. With added beeswax, a tooth-wax can be created. The balm of Gilead mentioned in Jeremiah is a resin-based salve from the Arabian Peninsula's Commiphora gileadensis plant. It was a rare perfume used medicinally.
How to make a Balm or Salve
Select your herb of choice to create a salve (pronounced sav); we will say, Yarrow, known for its ability to stop bleeding, for this example. Simmer your yarrow (or other herbs) in an oil such as olive oil, coconut oil, or even animal fat (I have used raccoon fat!) for at least thirty minutes, although some prefer several hours. While the oil is hot, begin to add in flakes of beeswax. Do not add too much; you will have a wax block, which we'll get to in a moment. Allow the mixture to cool until the desired consistency can be reached. You want it similar to Vaseline or firmer in warmer climates.
A balm could be made like a hot infusion, which includes more aromatics such as cedar, sandalwood, camphor, or even lavender. It may be an infused oil with only enough wax to allow it to stick to the skin on desired areas with an ointment-like odor and consistency.
You can pack wounds with salves once they no longer bleed and are cleaned, significantly aiding healing. I would also recommend making a medicated block of wax with this method. It's a hard salve; you can use this block as a dental wax if you lose or injure a tooth. So, choosing soothing or pain-relieving plants would be beneficial for this purpose. It can also be applied to all your tools to protect them from rusting and be used on your boots or fabrics to waterproof them. Once you understand how to make a good salve, you are not far from being able to make your own soap.
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