GENTIAN VIOLET

[Penny Tray]

Who remembers, either you yourself or a classmate, being sent to school with gentian violet [a mixture of three dyes, methyl rosaniline, methyl violet, and crystal violet, which is antiseptic and bactericidal according to the dictionary] on a cold sore/hack, usually on the lip. Once on there was no way you could disguise it.

[morag]

I remember always having a bottle of it in the house, as well as iodine and another thing, name escapes me, that turned your skin pink, which was left behind by a relative. I used to use that as fake lipstick when I was wee

[little plum]

Hi P.T. I remember some class mates with purple finger tips, I'm not sure if it was gentian violet, but it was to stop them biting their finger nails, I was told the taste was horrible.

[Aileen Shaw]

Hi L.P
Did you bite your nails. no it was aloe when I worked the chemist at 14 (that was another job ) it was bite stuff and it was dear but see if you have false teeth you were ok cos you did'ny bite your nails

Aileen

[Anne]

During primary school days I seemed to be prone to 'fever blisters' 'cold sore' whatever you call them. My Mother always dabbed it on my chin or lips. I hated it with a passion, but it couldn't have been so bad as no one at school mentioned it.

Anne

[morag]

That was what was referred to as 'bitter Alice' supposed to be good for stopping dogs for chewing on stuff you'd rather they didn't as well.

I think we were all in the same boat, Anne, so probably you culd go to school with a mustard poultice attached to your chist and nobody would bat an eyelid

[Hughie]

so probably you culd go to school with a mustard poultice attached to your chist and nobody would bat an eyelid

I think they'd have to be two mustard poultices, Morag, so she wouldn't look lopsided. Naturally they'd take the place of the usual bra filled with tissues. Oh! The things I know

[Anne]

Oh! Morag, I nearly died laughing re: the poltice you are dead right. We were all in the same boat.

And Hugh re: the 2 poltices shame on you talking about us wee lassies like that LOL

Anne

[Milda]

Morag,were you thinking on Calomine lotion,used for sunburn, bites etc. It turned your skin pink.Milda

[Anne]

Could it have been germoline Morag / Milda ? I remember that in a tin

Anne

[Milda]

Yeah I remember germoline,Anne,but I think Morag would be more likely to use the Calomine lotion as pale lipstick.I don't fancy having germoline on as lipstick.You never know though.

Milda

[morag]

No, it was something more exotic, it was brought over by my aunt visiting from Hong Kong. It looked clear but turned pink...next time I speak to my sis I'll try to remember to ask if she remembers the name...as you can tell remember is the key word here!

As to the tissue padding Hughie, a glamourous friend of my sis was all dolled up to go to a dance, lovely sleeveless dress done up to the nines, but she felt she needed a wee boost in the bosom department so she took a green silk scarf and with a wee bit poking and prodding and rearranging was quite pleased with herself. At the dance her boyfriend pulled a 'leaf' off her dress, yep, the end of the scarf..oot it all came! She was absolutely mortified!