I found some sort of compound recently, the packaging for which confounded me. Take a look at the picture below.
The plastic tub contained 99.9% pure dimethyl sulfoxide. A quick check of Wikipedia (i.e., the new Encyclopedia Britannica) reveals that dimethyl sulfoxide is some nasty stuff.
Intrigued by the deadly-sounding name — as most things containing sulfur are not overly healthy for humans — I spun the tub around to investigate further.
Whoa! The warning reads: MAY BE UNSAFE. Not approved for human use.
Yet, having studied the Wikipedia page briefly, I am not sure that I want my neighbor’s dog using this stuff either! Who or what is approved to use this compound?
A note about purity
No, no, silly this isn’t a religious blog. Not that purity.
Take another look at the top photo, paying attention to where the front label says ‘99.9% pure DMSO‘. Ok. Done that? Now look at the picture below and see if you can spot a discrepancy.
That’s right! The back label reads Active ingredients: dimethyl sulfoxide 90%. How does that become 99.9% pure?
perhaps the numbers are not actually in conflict….the number on the front purports that the Dimethyl Sulfoxide in this product is 99.9% pure Dimethyl Sulfoxide….the number on the back under list of ingredients purports that Dimethyl Sulfoxide makes up 90% of the active ingredients and do not describe at all the purity of the Dimethyl Sulfoxide (which we now understand to be 99.9% pure).
@ Mark
Um, I think your mind must be be sharper than mine. Not only do I not understand how you could be correct, I don’t quite grasp what you’re trying to explain.
Can you try explaining yourself again please? Forgive my mental slowness.
@ Mark
I’m with you. The Dimethyl Sulfoxide in the compound is 99.9% pure, but only 90% of the contents of this tub is Dimethyl Sulfoxide.
That said, who this product is intended for is a very good question! Maybe targeting the Terminator market?
Ok, I now understand the 99.9% – 90% connection. Thanks for the clarification.
Let’s take up the usage conversation. What the heck is this stuff for if it’s not approved for human use?
Perhaps the better question is to whom or what are they selling this stuff if it’s not for human use?
Aliens? Kittens? Flesh eating bacteria?
Inquiring minds want to know!
It says it is not for human use as a protection against lawsuits but
DMSO is being touted as a cure for arthritis and many other human ailments. Also for racehorses as cortisone injection are illegal.
So I don’t know what this particular product is for. It does say it is a solvent so maybe it is for removing grease.
But whatever the inactive ingredients are in the product above…sulphuric acid, lye, I used it on my knee and my lower thumb, both of which are severely arthritic and had to wash it off immediately as it raised blisters on my hand and a red raised rash on my knee.
I used pure liquid DMSO back in the 70’s given to me by a pharmaceutical salesman who was a friend and it did cure arthritis I had in both knees. It did leave that bad taste in my mouth.