i remember two horrors from my youth.  pure rubbing alcohol pored in the ear canal after swimming to prevent swimmer's ear.  it worked but burned like hell.  Mercurochrome on cuts that also worked and likewise burned like hell.  you know that involuntary muscle twitching kind of pain?    

WhenI was a boy my father cured our poison ivy by stabbing the blisters with an ice pick again and again while screaming "Out demons! Out!". They took him away shortly after that.

you're joking, right?

Mercurochrome did not burn or sting.  Merthiolate and Iodine stung like the dickens. Some mercurochrome dried leaving a sort of shiny stain on the skin.

marsh

Anybody else have a [shock] B O I L when they were young? Damn I still have nightmares about a couple I had.....

When I had a boil, we always called in the boilsucker.

Soaking an ankle sprain or hurt foot with Epsom salts...now get back out there and play!


Methiolade?? [shock] yepper..it stung like sumbitch.

[b][blue]NAKED[/blue][/b]

Wussies when we got cut we just put dirt on it to clot the bleeding.

Nah, kids are still tough.
We tend to start 'em out this way by making sure that we strap most infant boys down, and go at their little penis right away:  clamp (crush), slit, tie up, and cut.  May or may not numb it.  That'll elevate the pain threshold, eh?[;)]

Do youngsters still get cavities filled without a local?

Yep I remember merthiolate, never gould figure out why mercurichrome was so hard for the family to find.

The pain of IODINE was always a great incentive to NOT get hurt and if I did get hurt, to NOT WHINE about it or bring it to ANYONES attention what so ever.

Three years ago, when I was playing football my senior year, I completely dislocated my elbow.  I had teh ems pop it back in and went right back out.  Only missed about 3 plays.  

And I always get my cavities filled wiotout novacane, its quicker that way.

Keving67

When we had hemorrhoids, we called Uncle Fred. He was a nice unmarried man who lived down the street.

In the same vein...

When I was 13 or so I got a plantar's wart.

Instead of telling my mom about it and going to the doctor, I got the idea I could just cut it out.

I got a sharp knife, doused it with alcohol (knew enough to do that I guess) and started digging.  

About an hour later I had a hole 1/4 inch deep and 1/2 inch in diameter on the ball of my foot.  I put a bandaid on it and figured that should do it.  

Needless to say, after it healed up about a month later, the wart was still there.  

Ended up using that Dr. Scholl's shit to get rid of it.  Worked like a charm.  

I think I had just seen First Blood or something and decided that home surgery was easy.  

LOL!  What an idiot!


Oh, and it didn't really hurt all that bad after the first ten minutes or so.  

I still refrain from anesthetics when I get cavities done.  My dentist said that I'm one of 2 patients in his 32 years of dentistry that don't use it.  The other has a medical condition, I just hate needles and puffy cheeks.

I stepped on an Upholstery needle when I was 10 - damn thing broke off leaving what would be about 2" in my foot - if it were straight.

Out came the Gem razor blade, alcohol burner, fuel for burner, and Captain Morgan, and Krazy Glue.

Used Morgan to sterilise the cut and for a light general Anaesthetic.  Sterilised the blade with the burner (note to self - use holder for hot razor blades!) and opened up my foot.  Extracted needle - almost forgot important factoid - UPHOLSTERY NEEDLES ARE CURVED!  Hurt like all Hell until I recalled that...

Removed needle, watched old man toss cookies after seeing me operate on my own foot (he was an abusive wuss anyhow...)  Closed with Krazy Glue.  Got back to whatever I had been doing.

Elapsed time - 5 minutes.

Thanks to Krazy Glue, I have probably NOT scarred from fully half of my various minor injuries (gunshots and Jungle Rot take a little more than that - getting Vulcanised is no fun.  You don't know anything about itching until you get a skin graft over a good-sized area!)

FFZ

Never even knew you could get a shot when your cavities were being filled until I was done having cavities filled. Now everyone seems to get novacaine. Hell, they even offer you knock out juice for regular checkups!

My 'tough kid' story: Was running around in a friend's back yard. Jumping off a hill, trying to land in the garden at the bottom of the hill. Garden was trimmed with railroad ties. Jumped from top of hill, landed exactly in front of a railroad tie, both big toes slamming into the wood at the same time. Hurt like hell. I think I was back playing 10-15 minutes later.

Now that I look back, I probably should have gone to my parents, because even though it seems like a small thing, it would be nice to be able to bend my big toes like other people can...

Oh, here's another tough kid tale:

was about 10 yrs. old--playing on a friend's gas powered go-kart.  Was wearing shorts. (you see where this is going?)

Touched the (very) hot muffler--imagine the round mufflers on those 3hp motors--with my leg, just above the knee.  Definite 3rd degree burn.  Didn't hurt so I just kept playing--ALL DAY.

When I got home and showed my mom, she just about feinted!  

Didn't go to the hospital (should have) and she put salve on it.  Took about about 6 weeks to really heal up.  Nasty scar for years but it is almost gone now (20 years later).  

Here's to the healing power of youth!

NO SHIT!  that stuff was hell....  but it sure did raise the pain threshold.