Anyone remember these old medicines? Are they even still available? Well I guess technically Oil of Citronella was more used a insect repellent. And yes I know you can get olive oil in the grocery store, but lets talk about the uses we had for them back in the day.
Mercurochrome was an antiseptic, often put on small scrapes and cuts. Left a red splash on the skin. I can remember the little bottle now with the eye dropper style dispenser. It had mercury and was removed from the market. Mercury is what made hatter’s mad. Never had any noticeable effect on me though (cough).
Spirits of Nitre – I remember this as a medicine to use for an upset stomach, or gas. We always had this on hand as well as peppermint (which i don’t think was the same as peppermint extract). Not sure if that was its official use, but hey if you know more please comment!
Oil of Citronella – My memory of this really just comes from one instance, my cousin Bill Smith gave me a partial bottle of this telling me it was the best thing to use for “fly dope” (insect repellent). I still remember the green glass bottles, and I know there were a ton more of these little glass bottles in households years ago.
Raised in outport Newfoundland in a town of 65 people, I pursued a post secondary diploma in Information Technology right out of High School.
I’ve always been a geek at heart, but yet I love the rural life I grew up with. Fishing, hunting, camping and the great outdoors are still loves of mine, even if I don’t pursue them as often as I once did. Sports were always a big part of our lives, and I played many (badly) and loved them all.
