TCP (antiseptic)
Encyclopedia
Antiseptic
Antiseptics are antimicrobial substances that are applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction...
, produced in France by Laboratoires Chemineau in Vouvray and sold in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
by Omega Pharma
Omega Pharma
Omega Pharma is a Belgian Pharmaceutical company, founded in 1987 by Marc Coucke and Yvan Vindevogel, both former Pharmacy students at the Ghent University.The company is quoted at Euronext Brussels and makes part of the BEL20 index.-Arseus:...
.
The brand name comes from its original chemical name, which was trichlorophenylmethyliodosalicyl (not to be confused with trichlorophenol
2,4,6-Trichlorophenol
2,4,6-Trichlorophenol, also known as TCP, phenaclor, Dowicide 2S, Dowcide 2S, omal, is a chlorinated phenol that has been used as a fungicide, herbicide, insecticide, antiseptic, defoliant, and glue preservative. It is a yellow solid with a strong, sweet odour...
, a common fungicide
Fungicide
Fungicides are chemical compounds or biological organisms used to kill or inhibit fungi or fungal spores. Fungi can cause serious damage in agriculture, resulting in critical losses of yield, quality and profit. Fungicides are used both in agriculture and to fight fungal infections in animals...
). Trichlorophenylmethyliodosalicyl was replaced as the active ingredient by a mixture of phenol and halogenated phenols in the 1950s. The liquid form of TCP is one of the most well-known brands of antiseptic in the UK, and its distinctive overbearing, medicinal odour can be identified by many as a generic antiseptic smell.
Omega Pharma acquired the rights to TCP from Pfizer
Pfizer
Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
in 2004.
Forms
TCP is currently available in 50 mlLitre
pic|200px|right|thumb|One litre is equivalent to this cubeEach side is 10 cm1 litre water = 1 kilogram water The litre is a metric system unit of volume equal to 1 cubic decimetre , to 1,000 cubic centimetres , and to 1/1,000 cubic metre...
, 100 ml, 200 ml and 500 ml bottles as a clear
Clear
Clear may refer to:* Clear, Alaska is an unincorporated community in Denali Borough, Alaska, United States-Music:*Clear , a 1969 album by Spirit*Clear , a 1995 album by Bomb the Bass...
yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
liquid
Liquid
Liquid is one of the three classical states of matter . Like a gas, a liquid is able to flow and take the shape of a container. Some liquids resist compression, while others can be compressed. Unlike a gas, a liquid does not disperse to fill every space of a container, and maintains a fairly...
. It is also available as a cream, and as throat lozenge
Throat lozenge
A throat lozenge, cough drop, troche, or cough sweet is a small, medicated tablet intended to be dissolved slowly in the mouth to temporarily stop coughs and lubricate and soothe irritated tissues of the throat , possibly from the common cold or influenza...
s.
Uses
The instructions contained on the TCP bottle state that TCP can be used for the following conditions:- Sore throatSore throatA sore throat or throat pain is a common physical symptom usually caused by acute pharyngitis, or throat inflammation, though it also occurs in a number of other situations, such as post trauma and in diphtheria. It can cause mild to extreme pain....
s - Gargle a solution of TCP with 5 parts water twice a day. Do not swallow. - Mouth ulcerMouth ulcerA mouth or oral ulcer is an open sore in the mouth, or rarely a break in the mucous membrane or the epithelium on the lips or surrounding the mouth. The types of mouth ulcers are diverse, with a multitude of associated causes including: physical abrasion, acidic fruit, infection, other medical...
s - Dab undiluted three times a day. - CutCutCut may refer to:* The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely directed force-Mathematics:* Cut * Branch cut, a concept in complex analysis* Dedekind cut, a partition of rational numbers* Cut-elimination theorem...
s, grazes, biteBiteA bite is a wound received from the mouth of an animal, including humans.Animals may bite in self-defense, in an attempt to predate food, as well as part of normal interactions. Other bite attacks may be apparently unprovoked. Self inflicted bites occur in some genetic illnesses such as...
s and stingBee stingA bee sting is strictly a sting from a bee . In the vernacular it can mean a sting of a bee, wasp, hornet, or yellow jacket. Some people may even call the bite of a horse-fly a bee sting...
s - Dilute 1 part TCP with 1 part water and apply freely. (TCP may be used undiluted in an emergency). - BoilBoilA boil, also called a furuncle, is a deep folliculitis, infection of the hair follicle. It is always caused by infection by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, resulting in a painful swollen area on the skin caused by an accumulation of pus and dead tissue...
s, spotSpotThe common noun or verb spot has many meanings in English.Otherwise, Spot or SPOT may refer to:-Fiction:* Spot the Dog, a series of children's books adapted for animation* Spot , a character in 101 Dalmatians: The Series...
s and pimplePimpleA pimple, zit or spot is a kind of acne, and one of the many results of excess oil getting trapped in the pores. Some of the varieties are pustules or papules....
s - Dab undiluted once every four hours.
TCP can also be used as a mouthwash
Mouthwash
Mouthwash or mouth rinse is a product used to enhance oral hygiene. Some manufacturers of mouthwash claim that antiseptic and anti-plaque mouth rinse kill the bacterial plaque causing cavities, gingivitis, and bad breath. Anti-cavity mouth rinse uses fluoride to protect against tooth decay...
when diluted, and can also be used as a general disinfectant. A Pfizer representative in South Africa stated http://home.intekom.com/pharm/pfizerc/tcp.html that if diluted, it can be used as a vaginal douche
Douche
A douche is a device used to introduce a stream of water into the body for medical or hygienic reasons, or the stream of water itself.Douche usually refers to vaginal irrigation, the rinsing of the vagina, but it can also refer to the rinsing of any body cavity. A douche bag is a piece of...
, although the safety of this has not been fully ascertained.
Precautions
Care should be taken NOT to swallow TCP. If one starts to feel unwell after using TCP, they should see a medical practitioner immediately. TCP should not be used on cats, as its phenol content makes it toxic to felines.Ingredients
TCP Liquid's active ingredients are halogenated phenolsPhenols
In organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of chemical compounds consisting of a hydroxyl group bonded directly to an aromatic hydrocarbon group...
and phenol
Phenol
Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, phenic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid. The molecule consists of a phenyl , bonded to a hydroxyl group. It is produced on a large scale as a precursor to many materials and useful compounds...
. (One source says each mL of TCP antiseptic contains, Chlorinated Phenols 6.0 mg; Phenol 1.75 mg; Iodinated Phenols 0.95 mg; Sodium Salicylate 0.5 mg.http://home.intekom.com/pharm/pfizerc/tcp.html) It also contains glycerol
Glycerol
Glycerol is a simple polyol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is widely used in pharmaceutical formulations. Glycerol has three hydroxyl groups that are responsible for its solubility in water and its hygroscopic nature. The glycerol backbone is central to all lipids...
, concentrated phosphoric acid
Phosphoric acid
Phosphoric acid, also known as orthophosphoric acid or phosphoric acid, is a mineral acid having the chemical formula H3PO4. Orthophosphoric acid molecules can combine with themselves to form a variety of compounds which are also referred to as phosphoric acids, but in a more general way...
, Quinoline Yellow WS
Quinoline Yellow WS
Quinoline yellow, Quinoline Yellow WS, C.I. 47005, or Food Yellow 13, is a yellow food dye. Chemically it is a mixture of disulfonates , monosulfonates and trisulfonates of 2- indan-1,3-dione....
(E104) and water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
.
In the media
TCP was referred to numerous times in a running gag in Episode 2 of Series 2 of the BBC sitcom series One Foot in the GraveOne Foot in the Grave
One Foot in the Grave is a BBC television sitcom series written by David Renwick. The show ran for six series, including seven Christmas specials, two Comic Relief specials, over an eleven year period, from early 1990 to late 2000...
, alluding to its distinctive and long-lasting odour. TCP was mentioned as an ingredient in a tonic in the film The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It
The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It
The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It is a 1977 comedy starring John Cleese. It is a low-budget spoof of the Sherlock Holmes detective series, as well as the mystery genre in general.- Plot :...
(1977). In the 1963 Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
story Agent 007 in New York, James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
laments the fact that one of his lovers always gargles with TCP after their trysts.
See also
- DettolDettolDettol is the trade name for a line of liquid and solid antiseptic cleansing products manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser.It is ranked as the 48th most trust brand in India by The Brand Trust Report 2011...
antiseptic liquid - SavlonSavlonSavlon is a brand of first aid and medical products manufactured in the UK by Novartis Consumer Health. The name Savlon usually refers to Savlon antiseptic skin healing cream, a topical antiseptic cream sold in the UK without prescription. The active ingredients in Savlon cream are Cetrimide and...
antiseptic liquid - GermoleneGermoleneGermolene is a brand name used on a range of antiseptic products produced by the Bayer company, which in 1999 bought the brand from the then-Smithkline Beecham...
antiseptic liquid