May 4, 2006
BACTINE
Damn. This is reminescent of one of my old Friday Nostalgia posts. I'd completely forgotten this shit existed, and had subconsciously relegated it to the trashbin of history, there to moulder with the likes of Phisohex, and Barbasol.
But my daughter showed me her Bactine spray today, and told me how she used it to keep her navel piercing cleansed. ARRGH!
For, you see, Bactine was the catchall antiseptic of my wittle childhood. Get a boo-boo on your knee? Mommy would spray Bactine on it. And it didn't burn like the evil Mercurochrome! Or Merthiolate. (What the fuck IS the difference between those two poisons anyway?).
Bactine was our friend. Slash a three-inch gash in your forehead in a bike accident? Mom, or in my case probably my maid Etta, would spray the gaping wound with Bactine, and send you on your way. Sever a fingertip? Bactine. First degree sunburn? Bactine. Malaria from hurricane-borne mosquitos? Bactine, and quinine tablets.
Who of my age does not remember showing their father a particularly egregious wound, supperating and full of pus, who was not told, with a wall-eyed look, Well did you spray some Bactine onnit, peckerhead? Why I buy that shit!
Ah, Bactine. A Bayer product, you know. I always assumed as a tyke Bayer was a red white and blue American company, too. I didn't know they were Germans. And we took them over after Hitler lost the number of his mess, and I suppose gave it back to them, since it was in West Germany. Too complicated for me. I was too busy trying to figure out why the Russkies wanted to nuke me from Cuba.
To Bactine. I'm pretty sure it will fix everything but anything. Guess I'll try it out on those fissures.
I went to "Camp Itchie-Owie," too!
Posted by: Christina at May 4, 2006 10:53 PMActually, another great Bayer product was.......heroin. That's right, it was created by our Prussian pals to treat morphine addiction.
Sure, you can slam Bayer all you want, but you shouldunderstand that without them, we wouldn't have all of those great Charlie Parker, Ray Charles, Rolling Stones, Velvet Underground, Derek and the Dominos, New York Dolls, Guns N' Roses and Nirvana records. That's a pretty compelling list and further proof that doing lots of heroin helps make cool records.
Oh, I could go on and on. Actually, I can't because I've been enjoying some heroin myself of late. And thinking of your daughter's navel has only aggrevated the painful erection that I've been sporting since 1975.
Thankfully, the heroin helps with the discomfort.
Posted by: skippystalin at May 4, 2006 11:22 PMI've had mine since 1972, but found I can get temporary relief with two bricks (one in each hand). In my case, Crystal-Meth provides the real, long term relief. If they would just put a decent zipper in a Speedo ... Sigh.
Posted by: Vulgorilla at May 5, 2006 7:57 AMBactine. Unguentine. Vaseline. Peachy keen!
Posted by: Elisson at May 5, 2006 11:45 AMVaseline was a household name in our house.
One day the sunday roast was awful.
The cook admitted that after burning it she aplied vaseline as a "fix".
Young parents these days use vaseline as a sex aid.
They apply it to the bedroom doorhandles so that the kids can't come in.
So...you still coming to my grad. party??
Posted by: Dana at May 5, 2006 1:41 PMOdd, as soon as I saw the photo, my mouth and nostrils filled with the taste and smell of Bactine. I didn't know you could still get the stuff.
Posted by: Bane at May 5, 2006 1:57 PMMerthiolate
thimerosal: a light-colored crystalline powder (trade name Merthiolate) used as a surgical antiseptic
Merbromin is the industry name for dibromohydroxymercurifluorescein. Merbromin is a disodium salt and also known as Mercurochrome, Merchurochrome, Mercurichrome, Merbromine, Monkey Blood, Cinfacrom, & Stellachrome.
Name Chemical Name Formula Mol. Wt. Water Solubility Alcohol Solubility Ester & etc. Solubility
Mercurochrome 220 dibromohydroxymercurifluorescein C20H8Br2HgNa2O6 804.75 Soluble .015 gr/100ml Insoluble in Ether, Chloroform
You asked....
Posted by: RubyTuesday at May 5, 2006 10:15 PMyes, Bactine. I had forgotten about it also. I did not, however, ever forget Vicks.
Our mother had this nasty old flannel rag she'd tie around your neck slathered with Vicks. It worked rather like tying a dead chicken around a chicken- killing dogs neck, until it rotted and fell off.
Or you could always put some in your mouth. What that was purported to do I can't remember.
Vicks, that's bad.
WCanhere in this world can I puchase Mercurochrome?Please can someone e-mail me with an answer?
Posted by: Agnes B at July 1, 2006 3:18 PMHey,
Bactine IS produced by Bayer pharmacuticals today.
Back in the 50's it was produced in the U.S. by Miles Labs in Elkhart, Indiana. They also made One a Day vitamins and Alka Seltzer just to mention a few of their products.
The family that owned Miles sold out to Bayer (not the aspirin people) a good many years ago.
I don't remember Bactine being around in the 50's. But maybe we just were behind the times in Minneapolis.
What I do remember was Mom putting Merthiolate on cuts. Oh my god. You could hear the screams over in St. Paul. Then somewhere along about '55 they came out with Tincture of Merchurochrome. Oh what a relief it is. No more pain!!
One thing I do know. Put this stuff on a cut, and it worked!! Don't put it on, and it got infected with a little pus sack that hurt for a week. My brother and I opted everytime for the 30 seconds of intense pain rather than the week of dull pain.
Hey Ruby Tuesday, you sound like you know something about this stuff. Wasn't one of the two actually a form of iodine? I don't remember which one though.
The Bushwacker
Posted by: The Bushwacker at June 29, 2008 4:32 AM