# Death by Lysol **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 24, 2026, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733 "2026-03-24T16:43:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/1 "2026-03-24T16:43:57Z")
From the Wikipedia article about Lysol: “The first Lysol Brand Antiseptic Disinfectant was introduced in 1889 by Gustav Raupenstrauch to help end a [cholera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholera "Cholera") epidemic happening in Germany. The original formulation of Lysol contained [cresols](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cresol "Cresol").[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysol#cite_note-LysolCresolReference-2) This formulation may still be available commercially in some parts of the world.[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysol#cite_note-CresolFormulation-3) Formulations containing [chlorophenol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorophenol "Chlorophenol") are still available in the United Kingdom.[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysol#cite_note-ChlorophenolFormulation-4) In 1911, poisoning by drinking Lysol was the most common means of suicide in Australia and New York.”[[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysol#cite_note-5) ---
**Author:** ![Eric1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3bc359/32.png) [@Eric1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric1)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/2 "2026-03-24T19:57:46Z")
Drinking Lysol does sound bad. Yikes!! I’m not a biochemist but know that’s always a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/3 "2026-03-24T20:42:19Z")
Lysol was also used as a feminine hygiene product, and sometimes as a home abortion solution, until it started killing women. From the same Wikipedia article. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/4 "2026-03-24T20:44:43Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Lysol was also used as a feminine hygiene product, Yeah, I saw that listed on the bottle as one of its uses in 1979. I was stunned. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/5 "2026-03-24T20:47:29Z")
Don’t be dissing my favorite. I love the little brown bottle. The smell makes me sick and happy at the same time. (Mine contains some gibberish phenyl-chlor ?¿..sumthin sumthin) Nice big warning not for human consumption. Or to use for personal hygiene. Yeah, nope. You don’t need to insist. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/6 "2026-03-24T21:06:11Z")
You mean I can’t drink it even if I’m trying to protect myself from Covid? I guess I’ll have to stick to bleach. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/7 "2026-03-24T22:04:31Z")
Ooh. New mixers!! 😀 ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/8 "2026-03-24T22:28:00Z")
The amount that would lead to an abortion also often killed the mother as well. It WAS a quasi-birth control method. It was also used in STD treatment in the pre-antibiotic era. Women were given a douche of a tablespoon or so in a gallon or two of the hottest water they could stand, and men had their urethras flushed with the straight product. Yeeeeeowtch! ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/9 "2026-03-25T10:58:47Z")
Not quite the same thing but easily confused and not inapt: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/xnGQiSfS8XA/maxresdefault.jpg "1952 HITS ARCHIVE: It’s In The Book (Grandma’s Lye Soap) - Johnny Standley (a #1 record)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnGQiSfS8XA&t=190) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/10 "2026-03-25T11:28:58Z")
Side note related to ingesting horrible stuff. When watching old TV series and movies, I’m often interested in the “where are they now?” question about some of the performers. At one time I looked up this question regarding British actress Angela Scoular, who had brilliantly played Lady Agatha Shawcross in the very funny Jimmy Perry and David Croft sitcom _You Rang, M’Lord?_. Imagine my horror to discover that: > She died on 11 April 2011 after ingesting acid drain cleaner and pouring it on her body, causing lethal burns to her digestive tract and skin > [Angela Scoular - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Scoular) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/11 "2026-03-25T13:40:44Z")
Another disinfectant with a lurid history is [mercuric chloride](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury(II)_chloride)\*. > [@](#): > > Mercuric chloride was a common over-the-counter disinfectant in the early twentieth century, recommended for everything from fighting measles germs[[19]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury(II)_chloride#cite_note-19) to protecting fur coats[[20]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury(II)_chloride#cite_note-20) and exterminating red ants.[[21]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury(II)_chloride#cite_note-21) A New York physician, Carlin Philips, wrote in 1913 that “it is one of our most popular and effective household antiseptics”, but so corrosive and poisonous that it should only be available by prescription.[[22]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury(II)_chloride#cite_note-22) A group of physicians in Chicago made the same demand later the same month. The product frequently caused accidental poisonings and was used as a suicide method. The Wikipedia article notes that mercuric chloride was involved in the deaths of two women who featured in major scandals of the 1920s. In the “good old days” there were all manner of things freely sold that appealed to poisoners (see also the Dashiell Hammett story “Fly Paper”). \*also a one-time syphilis remedy, if it didn’t kill you. ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/12 "2026-03-25T14:59:43Z")
Live fast, die young, and leave a fantastic-smelling corpse ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/13 "2026-03-25T16:08:45Z")
People in the funeral biz [think death and Lysol go great together](https://www.mymortuarycooler.com/blogs/news/the-ultimate-guide-to-lysol-quaternary-disinfectant-cleaner). > [@](#): > > My name is Mortuary Cooler, and as a national supplier of mortuary refrigeration systems, I’ve recommended **Lysol quaternary disinfectant cleaner** to countless funeral professionals… > Working in the funeral industry means dealing with some of life’s most sensitive moments – and having the right cleaning solutions makes all the difference…The pleasant scent creates a more dignified atmosphere, which matters when families might visit preparation areas. If Mort says so, it’s good enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/14 "2026-03-25T17:05:06Z")
I cannot trust any one named _Mortuary Cooler._ Nope. _Dusty Rhodes_…same. Clever trick names give me pause. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/15 "2026-03-25T17:07:33Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Clever trick names give me pause. Says Beck the Wreck. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/16 "2026-03-25T17:34:46Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > You mean I can’t drink it even if I’m trying to protect myself from Covid? I guess I’ll have to stick to bleach. No, no. You are supposed to _inject_ it for COVID, while getting a massive dose of ultraviolet light. Powerful stuff! Powerful! ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/17 "2026-03-25T20:00:37Z")
Whadda gonna do when your legal name is **T. Rebecca Wreckington Fitzgerald (**😏 )? Wreko’daFitz just doesn’t have the same zing as Beckdawrek. (Don’t ask what the T. stands for) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/18 "2026-03-25T22:47:58Z")
MercurOUS chloride (Hg2CL2) was also known as calomel, a potent laxative. In some cases, it was sold in solid pellets, which could be retrieved and “reused.” Ewwwwww. Some of my older pharmacy colleagues remembered the organomercurial diuretics, of which Salyrgan was the best known, and AFAIK, the last taken off the market. Those things were more potent than anything available nowadays, and of course much, much more dangerous. For an example, here’s an abstract from a 1932 article praising its safety. That it had to be given by injection did reduce its use. [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/538387](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/538387) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/19 "2026-03-26T00:00:15Z")
1932? Modern knaves profiting off the work of true medical pioneers. [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/464350](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/464350) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733/20 "2026-03-26T02:01:45Z")
Since you mentioned it, this is a little information about jalap. Yeah, back in the day, people were given laxatives to rid themselves of “dropsical” (i.e. edematous) fluid. > **[Jalap](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalap)** > > Jalap is a cathartic drug, largely obsolete in Western medicine, consisting of the tuberous roots of Ipomoea purga, a convolvulaceous plant growing on the eastern declivities of the Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico at an elevation of 5,000 to 8,000 feet (1,500 to 2,400 m) above sea level, more especially about the neighbourhood of Chiconquiaco on the eastern slope of the Cofre de Perote in the state of Veracruz. > Jalap has been known in Europe since the beginning of the 17th century, and derives i... [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-lysol/1028733.md?page=2)