Looks like my regional history fits right in. Born in Arkansas, where Mom was from. Dad was from Central Texas, and I grew up in El Paso . . . but had relatives throughout Texas and Arkansas. It was "monkey blood’ in our house.
In reflecting upon that nickname after I grew up, I always assumed it had started as a way to make the “medicine” more interesting and “magical” for the children who were often treated with it. And, therefore, less threatening.
It would be interesting to know when and how that name got started, but I fear that’s been lost to the ages at this point.
Also raised in TX, also heard it called that, even though my mom was a hydrogen peroxide-ist. My doctor even had a poster with a chimp holding a bottle of Mercurochrome. I have no additional information on where the nickname came from, though.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen mercurochrome, but I’m pretty sure my family just called it “iodine”. It was a different color, but hey, it’s all the same thing, right?
To add an outlier (geographically) - I grew up in South Africa and we alse referred to mercurochrome as “monkey’s blood”. This would have been in the 90s/early 00s.
Merthiolate stings, the other doesn’t really. I still use merthiolate as well as “drawing salve” (ichthammol ointment) for splinters and fine irritations of the skin.
Grew up in the Midwest in the 40’s. Never heard mercurochrome called “monkey blood”. However, a little later when I was working with a paving crew on various highway projects, we always referred to the curing agent that was sprayed on a freshly poured pavement as “monkey blood”.
I am fortunate to still have bottles of the REAL STUFF before the Government in the USA outlawed it’s mfg. and sale after 1998.
I find it completely ironic that our Government mandated the removal of all mercury containing oral Thermometers and BP cuffs from Hospitals, Physicians offices and retail stores and outlawed these antiseptics, when this same Government now has REQUIRES all of us to buy these new CFL light bulbs which contain MERCURY!!! Read the back of the CFL bulb’s packages for the EPA and HAZMET’s detailed instructions on the proper procedure you need to follow should one break in your home. Mr Edison is rolling in his grave.
Anyway, Here’s what’s listed on each of the bottles of THE REAL STUFF
I guard these 3 bottles with my life since you can’t purchase the REAL STUFF anymore. They still sell something with those names, but it’s been modified and is not the same as we had growing up.
For the record, I grew up in the 50’s and have a mouth full of MERCURY CONTAINING dental fillings, got all the Vaccines and suffered from more scraped knees and elbows painted with the these now banned substances than you can imagine. Funny, I’m still alive and still using the stuff without any adverse reactions after 70 years.
You can still buy inefficient incandescent bulbs if you like and of course you can opt for LED light bulbs is you want. The incandescent are finally being phased out as of last year but it will be years before they are gone and it is a weak phase out.
I have switched over to mostly LED in fact in my house. There is no federal requirement for home owners to buy CFL bulbs. Not sure where you got that misinformation from.
You’re right about the mercury in CFLs but the older style fluorescent tubes also contained mercury. This is not something new for CFLs.
Either way I recommend buying LED light bulbs. They work great and do pay for themselves. Just shop around for good deals on them. Oh an be careful, if it is for use with a dimmer, you do have to make sure it is a dimmable LED bulb. Thankfully they work great and don’t cost much more.
LEDs use 10% to 20% the energy of an incandescent. Even with the higher prices they save a lot of money over their life in electricity and with many excellent bulbs on sale for under $10 the initial price is actually small.