Title
Potassium Permanganate, U.S.P. (HUMCO Laboratory)
Author
N/A
Image
Description
This vintage bottle of Potassium Permanganate, U.S.P., produced by HUMCO Laboratory in Texarkana, Texas, is a 16-ounce (1 lb.) jar meant for medical and pharmaceutical use. The label provides stern caution about its oxidizing and caustic nature, a reminder of how chemical compounds once occupied everyday medicine cabinets. Its ribbed metal screw cap and aged label suggest mid-20th-century origin.
Condition
Label shows moderate age toning, smudging, and a few spots of soiling. Text remains legible. Container is intact with no visible cracks or warping. Fill line embossment visible. Metal cap well-preserved with mild oxidation.
Gallery
Historical context
Potassium permanganate was historically a versatile topical antiseptic, widely used for skin conditions like eczema, fungal infections, and ulcers. Its popularity peaked in the early-to-mid 20th century, before being largely replaced by safer, more targeted therapies. It also served roles in water purification and veterinary medicine.
Curious Facts, Ephemera, and Trivia
Its rich purple color was once so distinct that “permanganate purple” became a descriptive term.
It stains nearly everything it touches, from bathtubs to fingertips — a hallmark of its power and a frequent frustration.
It was once controversially used in illegal abortions and has since been subject to heavy restriction in some regions.
Excerpt
“Avoid contact with eyes, mucous membranes and skin. DO NOT TAKE INTERNALLY. Antidote: External, flood with water. Internal, drink one or two glasses of milk or water, then induce vomiting.”
A chillingly blunt caution from a time before poison control hotlines.
Why it is in the Cabinet
This bottle embodies the era when powerful oxidizers were trusted home remedies, yet also illustrates the tightrope walked between healing and harm. It earns its place in the Cabinet as a stark visual and chemical relic of 20th-century pharmaceutical practice.
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