Intended to have aided a World War 1 soldier, an antiquated field dressing yesterday sparked a modern day emergency in central Dunedin. The bandage was coated in picric acid, a substance now regarded as a hazardous and potentially explosive substance but which was used to treat burns and skin ailments for several decades. On July 6, Waikawa & Districts Museum in the Catlins was evacuated and the bomb squad called in after staff found picric acid in a medicine kit. Toitu Otago Settlers Museum staff were checking the museum’s collection yesterday and found the potentially harmful field dressing. Museums New Zealand said picric acid-soaked gauze or lint was often included in old first-aid kits or kept as a bottled liquid.

Source: Otago Daily Times July 20, 2021 16:30 UTC