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."
October 24, 2026, 07:45 PM
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.
October 24, 2026, 08:51 PM
Bassamatic
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.
.....never marry a woman who is mean to your waitress.
October 24, 2026, 08:55 PM
lyman
quote:
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,
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.
_______________________________________________________ And no, junior not being able to hold still for 5 seconds is not a disability.
October 25, 2026, 04:27 PM
GT-40DOC
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.
October 26, 2026, 08:53 AM
Georgeair
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........
You only have integrity once. - imprezaguy02
October 26, 2026, 09:04 AM
BigSwede
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
October 26, 2026, 09:16 AM
229DAK
quote:
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.
quote:
Methiolate and mercurochrome though…yeah, worse than the injury.
Ain't that the truth.
_________________________________________________________________________ “A man’s treatment of a dog is no indication of the man’s nature, but his treatment of a cat is. It is the crucial test. None but the humane treat a cat well.” -- Mark Twain, 1902
October 26, 2026, 09:34 AM
pootie
Most of the mentions already plus a grandmother who would cover you up in snuff for most any injury.
I had my patience tested... I'm negative.
October 26, 2026, 10:09 AM
sigfreund
quote:
oil made from the seeds of the castor plant
As is ricin.
“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
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.
October 26, 2026, 02:07 PM
jhe888
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.
The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything.
Different formulations than the old (good) stuff. The new stuff contains no mercury.
________________________________________________________ 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 26, 2026, 10:05 PM
egregore
^^^
October 27, 2026, 02:57 PM
2BobTanner
--------------------- DJT-45/47 MAGA !!!!!
“Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur.”
"Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." — Mark Twain
“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” — H. L. Mencken
October 28, 2026, 10:02 AM
sig operator
My family used ST-37 for cuts, scrapes and sore throats. No burn. Fletchers Castoria for just about anything else wrong with the kids.
October 29, 2026, 03:28 PM
Citadel
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.
October 29, 2026, 08:54 PM
lyman
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
