Miracle cures and magic potions

[Skybird]

Let's have a real useful thread for a change, something we all can benefit from. Let's share our knowledge about tricks, items and agents that are really multi-purpose-capable and should not miss in any household and/or expedition Rucksack.

I start with these two agents:


BALLISTOL

Formed by two German words, "ballistisch" and "Öl", it was invented before WWI as a weapon oil which is really unique in the world. It is highly liquid and even penetrates capillars, it does not become old even after years and never forms resin, it resolves resin formed by foreign types of oils, it can help to loose rust, it is non-toxic and neutral on food, and is biodegradable, and it has a disinfectant effect.

Use it on fireweapons, knifes, swords; polish and protect wooden surfaces, polish your belt and shoes, protect leather of all types against mildew (mould?), eases the itching after a mosquito has bitten you, desinfect wounds. I always had a small bottle with me on my travellings, and made plenty of use for it. I used it on minor wounds, and even used it for gargling when i had a sore throat. I also used it to protect my swords against rust and discolouring, for I did not maintain them on a regular basis in the traditional style (they were locked away in a bank safe). And finally I use it to protect the sensible blades of my two Japanese Damast kitchen knifes against moisture and rust without fearing that it could do harm by poisening my food. I also once successfully fought lichen in a hard-to-reach part of the small wooden boxroom on my balcony where parts of the wooden surface was infected. My father uses it to maintain his sport pistols, and to maintain his basson.

Unique for an oil, it can be mixed with water to some degree, good when using it for gargling, for example.

BTW, it smells well, like a scent of pine.

The multi-functionality is already given with the basic standard oil. Later they developed many derivates that now get sold as dedeicated products for this and that purpose. Not really needed.

English: http://www.ballistol.com/
German original manufacturer: http://www.ballistol.de/


POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE

Always to be carried with you when doing expeditions and travels! It can help to desinfect water, desinfect wounds, can help to fight fungal infection of your skin (feet!), makes wonderful huge red markings in the snow with just some very few crystals of it, a few crystal already colours litres and litres of water red like blood (well, violet...), it helps you to make fire by mixing it with glycerine or glucose and then add friction, it is an antidot against some types of poisening including phosphorus poisening, it helps to fight parasites (in your hair for example), and even smallest quantities already are sufficient to be carried in you survival kit. We used it repeatedly to treat water if we were not saure of the quality. Doesn't taste well, but - on all travels I did, I never suffered from any kind of health problems deriving from bad water.


Now I wait for somebody doing a comparison of Swiss Victorinox pocket knifes versus American Leatherman!

[kiwi_2005]

Rongoa
The young leaf tips can be chewed for diarrhoea and dysentery. It was used extensively in the Second World War for this purpose. Dried leaves were sent to New Zealand soldiers overseas to cure dysentery, which proved very effective. The active ingredient is phenolic glycocide.
Leaves can be used as a pack on babies for skin sores.
Koromiko can also be used for ulcers, sores, headaches, kidney and bladder troubles, sexually transmitted diseases and British cholera.
Because this plant was so highly regarded for its medicinal purposes, the leaves used to be stored in gourds for later use.

MIRO - Prumnopitys ferruginea
For stomach ache and recovery from fevers, sore throats. An inhalant for bronchitis. Externally for bruises and injuries, open wounds, eczema and warts. Antiseptic. Insecticide. Capillary fragility.

TITOKI - Alectryone excelsus
Laxative. For ear-ache, weak eyes, sore breasts, chapped skin in infants, sprains, wounds and swelling, bruises, painful joints. Reduces insect bites and stings.

TOTARA - Podocarpus totara
Reduces fevers. Is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. Gives clarity of thought. Externally for eczema, haemorrhoids.

HOROPITO - Pseudowintera colorata Pepper tree
Most well known for its action against candida. Known as the "Bushman's pain killer". Useful for toothache and stomach ache. Also for burns, rashes, scars and skin eruptions, desensitises sweet tastes.

[Skybird]

Sounds exotic, never heared of all that. Do I get those things in a German drug store or trecking store, or must I walk in the forest of New Zealand to find these?

[kiwi_2005]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Sounds exotic, never heared of all that. Do I get those things in a German drug store or trecking store, or must I walk in the forest of New Zealand to find these?

Im not quite sure on that, some healing plants your only find in NZ like the Rongoa & Titoki. Others like the Aloe vera, or the Totara but probably with different names your find in German forests. Or your nearest herbalist/drug store should know.

[Wim Libaers]

Originally Posted by Skybird

POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE

Always to be carried with you when doing expeditions and travels! It can help to desinfect water, desinfect wounds, can help to fight fungal infection of your skin (feet!), makes wonderful huge red markings in the snow with just some very few crystals of it, a few crystal already colours litres and litres of water red like blood (well, violet...), it helps you to make fire by mixing it with glycerine or glucose and then add friction, it is an antidot against some types of poisening including phosphorus poisening, it helps to fight parasites (in your hair for example), and even smallest quantities already are sufficient to be carried in you survival kit. We used it repeatedly to treat water if we were not saure of the quality. Doesn't taste well, but - on all travels I did, I never suffered from any kind of health problems deriving from bad water.

Of course, be careful when using it for the treatment of drinking water. This requires only a very small amount. Concentrated solutions are corrosive and may cause lethal internal burns. (the same is true for other disinfectants like bleach and iodine)

[ASWnut101]

Urine

Yep, the yellow stuff that is 'dispensed' from your body.

USES: Can help stop a pink-eye infection; can have salt harvested from it for use in disinfecting and storing; 100% sterile unless you have a urinary tract infection or an STD; helps stop the effects of athletes foot; puts out fires in a very smelly way; drinkable to replace some excess nutrients and salts that your body might have missed during digestion; cools down hot mortar tubes.

(All above IS true, but kinda nasty.)

[Kapitan_Phillips]

Originally Posted by ASWnut101

Urine

Yep, the yellow stuff that is 'dispensed' from your body.

USES: Can help stop a pink-eye infection; can have salt harvested from it for use in disinfecting and storing; 100% sterile unless you have a urinary tract infection or an STD; helps stop the effects of athletes foot; puts out fires in a very smelly way; drinkable to replace some excess nutrients and salts that your body might have missed during digestion.

(All above IS true, but kinda nasty.)

You forgot "cools down red hot mortar tubes" a-la We Were Soldiers

[ASWnut101]

Edited.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Wim Libaers

Of course, be careful when using it for the treatment of drinking water. This requires only a very small amount. Concentrated solutions are corrosive and may cause lethal internal burns. (the same is true for other disinfectants like bleach and iodine)

True. The dosis should be MINIMAL, and then the water be left for 2-4 hours at least. The colouring should be minimal only. We prepared water one day ahead.

[Kapitan_Phillips]

Not technically a potion, but useful none the less:

Towel:

A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta…wet it for use in hand-to-hand combat…wrap it around your head to ward off noxious fumes…any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the Galaxy, rough it … win through, and still know where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with.

[kiwi_2005]

Originally Posted by Kapitan_Phillips

Not technically a potion, but useful none the less:

Towel:

A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta…wet it for use in hand-to-hand combat…wrap it around your head to ward off noxious fumes…any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the Galaxy, rough it … win through, and still know where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with.

[fatty]

All of the flavour, none of the sugar. I'm sure it has some practical use but... it mainly tastes delicious.