11 Items You'll No Longer Find in Medicine Cabinets

Medicines and medical practices have come a long way in a relatively short time. Here are some items that have vanished from medicine cabinets in the last few decades.

1. Mercurochrome

Most folks under the age of 30 have never heard of this topical antiseptic. But many of us Boomers begged mom to daub our cuts and scrapes with the relatively painless Mercurochrome in lieu of that nasty stinging Iodine. Sure it stained your flesh pinkish-red, but you could probably wear that temporarily as a battle scar. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration put very strict limitations on the sale of Mercurochrome in 1998 and stated that it was no longer considered to be a GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) over-the-counter product. Many grandmothers scoffed, "Since when?! I used that stuff for years and none of my kids died!" But more scientific minds agreed that the ban was a wise and "about time!" decision, since the main active ingredient in Mercurochrome is mercury.

2. Iodine

3. Mercury Thermometer

4. Castor Oil

Once upon a time a bottle of vile-tasting castor oil was a staple in every medicine cabinet. For some reason, mothers in the 1920s and '30s used it as a cure-all for any sort of tummy ailment. In reality, the only condition castor oil is suitable to treat is constipation, and even in that case doctors tend to discourage its use, as the results are often unpredictable and can result in severe cramping and involuntary explosive bowel movements that last for hours.

5. TB Test

6. Disclosure Tablets

7. Fluoride

8. Eye Patch for Amblyopia

9. Nurse's Cap

10. Head Mirror

11. Iron Lung