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Mountain First Aid: All Natural Survival, Healing Techniques, Food, and Herbs
Barbara R. Barnett, The Medicine Woman Inc. Cascade, ID, $21.95 USD, spiral bound laminate, (64p)
ISBN: 0-9771906-0-9

Mountain First Aid: All Natural Survival, Healing Techniques, Food, and Herbs describes complementary natural therapies that, when used in conjunction with Red Cross First Aid classes, offer readers effective methods for treating internal and external health situations. The book can be used by anyone but is particularly useful for hikers and others enjoying outdoor recreations.

The book begins with a section on four common sense remedies which should be used to maintain health: access to clean water, deep breathing and exercise, eating properly, and cleansing toxins from the body.

Much of author Barbara Barnett’s advice for treating pain, illness, and injury centers on two types of therapy. The first encompasses several types of touch, including relieving pressure points, how to create magnetic energy using the hands, and Soft Touch Bodywork, a form of therapeutic massage the author developed over the past 13 years. The book includes 15 pages of anatomical charts illustrating pressure points and release point techniques.

The second type of therapy Barnett discusses is the use of herbs and natural ingredients to create infusions, tinctures, teas, salves, and other medicines. More than simply a cookbook of recipes, this section of the book explains how to gather, harvest, and preserve herbs. Color photographs of more than 70 herbs and trees are an excellent resource for novice and experienced herbalists alike. Barnett’s description of each herb is detailed and very useful. She explains the useable parts of each plant, its medicinal value, what forms it can be used in and how it should be administered, as well as warnings where appropriate.

Some proponents of natural healing and holistic medicine exhibit disdain for traditional medicine. Barbara Barnett does not. She is refreshingly straight-forward and balanced in her views. Barnett succinctly explains the value of the natural therapies she recommends, indicates their limitations, and clearly explains situations in which traditional doctors should be consulted immediately.

Although the book’s interior design has more in common with a college term paper than the typical trade book, Mountain First Aid is easy to read and packed with useful information. Its thin spine width, spiral binding, and laminated cover make it sturdy enough to throw in a backpack and carry along on hiking trips.