When I was a teenager and had the wonderful opportunity of growing up at a huge old barn, we had a 5 ft high medicine cabinet. Nothing was in original bottles, and nothing was really marked. You were sent to get something and you had to determine what it was by smell. We were always told NOT to put it directly under our noses, but to sniff it from far away passing it back and forth. Half the stuff you looked at and wondered what it was in it’s first life. I remember looking for Bigeloil in a very big hurry one day, and put a bottle right up to my nose. I love the smell of Bigeloil, but I almost got knocked on my butt when I put a bottle of ammonia up close and personal and took a big whiff. Since that day I never have done that again. I cleared my sinus’s, my eyes teared like Niagara Falls, and my brain went on high alert. When I was a kid, Bigeloil was used for everything from a liniment for rubbing sore muscles or swelling, to a mouth wash. I can still hear “apply a little, rub a lot.” You wanted to stimulate the blood circulation.

Medicine cabinets are a big part of a barn. With horses, cats, and dogs forever getting into trouble, we have a huge supply of first aid supplies and medications. I try to keep labels on everything, but when something is used a lot, the labels have a way of peeling off or the writing becomes smeared. If I’m using spray bottles I try to have different colored bottles or sprayers to help me know what I am grabbing when I’m in a hurry. Yellow is Show Sheen, Green is fly spray for the barn use on horses, blue means fly spray to be kept in the horse trailer, and red is usually liniment.

Every so many years I go through the cabinet and purge old supplies. However, there are things I’ll keep just in case. There are products that we don’t use often. They may lose some of their effect, but any port in a storm, until you can get a fresh supply. I also go over prescription stuff with my vet every so often in regards to expirations.

How many times has Bob said to me, “do we have gauze pads in the house?” I’ll say no, but I’ll go to the barn and get some. His reply is “yeah, everything is in the barn.” I gave up on medical tape years ago, masking tape works just as well and we have that all over the place.

So here we come to Covid-19. Hand Sanitizer is not available anywhere. So being a horse person, raised in the good ole days, I go into Dr. Pol mode for old fashioned remedies, and look on the internet for homemade recipes for hand sanitizer. Two thirds Isopropyl Alcohol 70%, 1/3 Aloe gel, and a few drops of Tea Tree Oil (if you wish). No problem, I’ll go out to the barn. Sure enough everything is there. You’d be amazed at what you will find in the back of a medicine cabinet or under your counter. I knew I was out of Alcohol in the house because I make my homemade recipe for swimmers ear medicine. One teaspoon of alcohol, one teaspoon of white vinegar, few drops of olive oil (to make it smooth, but I don’t use it anymore). If you get itchy ears, it works great. If it burns, you have fungus, if not, you were fine to begin with. A couple of applications and you’re good to go. I learned this from my pharmacist. I called one Saturday night just before closing and asked him if he had any swimmers ear medicine, Bob was in need. He said yes but they were closing, but if I had the alcohol, white vinegar, and olive oil at home, I could mix up a batch and start right away. I did and we’ve used it ever since.

Sometimes the vet will say, would you by chance have ….., and I can usually say, wait, yes I do.

So take stock in what you have lurking in the back of your cabinets, keep it in the back of your minds, and one day you will be able to say “wait, let me go to the barn.”

Stay safe, make wise decisions.