# Help, please. What medical books should I have?



## Backyardcreek (Aug 24, 2014)

Double checking my supplies & noticed this morning that I have a void...medical books 

Ok what basic medical books are suggested for large group? There are babies, teenagers, mid 20 - 35, & of course older folks (do have a few that are in their late 70's) in our group. With that said I need a broad spectrum of diagnosis & treatment for variety of ailments. 

Looking for easy to read detailed medical book(s) that are up to date with practices. Any suggestions?


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

I have always favored the Merck manual though it might be tough for someone with no medical education.


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

"The Survival Medicine Handbook(tm) is a guide for those who want to be medically prepared for any disaster where help is NOT on the way. This book is written by Joe Alton, M.D. and Amy Alton, A.R.N.P.."
http://www.amazon.com/The-Survival-Medicine-Handbook-Guide/dp/0988872536


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## doc- (Jun 26, 2015)

I trained at Chicago's famous Cook County Hospital 40 yrs ago. We saw the sickest of the sick and in very large numbers. Great experience, but even raw interns were left unsupervised for hours on end. We had a general rule for dealing with these sick patients under those conditions: "When you don't know what to do, do what your mother would have done." 

Since you're not about to do surgery on yourself or close family, and since you can't get any meds that would actually work without a prescription from a licensed practitioner, it really makes no sense from the practical standpoint to have a medical library at your disposal. The Boy Scout Handbook has a section on first aid and that's all you would need to know. :surrender:

There's a good reason it takes seven or more years of intensive training to practice medicine. It's not just a matter of following a simple rule book.:shocked:


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## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

Backyardcreek said:


> Double checking my supplies & noticed this morning that I have a void...medical books
> 
> Ok what basic medical books are suggested for large group? There are babies, teenagers, mid 20 - 35, & of course older folks (do have a few that are in their late 70's) in our group. With that said I need a broad spectrum of diagnosis & treatment for variety of ailments.
> 
> Looking for easy to read detailed medical book(s) that are up to date with practices. Any suggestions?


Check out amazon used, or book outlets. I just picked up a big stack of encyclopedias and college texts and references from a goodwill outlet. $0.15 an inch of book height!

Some are western medical, some are first aid, some are survival guides, some are alternative medicine.

There will always be gaps in a "home library". Don't be discouraged. Just collect what you can.

They can be useful, whether it's to decipher what doctors are telling you after you're home. If whether it's a shtf situation.

I feel better having them for both. Google isn't always accurate or available.

Ileven if they are not the latest editions, you can learn from them.

And, I remember being without help for a long time after the northridge quake in 1994. It was hard to figure out which of us could manage without medical help or immediate help and which needed to be taken through a torn up valley to find a functioning hospital.

It's not a guarantee that our library will gave all the answers at home, but I appreciate it being a resource.

Great thread idea. I enjoy lreading others thoughts on what might be of value!


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## coolrunnin (Aug 28, 2010)

When there is no doctor is a very good addition to any library.

http://www.amazon.com/When-There-Doctor-Challenging-Self-reliance/dp/1934170119


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