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REPLACEMENT MEDICATIONS
It is very common on wilderness trips and in remote areas for families to trade one item for another, and sometimes this means bartering items from or for your medical kit. Of course, doctors abhor the concept of writing a prescription medication except for a specific person for a specific diagnosis. But we are talking about a period when and where the grid does not exist. Trading prescription medications is illegal and can result in serious jail time. Exchanging or providing someone medications is not a trivial issue, and it would only be done in response to a desperate situation. Otherwise your medication stores are sacrosanct.
It is possible to acquire the skills to augment or replace your medications with herbals, and we all know that some of these can also be illegal. And some can be poisonous. To use herbal supplementation, you have to really know what you are doing. Identification, storage, and extraction of the useful component are all technically challenging.
Prepping in general is technically challenging. It may well pay you to rise to the occasion and learn about herbal medications. These are the most useful, common plants for this purpose in North America:
• Garlic: infection treatment, stimulant
• Rosemary: antioxidants, stimulant
• Basil: antioxidants, infections
• Mint: stimulant, digestive
• Lemon balm: tonic for mild depression, irritability, and anxiety
• Fennel: anti-inflammatory, analgesic, appetite stimulant, antiflatulent
• Lovage: respiratory and digestive tonic, antibronchitic
• Oregano: antiseptic, antiflatulant, stimulant for bile and stomach acid, antiasthmatic
• Cilantro (coriander): antiflatulant, bloating, and cramps
• Horseradish: perspirant, stimulant
• Thyme: antiseptic, antiasthmatic, stimulant
The identification of and uses for these herbs are explained in detail by Jim Meuninck in his books Medicinal Plants of North America, 2nd edition (Falcon Guides, 2016), Basic Illustrated Medicinal Plants (Falcon Guides, 2019), and Edible Wild Plants and Useful Herbs, 2nd edition (Falcon Guides, 2018). These three books should form the basis of your literary plunge into herbal foraging, but you will want to take lessons from experienced herbalists to safely and more effectively use herbals, just as you will need to take advanced first aid and advanced wilderness first aid courses to effectively form the basis of your general medical care while off the grid.