SIGforum
Methylate and Mercurochrome
October 23, 2026, 04:45 PM
PatriotMethylate and Mercurochrome
Ah, the good old days…
Back in the 70’s these were the answer to any injury requiring first aid up to and including a severed appendage.
And Mom used to say the deeper the burn the more germs it’s killing!!
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The problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money. - Margaret Thatcher
Spread my work ethic, not my wealth
October 23, 2026, 04:47 PM
parabellumAnd Castor Oil. It's been nearly sixty years since I was given a spoonful of that stuff and I can still remember the God-awful taste.
October 23, 2026, 04:55 PM
PatriotCastor Oil is making a comeback of sorts.
My Sister In Law swears by the stuff but only topically.
She’s into tinctures too…
I can’t really get into all the hocus pocus…
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Pledge allegiance or pack your bag!
The problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money. - Margaret Thatcher
Spread my work ethic, not my wealth
October 23, 2026, 04:57 PM
TMatsMy mom never gave us castor oil; I assume she had bad experiences with it as a young girl.
Methiolate and mercurochrome though…yeah, worse than the injury. I just learned methiolate is still available. Mercurochrome, however, was halted for distribution by the FDA because of fears of mercury toxicity (mercury ions disrupted baterial metabolism).
quote:
Mercurochrome, chemically known as merbromin, is an organomercuric compound historically used as a topical antiseptic for minor cuts and scrapes, recognized for its distinctive red color. It works by releasing mercury ions that disrupt bacterial metabolism, though it also stains the skin and can obscure signs of infection.
Due to concerns over mercury toxicity and the availability of safer, more effective alternatives, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reclassified mercurochrome as "untested" and halted its domestic distribution in 1998. While banned in the United States, Switzerland, France, and Germany, similar products or substitutes may still be available in other regions or under different brand names.
Modern "mercurochrome" products sold in some markets are often mercury-free, utilizing alternative antiseptics like benzalkonium chloride to mimic the original brand's appearance and function without the associated heavy metal risks.
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despite them
October 23, 2026, 05:01 PM
sigfreundOne of the things I'm grateful to my mother for was that she never inflicted either on us kids. Bactine and later straight benzalkonium chloride that I use to this day.
“Most men … can seldom accept the simplest and most obvious truth if it … would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions … which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabrics of their lives.”
— Leo Tolstoy October 23, 2026, 05:11 PM
parabellumI'm just saying- when you're six years old and you find green bananas in the kitchen, do not eat them.
October 23, 2026, 05:45 PM
Patrick-SP2022Castor oil. Yum.
October 23, 2026, 05:56 PM
Pipe Smokerquote:
Methylate and Mercurochrome
You failed to mention tincture of iodine.
A favorite of my mom.
Serious about crackers. October 23, 2026, 06:01 PM
YooperSigsMy Mom was a proponent of Rubbing Alcohol. Usually applied liberally to bicycle related road rash.
End of Earth: 2 Miles
Upper Peninsula: 4 Miles
October 23, 2026, 06:09 PM
selogicWe had both of those and my Mom gave me a spoonful of " Scott's Emulsion " every day. It had Cod Liver Oil in it .I never forgave her ...
October 23, 2026, 06:15 PM
StarTravelerI think I sported bottles of methylate over the years until I was in high school. I’m not sure if I became more careful then or if it disappeared from the stores so my mom couldn’t get it anymore.
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"Aut viam inveniam aut faciam (I will either find a way or make one)." -- Hannibal Barca
October 23, 2026, 06:24 PM
yaniciquote:
Originally posted by selogic:
We had both of those and my Mom gave me a spoonful of " Scott's Emulsion " every day. It had Cod Liver Oil in it .I never forgave her ...
Back in the early 1950’s we got that every day as kids. God must have been punishing us for something.
John
“You know—everything happens for a reason. But sometimes the reason is…you’re stupid and you made a bad decision.”
Senator John Kennedy, Louisiana
October 23, 2026, 06:41 PM
murphmanGrowing up on a farm, I sometimes looked like an Indian in warpaint from all the merthiolate smeared on me.
Did anyone have the doctor swab the back of your throat with silver nitrate when you had a nasty sore throat? It worked, but Ye Gods!!!
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"Sooner or later, wherever people go, there's the law. And sooner or later, they find out that God's already been there." -- John Wayne as Chisum
October 23, 2026, 07:30 PM
lymanCity grandma had the M&M duo, and bactine,
country gradma had M&M, turpentine, soak what hurts if you could in a bowl of hot water with turpentine in it,
and a jar of some kinda magical salve, looked kinda like a white vaseline,
it got rubbed on everything,
and if they were out of M and or M, we got whatever they had in the barn for the cattle,,,
some purple stuff, Gentian Violet, IIRC
and get eat up by some bugs, Campho Phenic, may have spelt that wrong, but it does not hurt, smells like pine, and stops itching,
got a bottle of that here in the house
https://chandlersfirearms.com/chesterfield-armament/
October 23, 2026, 07:39 PM
Gustoferquote:
Originally posted by murphman:
... silver nitrate
That is still used. Good way to cauterize. You can buy them on Amazon.
I was able to find merthiolate online several years ago (came from India as I recall). I bought a few bottles for SHTF times...just in case.
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It is long past time for a Convention of States. The Founding Fathers gave us this tool to fix an out of control government and we need to use it.
October 23, 2026, 08:05 PM
kkinaIpecac syrup was extemely popular then, as well.
October 23, 2026, 08:20 PM
OttoSigMy grandmother had the orange’ish elixir to slather on any scratch.
But the ultimate fix all was her gallon decanter full of Manischewitz wine she’d serve us a cordial glass of every time we had any ailment.
$3 a gallon elixir solved many a problem.
Eight years to retirement! Just waiting! October 23, 2026, 10:13 PM
Redleg06M&M was my mom's remedy for cuts and rashes. But when visiting her folks, Grandpa used Absorbine Jr. As for splinters, he used his pen knife to slice them out and then dose it off with more Absorbine Jr.
"Cedat Fortuna Peritis"
October 23, 2026, 10:26 PM
egregoreI grew up in the 60s. I remember the commercials for Absorbine Junior and Bactine, but I managed to escape those and the other things. Unfortunately, there was no escape from the Vicks Vapo-Rub smeared on my chest when I got a cold.
October 23, 2026, 10:33 PM
braillediverThere's a flash back to a simpler time.
I think Iodine hurt so Mercurochrome was preferred on cuts.
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The butcher with the sharpest knife has the warmest heart.