Firstly (as I commented directly to Suzanne above), do not put "x+dirt" on any wound. This is bad. Example of 'bad' if you scroll down here: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/sporot...

There is a book I can recommend: When There Is No Doctor". A lot of it is oriented towards sanitation in remote Mexican villages, but there is tons of good medical advice for DIY medicine. I would suggest this book for anyone who has a BugOut kit.
http://www.amazon.com/Where-There-Is-...

TLDNR:
Many of the 'modern' cures for disease are applicable to a true Paleolithic technology - they require no more than the ability to boil water and dig latrines and avoidance behavior patterns that actively increase the chance of crippling or fatal disorders.

Chief amongst these behavior patterns to avoid is the 'rub it with dirt' custom that is still prevalent in our (and many modern) societies. Coaches will TELL their player to rub dirt into an abrasion! This is beyond boggling my mind: We have know for centuries that dirt contains opportunistic bacteria and fungi and that rubbing dirt into a wound is the thing you should Never Do. Yet people still think that dirt or chicken poop is a 'good home remedy'.

Those of you who followed my first link, above, to the picture of Sporotrichosis can see an example of what can result. Do you know that there are many fungal diseases for which there is no treatment except amputation of the limb? Do you know that there are some fungal diseases for which there is no treatment whatsoever? - all observed instances of these diseases have been fatal.

It is very easy to find home and herbal remedies for everything from cholera to poison oak. These remedies should be applied with thoughtfulness and with a basic knowledge of bacteriology and disease process. You do NOT have to be a doctor in order to apply remedies that take nothing more than a shovel or a pot of hot water or the ability to identify a willow tree, but you must avoid behavior that makes things worse.

First, do ye no harm.

Jan

It's very dry where I live and I get little splits, cuts and cracks in my fingers, especially when I play my guitar a lot. I use Super Glue to seal the cracks. The pain instantly goes away and it stays on until the cut heals itself.

Rub ammonia on bites and stings. It is a base and neutralizes the acid injected and helps sooth the itch and soreness.

We used Homemade Chicken Soup [made with fowls] for cold's, Gargled with Pickle juice for sore throats, used Peppermint for upset stomachs and ground up charcoal for treatment of poison or bad food being eaten.

Now that you stopped laughing; The medical research community finds that the fats and essential elements aminos and minerals in the 'Chicken Soup' actually works to defeat the common cold. The salts, vinegar and spices in the ‘Pickle Juice’ does kill the bacteria that causes the sore throat. Peppermint soothes the stomach and charcoal is still used in hospitals for ‘overdose’ patients, and illness brought on by bad food.

I guess my Polish Grandparents where pretty smart after all.

I've had a patient tell me if you rinse your mouth out with kerosene your toothache will go away!

Many home remedies actually work for reasons not obvious to the user, but if they fix the problem, we should go ahead and use them.

As Obamacare makes the cost of going to the doctor higher and higher, home remedies will become more important

We have a few little things we do for our immune systems here at home. I almost hate to say this...We haven't had a cold or flu for many years. We just don't get sick. I'll confess here that It's to the point of kind of freaking me out, actually. Everybody on our street, or most kids in the class with my kids may have flues/colds and we all just keep on trucking. We'll be the first to admit we're fortunate. But, it's starting to look like there's more to it than luck...

I know of several home contractors who carry Duck Tape on them at all times. I've seen them use it for everything from quick bandages across scrapes to impromptu stitches for major cuts. (Not sure if the individual ever went to the ER for real stitches or not.)

Knew a doc once that for any cut or scrape didn't bother with antbiotics, he just made sure to use a bristle brush and common soap - vigorously - on the wound before covering with a bandage. His patients squirmed and yelled, but always healed quickly and without infection...

One plant that I have been growing and eating is called heal all. I can't really say whether it really helps because I am healthy. It can't hurt!!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunell...

A remedy for sunburn (not against sunburn, but after you've been burned): sour cream. Liberally applied to burned areas. Lessens the pain and sometimes prevents the skin from peeling off (depends on the severity, of course).

I had never had a sinus infection in my life until I did a nasal wash using water from a local well without boiling the water first. I had used the well water, which I had filtered, for drinking, making coffee and cooking for several years with no problems but was just careless. In the span of a day or two my sinuses were inflamed, my face was puffy and hot and the infection had spread to the maxilla, or upper jaw and had involved my teeth. I refused to see the doctor for it because I knew I'd be prescribed or administered antibiotics. Judy thought she was going to have to take me to the ER.

I had been using colloidal silver for years, mostly for stopping colds, sore throats and tooth aches and was confident it could handle the infection. I buy the best I can find which is MesoSilver, according to a report I found through an article on Dr. Joseph Mercola's website. Here's a link to the report:
http://www.silver-colloids.com/Report...

Here's a link to the protocol I used that cured this acute sinus infection:
http://www.colloidsforlife.com/Sinus_...

I also gargled with hydrogen peroxide and something called Triguard (no longer available) to knock down any pathogens in my mouth and throat and essential oil of clove for the resultant tooth pain.

This is a true story and the folks involved still swear by it.

It was around 1950 and a person I know was about 2 years old and was dying of whooping cough. High fever, congestion and all the other symptoms. After treating her for days the doctor finally said there was nothing else that could be done and she would not live through the night. Her great grandmother said there was an old recipe that could be tried, since it was a last resort. It was boiling fresh sheep dung in water for 1 hour and then filtering off a few tablespoons of liquid and feeding it to her in small doses every hour. Her father, desperate, agreed to the treatment. After four hours, she was up and the sickness was gone. Strange remedy, but all who witnessed it swears it is what saved the little girls life. The little girl became my wife in 1981. Her father, mother, and grandmother all said she was going to die and this saved her life.

Was it luck or some very interesting bio-chemistry at work? I don't know, but it is a very interesting story.

Deep cut; kerosene, spider webs, and sugar.

Enemas.
When I was a child, it was considered a cure-all for everything. Tummy ache? Enema. Headache? Enema. Upset stomach? Enema. Except for me. Even at five, I fought so hard that it took three grown women just to get me in the bathroom. My mom eventually just said to hell with it. I pitied those kids, who unlike me, would "go gently into that good night."

I'm debating to tell the following joke. Oh well, what the hell:
In New York there was a Jewish theater where the plays were put on in Yiddish. At one performance, a beloved and famous actor had a heart attack and died on stage. The curtain was closed and a very young Paul Muni told the audience what had happened. A voice from the audience said "Give him an enema." Muni disregarded it and went on extolling the dead man. The voice kept on with the same advice several more times. Finally, Muni. gazing out into the audience shouted in frustration, "The man is dead. What good would it do to give him an enema!?" The voice from the audience wafted forward, "It vouldn't hoit." It may be a joke but it did reflect a certain attitude.

Chicken poop is also a great deterrent. I am 67 and grew up on the farm. I chewed my nails down to the quick. My mother rubbed my fingers in poop daily for three days. It is like onion or garlic in that you can't just wash it off. The stink has to run its course. I haven't chewed my nails to this day.

I can't top that one. Best I can do is saliva & dirt for a bee sting.

I would prefer to use rubbing alcohol.

Lefty do-gooders huh.

Well, obviously this would be considered a right winged comment and page then, right?

Really, I smell a rat !