# Mercurochrome doesn't sting **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [May 2, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercurochrome-doesnt-sting/538068 "2010-05-02T21:56:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kharasch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@kharasch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kharasch)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercurochrome-doesnt-sting/538068/1 "2010-05-02T21:56:40Z")
Just a point of order here. Merthiolate, in its original form, did NOT sting and did NOT color the skin red. These were added by Lilly because people “didn’t believe it worked” unless they could see the markings and feel the sting. If you didn’t want the sting or color, you could get what was called “white Merthiolate.” And don’t get me started on autism. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercurochrome-doesnt-sting/538068/2 "2010-05-03T02:29:57Z")
Mercurochrome and merthiolate are not the same chemical. “White Merthiolate” is a completely different chemical from either one. The sting of merthiolate is largely from the alcohol it is dissolved in. At a guess, the chemical used in so-called “white merthiolate” dissolves in water. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercurochrome-doesnt-sting/538068/3 "2010-05-03T03:28:52Z")
You yourself admit that Mercurochrome does, in fact, sting. It is White Merthiolate which doesn’t sting. I can vouch for the serious ouchiness of Mercurochrome. It was common practice when I was a kid to hide scrapes from one’s parents and caretakers, specifically to avoid the added insult of Mercurochrome. Thus the bits of gravel which I carry in my left knee to this day. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercurochrome-doesnt-sting/538068/4 "2010-05-03T04:18:32Z")
Yes, mercurochrome did sting – it wasn’t much of an improvement over iodine at all. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercurochrome-doesnt-sting/538068/5 "2010-05-03T17:40:24Z")
Mercurochrome and merthiolate both sting. “White merthiolate” isn’t merthiolate. ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercurochrome-doesnt-sting/538068/6 "2010-05-03T18:11:42Z")
Is this in reference to one of Cecil’s columns? Because I have no idea what the heck any of you are talking about. I’ve never heard of any of these substances. Powers &8^] ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercurochrome-doesnt-sting/538068/7 "2010-05-03T18:35:34Z")
> [@Powers](#): > > I’ve never heard of any of these substances. You young whippersnappers, you don’t know the joy of having your parents treat cuts and scrapes with an antibiotic that was actually toxic to humans! Anyway, merthiolate and mecurochrome were both antibiotics with mercury. I believe that merthiolate is the same chemical molecule that’s known as Thimerosal (formerly Thiomersal) that is used in some vaccines. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercurochrome-doesnt-sting/538068/8 "2010-05-03T19:03:46Z")
> [@CurtC](#): > > Anyway, merthiolate and mecurochrome were both antibiotics with mercury. Antiseptic, not antibiotic. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercurochrome-doesnt-sting/538068/9 "2010-05-03T19:20:24Z")
Ah, thank you. I was slinging those terms around without an understanding of the difference. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercurochrome-doesnt-sting/538068/10 "2010-05-03T19:53:03Z")
[Types of Merthiolate - For Dummies](http://www.merthiolate.com.mx/ingles/productos.swf)😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercurochrome-doesnt-sting/538068/11 "2010-05-03T20:17:05Z")
> [@](#): > > You young whippersnappers, you don’t know the joy of having your parents treat cuts and scrapes with an antibiotic that was actually toxic to humans! Most antiseptics are toxic to humans, including the typical modern choice of alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercurochrome-doesnt-sting/538068/12 "2010-05-03T20:56:01Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > [Types of Merthiolate - For Dummies](http://www.merthiolate.com.mx/ingles/productos.swf)😉 According to Bayer of Mexico. But the chemical identified as the active ingredient is not, in fact, the chemical normally named “Merthiolate”. ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercurochrome-doesnt-sting/538068/13 "2010-05-04T13:20:49Z")
Well thanks for the info, but I’m still wondering if there’s a column I should have read. =) Powers &8^] ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercurochrome-doesnt-sting/538068/14 "2010-05-04T15:09:03Z")
> **[What happened to Mercurochrome?](https://www.straightdope.com/21343653/what-happened-to-mercurochrome)**