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Thread: Wilderness cure for foot rot

  1. #1

    Default Wilderness cure for foot rot

    So I live in the forest.

    I wear shoes in summer for oh about 4 hours a month? We had several rains and my feet were wet all day every day for several days in a row.
    I ended up with toe rot on both feet. So what to do?

    I know oak barks and hemlock barks in my area have a lot of tannins which is acidic. So I pounded up a bunch of Hemlock bark and boiled it fiercely- "decocted it." I also have some Yeller' Dock plant in my area. It's quit antifungal. I dug up a small yeller dock and chopped up the whole plant. I boiled it down too.

    I soaked my feet in the tea for about 30 minutes before bed. The next morning my toes had scabbed up and were not bothering me where previously they had been painfully cracked, hurting and burning.
    Last edited by Sarge47; 07-19-2012 at 11:39 AM. Reason: corrected title typo.
    ---------------------------------------------
    Thanks,
    Tres
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  2. #2
    Resident Wildman Wildthang's Avatar
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    Thanks Tres, that is good stuff to know! I have never had foot rot, but it is good to know the cure!

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    So I gonna say that this is considered a cure......works?
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Immersion foot (trench foot, paddy foot), if that's what you had, is about the skin breaking down from being constantly wet. Not from infections, which are secondary to the actual problem. If you continue to keep your feet wet then the goo you conjured up will only be a short term fix. For warm water immersion, I assume that's what we're talking about, it's common for the feet to improve in one day if they are allowed to dry. So the goo might only be anecdotal and the real healing came from being dry. The common thinking is 24 hours of dry feet for every 48 hours of immersion to keep your feet healthy. Your diet as well as smoking and drinking can create longer healing times.

    I've posted this two or three times before but it is the most definitive write up I've ever seen on immersion foot.

    http://www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/...tology/Ch4.pdf
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  5. #5

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    something was eating my foot. Should I have called it athletes foot instead of "foot rot" as it did not clear up after my feet were dry for a long while...

    Thanks for the link Rick.
    ---------------------------------------------
    Thanks,
    Tres
    Website has been updated for 2012!! http://wildernessmeans.com/

    NOTE: I'm a machinist, gunsmith, writer, and instructor of many outdoor topics looking for gainful employment in any geographical cool place to live. Resumes posted on website.

    John 14:6
    Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

  6. #6
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Nope. Just trying to help. I was just leveraging off the fact they had been wet. It could certainly have been a fungus, bacteria or, more scientifically, creeping crud. What ever it was I'm glad you got healed up.
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    Super-duper Moderator Sarge47's Avatar
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    Cool well now...

    In Vietnam I believe that they called that "jungle rot." Foot powder was issued to help prevent that if memory serves me right.
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    Senior Member Kamel's Avatar
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    I haven't worn socks since 8th grade. im 23 now.
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    We've been meaning to talk to you about that, too.
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  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kamel View Post
    I haven't worn socks since 8th grade. im 23 now.
    But how old were you in 8th grade? Maybe you were held back a couple of times and that could throw off the time span of socklessness.
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Muhahahahaha. Bad puppy. Kennel.
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    Super-duper Moderator Sarge47's Avatar
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    Cool well now...

    Quote Originally Posted by Kamel View Post
    I haven't worn socks since 8th grade. im 23 now.
    Now it's time to reconsider Kamel. When out in the woods your feet are your primary means of transportation and require constant proper care. Socks help in several ways. They can help relieve the stress of the pounding that your feet will take on a long hike, adsorb excess moisture, and help prevent blisters!

    At the end of the day you can take them off and hang them over your tent to help keep bears out!
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    Senior Member BENESSE's Avatar
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    Hey, even Cody wears socks.
    Personally, (if I have a choice) I wouldn't do anything that might get me in deeper $hit than it's worth. Any kind of foot trouble could derail you in a big way and if you ever watched Gone With the Wind, amputating with a saw and just a little hooch to numb the mind is not my cup of tea. Call me a sissy.

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    walk lightly on the earth wildWoman's Avatar
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    Walking barefoot as much as you can prevents a lot of these issues and helps heal many of these conditions.
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    Senior Member BENESSE's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wildWoman View Post
    Walking barefoot as much as you can prevents a lot of these issues and helps heal many of these conditions.
    True...but it all depends on the conditions. Wet feet for several days in a row, as Tres discovered, wasn't exactly a good idea.

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    Resident Wildman Wildthang's Avatar
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    I have heard that simply letting the sun shine on a lot of types of fungus helps greatly.

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    Senior Member Sparky93's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wildthang View Post
    I have heard that simply letting the sun shine on a lot of types of fungus helps greatly.
    That makes sense, since UV radiation kills bacteria. You can also use the sun to purify water in plastic bottles http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_water_disinfection
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    Senior Member karatediver's Avatar
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    I was told that urine can help get rid of athlete's foot. I'm assuming using your own. I don't really want to pee on myself but if it works and I needed to it's there.
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    Not a Mod finallyME's Avatar
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    Vinegar is a great remedy. It is 5% acetic acid. I am sure that citric acid would work as well. Soak your feet in lemon juice. In fact, any acid will probably work. I still need to learn more about what in nature is acidic. Thanks Tresmon for the report.
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    Senior Member Kamel's Avatar
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    Ive never had athletes foot either. i used to walk barefoot everywhere too build up calluses. But yah socks do help but i think my feet are resistant to blisters lol. I used to work construction in Doc Martens with no socks, and I did get jungle rot, cause I had to walk thru some ditches that were watery, and my feet turned a blueish green. that was interesting.
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