View Single Post
  #3  
Old 02-10-2021, 05:08 PM
StainlessSteelCynic's Avatar
StainlessSteelCynic StainlessSteelCynic is offline
Registered Registrant
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 2,375
Default

For 1st and 2nd edition timelines, the PCs (and NPCs) probably had grandparents who either lived through WW2 or lived through the immediate post-war period. Their grandparents may very well have used a number of "home remedies" for various ailments due to the rationing of medicines during the war and just after.
This would have been particularly relevant for those nations in the major theatres of war (Europe, Africa, Asia).

Honey and other types of poultice for aches, cuts, inflammation, bruises.
Sphagnum moss as a blood soak for when you don't have enough bandages.
Salt to promote healing.
Certain types of spider web can be used to improve blood clotting/stop bleeding (although I can imagine this being a pain in the rear to apply). Cobwebs also, apparently, promote healing.
Talc, if you can recognise the clay type (Geology skill), has obvious uses (talcum powder).
Many of the clays found around volcanoes have antibacterial properties and some of them are also apparently good for promoting wound healing.
And of course, that old favourite of rebellious teenagers, marijuana - but there are other plants found in Europe and Asia that have medicinal properties (I just can't remember the plants)
Baking soda and soap in water makes a useful fungicide as does horseradish in water.
Vinegar is useful as an astringent and vinegar mixed with hydrogen peroxide is useful as a general disinfectant (but not as effective as proper disinfectants).

Web searches of those terms will provide much better detail and obviously all of these treatments require some preparation to make them useful. The salient point is, people in the T2k era may remember some of what their grandparents did or their grandparents may still be alive and able to pass on that knowledge.
Reply With Quote