Boy scout motto is “be prepared” and that obviously included Boy Scout Arndon (Arnie) Haynes of Troop #63.
This was Arnie’s first aid kit that included gauze bandages, mercurochrome swabs and iodine.
If you aren’t familiar with mercurochrome (merbromin) swabs, as it’s name suggests it contained a bit of mercury. You would dab a little and it acted like an antibacterial antiseptic and left at yellow-green sheen. In 1978 the FDA started reviewing products containing mercury. Although there seems to be no ill-effects from the product, it appears no one wanted to go to the extensive effort to do all the studies to prove it, and it left the shelves.
I see there are few things missing in the pack, including the Vivo swabs, which say they are used for “shock or fainting.” Which makes me wonder, did Arnie have to use them?
Thank you Roni Johnson (his daughter) for sharing these great images.
Eatonville To Rainier 