Unbelievably, we don't already have a thread dedicated to this topic. (At least, a forum search through five pages didn't turn up much beyond some posts tangentially referencing medicinal drugs). Maybe I missed something, but, in the meantime, let this be a clearinghouse for T2k-relevant medical info.
I've got questions; I hope y'all have answers.
What kinds of pre-war medical supplies would still be available c.2000? What would their availability be (e.g. scarce, rare)?
What kind of ad hoc and/or ersatz substitutes for pre-war medical supplies would in use?
I imagine there'd be few if any one-use, disposable bandages around. I imagine cloth bandages would predominate by 2000. They can be boiled and reused, I believe.
For sutures, cat gut can be used. I assume it wouldn't be too difficult to produce, given its sources. I'm not sure how it could be sterilized, however- unless boiling would suffice.
What about antibiotics? What kind of lab equipment would be needed to culture and grow penicillin? What other anti-biotics could be produced c.2000?
Antiseptics? Ethanol wouldn't be too hard to produce, no? Can methanol be used?
What scientifically-proven, effective herbal remedies would be available (especially in Poland)?
For sedatives/anesthesia, ether and Chloroform, respectively, could be used. How difficult would those substances be to produce in a lab?
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