If sanitation becomes a problem then dysentery and other intestinal disorders may be a problem. My physician said the following procedure is recommended by the CDC. Take an anti-diarrheal like imodium. If problems persist use the tablet form of pepto- bismol: 8 tablets daily for 5 days. If symptoms persist then antibiotic use will have to be considered. The pepto-bismol contains bismith, a mineral (I think) that is an anti-microbial agent. I have a lot of info on food storage I'll send for free upon request.

-- skipper clark (skipper@cncnet.com), July 03, 1998

Answers

Drugs and antibiotics are nice, if you have them, but in 3rd world countries they give their dysentery and cholera patients the milky-coloured water that rice has been boiled in. It keeps the patients from dehydrating and it helps calm the bowels. Also made from rice is the Chinese soup-porridge dish called congee or "Jook". You boil rice with lots of water and keep on adding water and keep on boiling until all the rice grains disintegrate and you end up with a dilute gruel or porridge. Flavour it with chicken stock and you have the Asian version of the Yiddish mama's chicken soup. But I believe congee or jook is more nourishing. Ask around at a good Chinese restaurant and try it sometime. Many Chinese eat it for breakfast, and it is an excellent invalid food... very easy to digest.

-- David.Harvey@MercantileMutual.com.au (vk2dmh@hotmail.com), July 07, 1998.

David has some good tips; here's mine.

You can get powdered Gatorade in containers, enough to make (I think) 8 gallons. "Sport drinks" have electrolytes that are helpful in preventing dehydration, whether due to exertion or sickness. Last time I had the flu, I mixed a gallon of Gatorade and kept it close by -- I was able to function pretty normally between mad dashes to the john. :-)

-- Larry Kollar (lekollar@nyx.net), July 07, 1998.