THE OLDEST THING IN YOUR MEDICINE CABINET

A TikTok post has hit a nerve on the internet. From a woman named Heather Chacon on Sunday: “My son has been sick and shout out to my mom, who loaned us the SAME jar of Vicks VapoRub she used to use on me growing up. Expiration date 1-87.” Many, many commenters joined in with a description of their own ancient jar of Vicks and other medicines in the back of the bathroom cabinet.
– One person wrote: “Just found this in my mom’s closet and it’s my grandma’s writing on there. November 1965. I was congested the other day, put some under my nose, and it worked just fine! This stuff is immortal!”
– Another: “My vintage jar of Vicks: glass jar, metal lid, no expiration date anywhere,” because the jar dates back to a time before expiration dates were required by the Food and Drug Administration. Molded into the glass on the bottom of the jar, ’VAP O RUB 63′ m”
– Another: “I see your Vicks Vaporub and will raise you an expired bottle of Caladryl calamine lotion that works like a charm. This went from my childhood home, to college with me, and now to adulthood married with kids.”
– “I cleaned out my uncle’s house this year and found a vintage bottle of PAREGORIC. Each 100cc contains 40 mg anhydrous morphine. Child 1 month old: 5 drops. 1 yr old: 10 drops. 5 yrs old: 20 drops. Adults: 1 tsp 1-3x a day. May be habit forming.”
* First of all, I can’t believe the stimulating content I’ve been missing on TikTok!
* What I’m hearing from this is that Vicks could’ve gotten away with making their jars of VapoRub half as big.
* Remember all those great “children’s versions” of medicines you used to sneak? Orange-flavored Aspergum? Baby Aspirin? Cherry flavored cough syrup? Boy, the 70’s were great.
* Anybody else’s mom have one of those GIANT jars of Vaseline? Although now that I think of it, it frightens me what mom was doing with a giant jar of Vaseline.
* What about the ineffectuality of modern medicines? I’ve had BandAids that didn’t stick as long as it took to leave the bathroom. Either that, or they stick to themselves before you can get them out of the wrapper.
* PHONE TOPIC: What’s the oldest surprise in your medicine cabinet, or your mom’s medicine cabinet?