Live and learn from WebMD: "Castor oil is a thick, odorless oil made from the seeds of the castor plant. Its use dates back to ancient Egypt, where it was likely used as fuel for lamps as well as for medicinal and beauty purposes. Cleopatra reportedly used it to brighten the whites of her eyes."

Monkey’s Blood, Campho-Phenique, A&D Ointment and Vicks cured anything at my granny’s. Mama was a doctor’s kid and had to camouflage her rolling eyes at this.

Always been a fan of Iodine. Years back they quit selling it in the local pharmacies, not sure why, so now I have to buy if off Amazon.

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Originally posted by braillediver:
There's a flash back to a simpler time.

I think Iodine hurt so Mercurochrome was preferred on cuts.

when I was a meat clerk/apprentice/closing guy, we used a version of udderbac, that was basically iodine as a sanitizer, and lye in powder form as a soap, to clean the meat dept with,

the lye was a cup in a sink, scoop up a bucket of water from said sink and brush it on everything,
all the parts went in the sink of lye water, and then scrubbed, a good rinse in the 2nd sink of water, and a dip in the last sink with the iodine solution,

mix it wrong, and your hands would be yellow,

but any cut or scratch was healed up fine

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Originally posted by MelissaDallas:
Monkey’s Blood, Campho-Phenique, A&D Ointment and Vicks cured anything at my granny’s. Mama was a doctor’s kid and had to camouflage her rolling eyes at this.

Back in the early 70's when I was in the Army in Germany I was pretty sick. I didn't want to go on sick call. I remembered mama putting Vicks on me. I went to the PX and found a jar of Vicks.
Went back to the barracks and gobbed about the whole jar all over my chest. Put on a wool long john shirt and went to bed. Woke up the next morning and I was well. Mama knew her stuff.

These old medicines and liquids were all in our house as I grew up. Likely still can find some M&M in my cabinet if I looked. Mom used a pine salve to rub on our chest and then covered it with a hot handkerchief and put us to bed. Never forget that smell.

We have a "vintage" medicine cabinet/mirror over sink in our lake cabin that we salvaged from the original we tore down.

Wanted to stock it with some of the same stuff that was in the original all the way back to the 60's. Yes, found an OEM bottle of Mercurochrome, although empty thank God.

Burns my three older sisters and I just to look at it........

I knew when my dad had the orange stains on his knuckles he got in a fight the night before, Flint Police 70's and 80's

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Live and learn from WebMD: "Castor oil is a thick, odorless oil made from the seeds of the castor plant.

Odd, it didn't say tasteless.

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Methiolate and mercurochrome though…yeah, worse than the injury.

Ain't that the truth.

Most of the mentions already plus a grandmother who would cover you up in snuff for most any injury.

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oil made from the seeds of the castor plant

As is ricin.

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Monkey’s Blood

This and the other things are still made. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mon...f=pd_sl_2z3xkegaec_p

Castor oil was the only reliable lubricating oil for the WWI-era rotary aircraft engines. Since they were also total-loss lubrication, pilots in open cockpits would often get a healthy dose of it.

quote:

Originally posted by MelissaDallas:
Monkey’s Blood, Campho-Phenique, A&D Ointment and Vicks cured anything at my granny’s. Mama was a doctor’s kid and had to camouflage her rolling eyes at this.

We called it Monkey Blood when I was a kid.

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Originally posted by egregore:
This and the other things are still made. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mon...f=pd_sl_2z3xkegaec_p

Different formulations than the old (good) stuff. The new stuff contains no mercury.

^^^

My family used ST-37 for cuts, scrapes and sore throats. No burn. Fletchers Castoria for just about anything else wrong with the kids.

Early mid 70’s. We had a spray disinfectant called Nitrotan. Turned your skin yellow. Helluva a burn. My uncle was a football coach and he got it from the trainer. Wicked stuff.

had to take my mother to an appt today, and we go to a local small pharmacy afterwards that has a deli/grill attached,

it is where I find my Campho-Phenic , but they did not have any M or M,

they did have Gentian Violet tho, got slathered with that now and again as a kid

Camphor-Ice was my grandmother's cure for everything from the sniffles to a compound fracture.