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By Andrew SchraderThe Premise: Most of the tactical and wilderness medical
training we’ve grown accustomed to is geared toward stabi-
lizing a patient until we can get them to a professional. This
is great, until we consider the question of what to do if there
were no 911 and hospitals left to visit. What if, in the darkest of
all dark SHTF scenarios, medical treatment as we know it no
longer exists? Then what?
The Survival Medicine Handbook by Joe Alton, MD and
Amy Alton, considers this scenario and attempts to teach
would-be practitioners how best to attempt medical treat-
ment in a world where 19th-century technology is suddenly
and quite literally the latest-and-greatest available. Joe is a
retired obstetrician and surgeon, and Amy is an Advanced
Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP). Together, they instruct
survivalists through a combination of YouTube videos and
podcasts. Their mission, as they state it, is simple: “To put a
medically prepared person in every family.”
The 411: Primarily intended for non-medical profession-
als, the book is (thankfully) written in plain English. It breaks
down what could be complex theories into digestible chunks
of information that most readers should be able to grasp.
The authors have also included a healthy dose of realism as
it relates to what’s truly possible with limited resources and
incomplete training. As stated in the introduction, “It’s difficult
for people to believe that a head injury or a gunshot wound
to the chest may not be survivable...but we must face the
hard truth that there are circumstances where we may be
able to comfort but not to save.”
Considering the list price of almost $40, we expected a lot
of book — we weren’t disappointed. Clocking in at more than
600 pages, the amount of information inside the chapters
is more than a little daunting, but the sections are broken
down so that each individual unit or treatment plan is rarely
more than two or three pages. We read one small section
a day, either before bed or first thing in the morning, and
made a lot of headway through what would otherwise be a
serious slog. Our only complaint is that we would’ve loved
to have the illustrations and photos in color, although that
would boost the price of an already not-inexpensive written
resource.
We like how the handbook goes far beyond treatment
of injuries and illnesses. The authors devoted considerable
space to maintenance of health and hygiene in a potentiallyReview of The Survival Medicine Handbook
A Healthy Dose of Information
dirty and dangerous new world, including survival essentials
like water purification and how to deal with sewage issues
where large camps of people congregate. After all, it’s easier to
prevent disease than to treat it. In addition, there was a great
introduction to natural remedies and how to grow a medicinal
herb garden to supplement our supplies.
Perhaps understandable considering the authors own
an online survival gear store (www.doomandbloom.net),
nearly 20 pages of the book discuss how to begin acquir-
ing a medical kit, from developing a personal medic bag
and IFAK kit, to a family stash, up through developing a
working field hospital. However, as much as they extoll the
benefits of purchasing gear, they’re just as quick to suggest
improvised alternatives, also reminding the reader that
advanced gear is useless without good training to know
how to use it.
After reading all the way through, it’s evident that although
it’s called The Survival Medicine Handbook, it really seems
like a combination of three books in one: how to respond
to natural or manmade disasters, how to start life over and
build a community with what’s left, and lastly, survival medi-
cine. The authors have really thought this through, and they
speak to the reader without talking down or over-simplifying
complex subjects.
The Verdict: Compared to similar books we’ve read, we
appreciated the in-depth knowledge and
explanations of not just the how, but also
the why, of treatment. The book balances
providing lots of great detail while still re-
maining accessible to medical laypeople.
Even if we’re never forced to become
doctors and nurses in a world where
hospitals as we know it are no more,
much of the information in this book is
useful for everyday practical medicine.
For example, removing a fish hook,
putting together a winter survival car kit,
burn remedies, and even treatment of
acid reflux disease or choking. The list
price may be high for some, but if the
money spent helps prevent even one
wound or ailment from getting worse, it’ll
have been well worth it.BOOK & AUTHOR
The Survival
Medicine
Handbook:
The Essential
Guide for When
Medical Help is
NOT on the Way
(Third Edition)
Joseph Alton MD
and Amy Alton
ARNP
PUBLISHER
Doom and Bloom, LLC
MSRP
$38
URL
store.doomandbloom.
net
PAGES
670 pages
R ATING
THRIVE
SURVIVE
DIE