There are a few things to notice from this staph infection.

Importantly, there a re many small bumps above the large obvious infection that are about to erupt as infections. His staph is very active and is quickly spreading. This means he wi ll need to be under constant care and surveillance. Also, the large wound on his ankle is where shoes will rub and irritate, this ha s to be addressed, and enough padding has to be applied. You cannot see it here, but both of his legs have infections. I spent a fair amo unt of time discussing his options and what my concerns were. We decided to give it a maximum of 5 days, and if he continued to worsen, then he would get antibi otics. I believed he would follow through on this, if not, I might have tried a different tactic. It is important to sometimes set these time limits, which can bring a sense of r elief for both health care practitioner and patient. Of course the antibiotics m ight not work or not starting them right away might give the staph a chance to s pread and weaken him, but as said, all of this was discussed in detail with his choices laid out for him. And when I say choices, I mean we clearly discussed what possible outcomes could happen if the staph got worse. I did not subtly hint for him to stay with holis tic treatments. I leaned towards him going to a local clinic as his staph was wo rrisome. But he chose to work with us, and I felt that with the schedule we set up, it was reasonable, and he understood his options. This patient was very cooperative and came in at least 2 times daily for about 4 days for wound washing, treating and dressing. He did not have any predisposing conditions (diabetes, immune-compromised, etc) that would have made it more dif ficult. In fact, this gentleman was a hale as they come. At no time did he show any signs of internal infection, such as fever, body pain s (besides local) or lethargy. I should say now we eventually sent him to the local hospital for antibiotics. A s we would get a few of the infections under control, others would then sprout. We talked about how much it might cost and any legal considerations. Some of the people I work with have had many difficulties with the legal authorities, and a void public institutions (including hospitals) due to this. You might note here (and be annoyed by it) that I have not yet discussed herbs. That is not an accident as I feel we as herbalist are ~way too quick~ to move ri ght into the herbal treatment realm without considering all the personal and soc ial aspects involved in helping someone. If only it were so simple as just givin g herbs or drugs. But consider, this man has a highly communicable disease which will limit his physical interaction with other people, how does this make him f eel? And many people who have staph infections (or lice, or STI s) feel like they have done something wrong which affects feelings of self-worth. That is poppycock. Wh ile these conditions do alter some of their interactions, it does not change the ir worth as a person, and they should be reminded of this. So simultaneously letting them know, yes, staph infections are very communicable and not to share clothing, and avoid physical contact while they are having an outbreak, but this does not alter who they are and ANYBODY can get these problem s. Now before folks go storming off feeling cheated about not getting herbal inform ation, I have treated staph infections successfully many times and will cover th e protocols, but I want to instill some clinical, non-treatment aspects of healt h care.

(Photo-multiple staph infections on upper arm, 2004 Rainbow Gathering N. Califor nia. The black on his arm is from activated charcoal.)

This is the third part of a series discussing staph (Staphylococcus aureus) infe ctions. Now that some basic diagnosis and considerations were covered, time to m ove onto treatment. This series will continue later with discussion on internal medicines, and activated charcoal. Treatment consists of; 1) Internal and external herbal medicines 2) Cleanliness and proper hygiene habits 3) General health considerations, personal and community This is a contagious infection and it is imperative for health care practitioner s to take care of themselves, by washing thoroughly and diligently along with st erilizing equipment, so they do not contract the infection themselves or/and spr ead it to others. And let the patient know that it is transmissible and how they can avoid passing it along. It is important to keep the infected area clean by washing it at least one time daily with warm water and soap. Also wash any area(s) the might become potential ly infected such as small cuts or bites anywhere near the infection site. If an ill-formed scab appears it should be removed so the infection underneath can be cleaned thoroughly. By ill-formed I mean it is not attached to the surrounding t issue, and when pressed on (gloves please) obvious pus comes up around the side. To remove, use hot water compresses. Put hot/warm water on a cloth or gauze and let sit on the scab until it loosens. You may need to reapply the warm water com presses a few times. You can take the scabs off without doing this but the compr esses will reduce the pain considerably. Remember to look around the infection for other infections emerging and do a bod y scan as well to see if the staph is erupting elsewhere. Treatment Now that the infection is clean and exposed, time to apply medicines. Locally on the infection there are two main preparations. The first are disinfecting herba l medicines and the second is activated charcoal compresses. Internal herbal med icines are also helpful. Try to avoid applying powdered herbs directly on the wound, as while they may be disinfecting, the skin will have a harder time mending with the herbs in place as an obstacle. If you do use powdered herbs, wash them off well some time after applying. Tinctures work well here as there is no granular herbal matter to inhibit skin g rowth and the alcohol itself is disinfecting (though too much also inhibits woun d closure). There are a number of plants that can be used, but consider the cate gories of herbal treatments so you have more options. They include disinfecting plants (antimicrobials), astringents and vulneraries (wound healing agents). Als o consider pain remedies for both the physical and emotional that accompany stap h infections. Below are just a few of the options per category. Antimicrobials include; Berberis/Mahonia (Barberry/Oregon graperoot), Achillea ( Yarrow), Propolis, Commiphora (Myrrh), Larrea (Chaparral), and Allium sativum (Garlic). Astringents; Hamamelis (Witch hazel), Quercus (Oak), Rosaceae (Agrimony, Rose, B lackberry, Potentilla, Ladies mantle), Krameria (Rhatany), Geranium root. Vulneraries; Calendula (combines skin mending and antiinfective qualities) Pain Remedies; Piscidia (Jamaican dogwood), Lactuca (Wild lettuce), Scutellaria (Skullcap), Valeriana (Valerian), Humulus (Hops), Eschscholtzia (California popp y), Anemone.

Suggestions 1. Avoid comfrey as you want to make sure the bacteria is dead before quick skin growth seals it in 2. Avoid salves initially, as the oil can create a more hospitable environment f or the staph bacteria This staph series will continue later with discussion on internal medicines, act ivated charcoal, and other considerations. As usual, please let me know if this has been helpful~7Song

Activated Charcoal part 1 (Photo; Vet-wrap (Self-adhesive wrap) covering many bandages which themselves ar e covering multiple staph infections. California Rainbow Gathering 2004.) Activated charcoal is a mainstay of first aid and one of the few medicines that I suggest all travelers carry with them as it is very light, and covers a number of medical needs. Charcoal (the word carbon can be substituted) is burnt organic matter. The diffe rence between regular charcoal and activated charcoal is the process. If you just burn wood on a campfire or toast on a stove, you get charcoal. Activated charcoa l required additional processing and is usually made from hardwood, coconut hull s and other ingredients, and is not easy to make. I purchase mine. Both charcoal and activated charcoal share medicinal characteristics, but activa ted charcoal works better and it is what I am suggesting here for medical use. I n a pinch, charcoal (NOT charcoal briquettes which are often treated with other agents such as petroleum) left over from a fire or prepared from burnt toast can be used. Read on. The main function of activated charcoal is as an adsorbent. The simple definitio n of adsorption is the process of a substance adhering to a surface (solid). In this case the activated charcoal is the surface and grabbing onto whatever stick s to it. What this translates to is that many different substances adhere to charcoal. Th is includes a wide range of toxins and poisons. So charcoal is used both interna lly and externally to hold fast things that we don t want in or on our bodies. Thi s includes bacteria like staph, and the waste products of digestive endoparasite s such as the protozoa Giardia or the bacteria Shigella. We do not absorb charcoal, so any taken internally passes from mouth to anus, so all that you swallow, you will eventually defecate. One of the reasons I am wri ting this is to say charcoal is not a blood purifier (whatever that means) as it d oes not move from a wound, nor from the digestive system to the bloodstream. It does not work on viral infections for instance as viruses invade our cells and c harcoal cannot reach these places. So it is not useful for one of the most commo n stomach ailments, viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu). But the fact that it is not absorbed makes it very useful as it means that anything it grabs onto and h olds tight can either be washed out of an infected wound or will come out in a b owel movement. Now for the difference between regular charcoal and activated charcoal. The part o f charcoal that adsorbs the unwanted substances are within the pores, which look a bit like the dimples on a golf ball. The more pores the greater the ability t o adsorb substances. While regular and activated charcoal share medicinal qualit ies, activated has a much greater degree of pores and hence is more efficient at absorbing whatever it comes into contact. It is not merely a matter of quantity , so taking more regular charcoal does not necessarily do the trick, but again,

much better than nothing. Another important aspect of charcoal is that it makes a weak bond with water and some nutrients, but makes a strong bond with some venoms and toxins. This is im portant otherwise it would form tight bonds with water and not much else. Instea d, if you mix it with water, it will release its water bond and make a stronger bond with less wanted substances, adsorb them, and move them out of your body wh en you have a bowel movement or wash it out of a wound. Activated charcoal is used both internally and externally for its properties. It is taken internally as capsules or as a powder mixed with water and drank. The last one is the method I primarily use as it is the easiest and least expensive manner to take it. Bulk activated charcoal is not too expensive online, about $6 0 for 4 pounds, which is a good quantity as it is light stuff. You can make caps ules, which are not expensive, but time-consuming to make. Store bought capsules are very expensive. A bottle of 100 capsules costs approximately $7, which cont ains 260mg. (.009 oz). There are advantages to capsules, they are easier to transport and take internal ly, with less flavor. And they are a lot less messy, as activated charcoal is ve ry light. And if not careful while pouring, it flies in the wind (and onto your clothes). Try to make your own capsules, as it will be much less expensive. But remember that if you use it externally, you will have to open each capsule separ ately, which is time consuming and a potential waste of money. Activated charcoal powder is messy stuff and it will temporarily stain your clot hing and skin. The problem is the small granules get caught in skin pores and ta ke a while before being shed off. There is no health risk, but to keep clean whi le working first aid, try to avoid being overly blackened by being careful when pouring and applying charcoal. This is a roundup on what activated charcoal does and how, next section will be on how to use apply it. I purchase my activated charcoal from (this is really their name) Buyactivatedch arcoal.com. I buy the hardwood powder form.