The tin of picric acid 246, found at the Waikawa Museum this week. For nearly 40 years staff and visitors at a Catlins museum were in the presence of a tin containing a potentially highly explosive substance, and they had no idea. Picric acid 246 was originally used as a military explosive, a yellow dye, and an antiseptic. The roving museum officer had been based at Waikawa Museum for a few days this week. It turned out that tucked inside a 19th century medical chest was a bottle of picric acid.

Source: Stuff July 07, 2021 00:25 UTC