Where did they go?
Mercurochrome and Merthiolate were in medicine cabinets in many Virginia homes decades ago. They were in bottles with droppers that gallons the red liquid. Looking at that old bottle in the above image brings back many memories.
In the days when children spent most of their time outdoors, they fell off of playground equipment, had bike wrecks, or were hurt leaping from trees or tall buildings.
MerthiolatePhoto byYouTube screenshot Raphael Alves
Sometimes, while running through the fields, sliding to a base while playing softball, playing tag or hide-and-seek, or playing hide-and-seek, someone would slip and fall. There was always a kid or two with a skinned elbow or knee. This was when Mercurochrome and Merthiolate came to the rescue.
Just Answer says both products were banned in the US in the 1990s due to their mercury content. You can still find them online, but the mercury has been replaced, and the red color is gone.