Prep School Daily: May 2025

Saturday, May 31, 2025

Basic Food Storage--French Bread

(This article first appeared 28 June 2019)

Bread is the staff of life, but even bread needs to have a little variety to it. This isn't a recipe blog, and there aren't going to be 40 bread recipes in here. That would be silly.

(Update: Well, call me silly. But I also wasn't planning to be writing this blog for 6.5+ years. And by way of information, the latest volume of Good Eats is now available! Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Cafe, Volume 3: Making the Most of Grains in Your Food Storage includes nearly 200 recipes for using storage grains to make fabulous foods--breads, crackers, horchata, instant oatmeal mix, and so much more. As always, you can buy it on Amazon. However, if you'd like to support the Rader family a little more, you can purchase through our online store at https://rader-resources-llc.square.site/s/shop I warn, it's not a pretty site or sight, but it does the job until I find someone I'm confident can do the job. Also, it may take 2-3 weeks to arrive, but Amazon isn't delivering that much faster nowadays, so that may not be important to you.)

But it's good to be able to have at least a little repertoire in our post-apocalyptic cuisine, and more importantly, to be able to make a loaf if we're missing some ingredients found in most bread recipes. This recipe for French bread uses no eggs and no milk. It tastes just like French bread is supposed to taste--just as if you bought it from the bakery. And one of the best things about it--it makes a fabulous pizza crust. (Yes, as a matter of fact, we will most definitely be indulging in some pizza in the exciting times ahead.)

French Bread
2 loaves

2 tablespoons yeast
3 cups warm water
1 tablespoon salt
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups white flour

Dissolve the yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar. Add in the remaining ingredients. Knead 8-10 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl and let rise until doubled. Punch down and divide into 2 (or more) pieces, depending on size of loaves desired. Form loaves and place on a greased cookie sheet. Slash loaves 3-5 times diagonally. Brush with water and let rise until doubled. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

For pizza crust: After the first rise, divide dough into two or more pieces, depending on the size of pizzas desired. Roll out dough to desired thickness, top with sauce, cheese, and toppings, and bake at 425 for 15 minutes, or until done. This also bakes very well in a Dutch oven while camping.

© 2019, PrepSchoolDaily.blogspot.com

Friday, May 30, 2025

The Medicinal Uses of California Poppy

Eschscholzia californica

Like many an elementary school child growing up in California, I was carefully taught that picking California poppies was illegal. Yes, it was enough to put the fear of being thrown into jail in a person. I’ve never heard of anyone getting busted for it, but as this is California we’re talking about, I wouldn’t chance it then, and I wouldn’t chance it now.

In the same family as the opium poppies, which are also highly medicinal, but not covered much due to fears from the FDA since usage is illegal, the California poppy is not narcotic.[1] The yellow to orange-red wildflowers thrive all over the West in the wild, but this poppy is also sold in nurseries in plant and seed form. It is a perennial in warm climates and re-seeding annual in cool climates. So you just have to plant it once. Lovely. It grows at elevations up to 6000-7000 feet.[2]

Unlike its other poppy relatives, medicinal preparations of this one are perfectly safe for everyone, including children.[3]

HARVEST

The flowers and leaves are harvested early in the season for the strongest medicine, later in the season for milder medicine.[4]

PREPARATIONS:

Infusion. Fresh chopped herb, steep 1 teaspoon of leaves in hot water for 10 minutes.[5] Dry herb, rounded teaspoon, in 2-4 ounces hot water. [6]

Tincture. Fresh herb, 1:2 ratio, 95% alcohol[7], or dry herb, 1:5 ratio, 60% alcohol[8]. 15-25 drops up to 3 times per day.[9] [10] May be taken in 2 ounces of water or chamomile tea.[11]

PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

Analgesic[12] [13] [14]
Antispasmodic[15]
Sedative[16] [17] [18] [19]
Soporific[20]

USAGE

Dental

Toothache[21]

Piece of root or sap squeezed from plant placed in tooth cavities to relieve pain[22]

Gastrointestinal

Stomachache

Root juice, taken internally[23]

Neurological

Anxiety[24] [25] [26]
Bedwetting[27]
Headache

Crushed plant rubbed on head or forehead[28]

Hyperactive children[29]
Insomnia[30] [31] [32] [33]

Infusion, 2-4 ounces at night[34]

Stress[35] [36]
Stun, temporarily, opponents when gambling[37] (OK, seriously, I didn't make that up. That's exactly what the book said. If anyone finds that this works, please post in the comments. We'd all love to know. Even if we're not playing for money.)

Respiratory

Tuberculosis

Root juice, taken internally[38]

Whooping cough[39]

Skin

Lice

Decoction applied to hair[40]

Ringworm

Tincture[41]

Weeping sores

Wash[42]

Wounds

Other

Suppress milk production[43]

Rub mashed seedpod or decoction on the breasts to dry up the milk supply[44]

Caution. Not for use in pregnant or nursing women, as it will reduce milk production.[45] Excess quantities may cause a slight hangover the next morning.[46] Tastes horrible.[47]

[1] Thomas Easley, et al., Modern Herbal Dispensatory, 2016, 201.

[2] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 73.

[3] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 73.

[4] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 73.

[5] Kimball Chatfield, Medicine from the Mountains, 1997, 20-24.

[6] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 73.

[7] Thomas Easley, et al., Modern Herbal Dispensatory, 2016, 201.

[8] Thomas Easley, et al., Modern Herbal Dispensatory, 2016, 201.

[9] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 73.

[10] Stephen Harrod Buhner, Herbal Antibiotics, 2012, 370.

[11] Thomas Easley, et al., Modern Herbal Dispensatory, 2016, 201.

[12] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 73.

[13] Kimball Chatfield, Medicine from the Mountains, 1997, 20-24.

[14] Thomas Easley, et al., Modern Herbal Dispensatory, 2016, 201.

[15] Andrew Chevallier, Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, 2023, 212.

[16] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 73.

[17] Kimball Chatfield, Medicine from the Mountains, 1997, 20-24.

[18] Thomas Easley, et al., Modern Herbal Dispensatory, 2016, 201.

[19] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 152.

[20] Thomas Easley, et al., Modern Herbal Dispensatory, 2016, 201.

[21] Andrew Chevallier, Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, 2023, 212.

[22] Kimball Chatfield, Medicine from the Mountains, 1997, 20-24.

[23] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 152.

[24] Andrew Chevallier, Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, 2023, 212.

[25] Thomas Easley, et al., Modern Herbal Dispensatory, 2016, 201.

[26] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 152.

[27] Andrew Chevallier, Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, 2023, 212.

[28] Kimball Chatfield, Medicine from the Mountains, 1997, 20-24.

[29] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 152.

[30] Kimball Chatfield, Medicine from the Mountains, 1997, 20-24.

[31] Andrew Chevallier, Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, 2023, 212.

[32] Thomas Easley, et al., Modern Herbal Dispensatory, 2016, 201.

[33] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 152.

[34] Thomas Easley, et al., Modern Herbal Dispensatory, 2016, 201.

[35] Kimball Chatfield, Medicine from the Mountains, 1997, 20-24.

[36] Thomas Easley, et al., Modern Herbal Dispensatory, 2016, 201.

[37] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 152.

[38] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 152.

[39] Andrew Chevallier, Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, 2023, 212.

[40] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 152.

[41] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 73.

[42] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 152.

[43] Kimball Chatfield, Medicine from the Mountains, 1997, 20-24.

[44] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 152.

[45] Kimball Chatfield, Medicine from the Mountains, 1997, 20-24.

[46] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 73.

[47] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 73.

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Fever Patterns That Aid Diagnosis in a Resource-Poor Situation

Last month I listened to a Patriot Nurse Youtube on the 5 critical first aid skills we all need to have.[1] And the last thing she covered was fever management. I wasn’t entirely sure I’d written on that topic, and a quick check of the blog revealed the omission. I thought it important to discuss and had previously noted the wisdom of acquiring a glass, non-digital, thermometer. We older folks all used them as kids, but most of our children have only used digital thermometers. I don’t think mine have ever seen me shake down a glass thermometer. They certainly have no clue how long to hold them under the tongue. So that’s what that article was for.

In researching that article, I came across a few pages in Where There Is No Doctor on the different fever patterns. And I have included info on the distinct fever patterns found with some of the illnesses that have been covered on the blog. However, I was pretty sure I hadn’t seen any mention of these patterns in any of my other off-grid medical texts.

Sure enough, nobody else addressed it. And why is it important?

Thought you’d never ask.

As you recall from the previous fever article, most fevers are associated with respiratory infections. However, there are several serious infections that are accompanied by a fever with a specific pattern, some of which resemble respiratory infections (at least in the beginning), and which are not respiratory infections. Sneaky little buggers.

If we are recording the temperature at least a few times per day, even plotting it on a graph, we may see a pattern develop. In a world with limited physician and/or laboratory access, these distinct fever patterns may reveal it’s not a respiratory illness at all. Rather, the infection is something more sinister.

Full articles have been posted on many of these illnesses (links below). Here we are briefly describing the symptoms and the fever pattern.

Acute fever (less than 7 days long)

Malaria
Viral upper respiratory tract infections

Sub-acute fever (less than 14 days long)

Typhoid
Intra-abdominal abscess

Chronic fever (more than 14 days long)

Tuberculosis
HIV
Cancer
Connective tissue disease
Any cause of acute fever if untreated

Normal and Febrile Body Temperature Ranges (Rectal Temperature)
Body Temperature	Fahrenheit (°F)	Celsius (°C)
Normal	98.6-100.4°	37-38°
Mild fever	100.5-102.2°	38.1-39°
Moderate fever	102.3-104°	39.1-40°
High fever	104.1-106°	40.1-41.1°
Hyperpyrexia[2]	>106°	>41.1°

Does the height of the body temperature indicate severity of the illness?

Researchers indicate that the height of the temperature may aid diagnosis. Studies correlate high fevers in infants to serious bacterial infection, noting that hyperpyrexia (extremely high fever) is rare in infants less than 3 months of age, and that one-third of infants in this group who presented with a temperature over 40°C also had a serious bacterial infection.[3]

Researchers also found that 20% children with hyperpyrexia also had a serious bacterial infection and recommended antibiotic therapy in the absence of a confirmed viral illness.[4]

In general, however, the height of the fever only occasionally correlates with the severity of the illness.

Hyperpyrexia and severe illness

Shigellosis
Dengue
Acute falciparum malaria

The overall clinical state of the patient (check those vital signs!) is usually a better indicator of serious illness than the height of the fever.[5]

Five major fever patterns

A continuous fever does not fluctuate more than 1.5°F (1°C) during a 24-hour period and never touches normal. This is seen with the following illnesses:

Pneumonia, lobar or gram-negative
Typhoid
Acute bacterial meningitis
Urinary tract infection

A fever with a slow, stepwise temperature increase and high plateau suggests typhoid fever. This is only infrequently observed because most patients self-medicate with antibiotics and fever-reducing medications before seeing a doctor. If this fever occurs with relative bradycardia, it points to the following possible illnesses:

Untreated typhoid
Leishmaniasis
Brucellosis
Legionnaire’s disease
Psittacosis
Yellow fever[6]

An intermittent fever pattern, where the fever occurs for several hours each day, is observed with the following illnesses:

Malaria (periodicity of fever varies from every 24 to 72 hours, depending on the species)
Tuberculosis
Schistosomiasis
Pyogenic infections (pus-producing infections, most commonly due to Streptococcus and Staphylococcus bacteria)
Lymphomas (low fever lasts 3-10 days followed by afebrile period of 3-10 days)[7]
Septicemia
Leptospirosis
Borrelia infections, including Lyme disease
Kala-azar, visceral leishmaniasis

Remittent fever includes daily temperature fluctuations of more than 2°C (about 3.5°F), but which never touch normal.[8] Illnesses include:

Rickettsiae infections (most commonly tick-borne, but fleas and lice are also vectors)
Brucellosis
Infective endocarditis

Relapsing fevers are recurring fevers separated by periods of low- or no fever. These occur with

Malaria
Lymphoma
Borrelia
Cyclic neutropenia
Rat-bite fever

Night-sweat fevers are seen with

Tuberculosis
Brucellosis
Liver or lung abscess
Sub-acute infective endocarditis
Lymphomas

FEVER PATTERN DESCRIPTIONS FOR SPECIFIC DISEASES

Brucellosis. Fever and sweating most frequently occur at night, with the fever disappearing for a few days and then returning. This may continue for months or years.[9]
Childbirth fever. A slight fever begins one or more days after giving birth, and then the fever increases later. [10]
Hepatitis. Mild fever, which decreases when the eyes turn yellow. [11]
Malaria. Fever comes and goes for a few days, accompanied by shivering and chills as the body temperature rises and sweats as it falls. Then the patient is feverish for a few hours every 2-3 days, feeling more or less well at other times. [12]
Pneumonia. Temperature rises quickly and remains high with a bacterial infection, gradually decreasing with a viral infection. [13]
Rheumatic fever. Sudden fever with a sore throat is followed by another fever 10-15 days later.[14]
Tick-borne relapsing fever. Fever for 3 days, following by a 7-day break, and then another 3 days of fever and a 7-day break, and it keeps going.[15]
Typhoid. The temperature rises a little more each day.[16]
Typhus. Similar to typhoid.[17]

So why are these fever patterns important? What is their significance?

After all, as noted above, many of these fever patterns aren’t seen in clinical practice. Today. And that is because people often start self-medicating before seeing a doctor. That, of course, messes with the pattern. Tomorrow, the story may be different.

And as you use these patterns to help identify what’s troubling a family member, keep in mind that elderly, severely malnourished, and immunocompromised people sometimes don’t develop a fever at all. Also, concurrent infection with another illness may alter fever patterns.[18]

But when a pattern can be identified, it may offer useful clues for diagnosing diseases, including ruling out other diseases. And this will be particularly important when we find ourselves with few resources.

Links to related posts:

Tick-borne relapsing fever

Typhoid

Typhus

Glass thermometers

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab67H-JshWo

[2] With severe malaria, hyperpyrexia is considered a rectal temperature above 40°C.