title: The Survival Medicine Handbook: A Guide for When Help is Not on the Way
author: Joseph Alton
description: Joseph Alton, MD practiced as a board-certified Obstetrician and Pelvic Surgeon for more than 25 years before retiring to devote his efforts to his new mission: To put a medical prepared person in every family for any disaster. He is an actively-licensed Life Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a retired fellow of the American College of Surgeons, has served as department chairman at local hospitals and as adjunct professor at local university nursing schools. He is a popular speaker at survival and preparedness conferences on the subject of medical readiness in austere times. A member of MENSA, Dr. Alton collects medical books from the 19th century to gain insight on off-the-grid medical protocols. Amy Alton, ARNP is an actively licensed Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner and a Certified Nurse-Midwife. She has had years of experience working in large teaching institutions as well as smaller, family-oriented hospitals. Amy has extensive medicinal herb and vegetable gardens and works to include natural remedies into her strategies. She is also the designer of an entire line of medical kits and supplies, which can be found at store.doomandbloom.net. Dr. and Ms. Alton are regular contributors to American Survival Guide, Backwoods Home, Survival Quarterly, Prepare, Disaster Survival, Survivors Edge, and Survivalist magazines. Their website at www.doomandbloom.net has over 800 articles, podcasts, and videos on medical preparedness. As "Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy", they host a blog, YouTube channel, and radio program and are the designers of the board game Doom and Blooms SURVIVAL.
zlib_text: For my Father, who gave me the resourcefulness to succeed in life, and
  the humor to enjoy it.
  For Claire, Molly, April and Wally; my essential survival team.
  
  PART I
  THE LOWDOWN
  Disclaimer
  The information provided here is in no way intended as a substitute for the
  advice or treatment of a medical professional. If you are able to extract
  information that might be useful in a last-ditch survival effort, that’s great.
  Otherwise, readers are encouraged to consult a medical professional in
  matters relating to their health, particularly with respect to any symptoms that
  may require diagnosis or medical attention.
  What this book is, and what it isn’t
  There are plenty of resources out there on the fundamentals of survivalism.
  This is not one of them. Many books, fact and fiction, have described
  resilience under adverse conditions, speculating catastrophe and teaching you
  everything from building fires to furnishing fallout shelters. And though
  some fundamental tenets of survivalism will be dis