Hydrogen Peroxide was first identified and isolated by the French Chemist- Louis J Thenard in 1818; and shortly after , its first commercial use was to bleach hats( Wikipedia.org)
It is a mild antiseptic and used on the skin as First-Aid to
1. treat and prevent infections of minor cuts, abrasions, burns, etc
2. remove dressings from wounds……and also
3. used in the mouth- mouth irritations/infections, gingivitis, etc.
4. helps remove ear wax from the ears
5. can be used to whiten teeth – small mixture with water ; use cotton wool
6. as a mouth wash- dilute with water and gargle frequently
7. to clean and disinfect vegetables and fruits – wash them in a mixture of small quantity and water
8. for the FirstAid treatment of cuts, fresh wounds and abrasions – dilute with an equal volume of water, apply with cotton wool to arrest the bleeding and disinfect the tissue.
Case Report
Christoper Swain
To mark the Earth Day, Christopher Swain – a clean water activist is shown here gargling with hydrogen peroxide after swimming in the Gowanus Canal @ New York City (Reuters 2015)