Mercurochrome (also known as merbromin) is a topical antiseptic. Its antiseptic qualities were discoverd by Johns Hopkins doctor Hugh Young in 1919. The chemical soon became popular among parents and doctors for everyday antiseptic uses, mostly in tincture form. The FDA banned its distribution in the United States in the 1990s over fears of mercury poisoning.
It is also used as a chemical dye for its bright red color.
Chemically, mercurochrome is C20H8Br2HgNa2O6, name dibromohydroxymercurifluorescein.
External links
Mercurochrome.org, a group trying to reverse the FDA ban