After Beaver's fight with Gilbert, Wally wants to put some mercurochrome (mercury!) on his cut, and says this.

What the heck is that? I was a little kid back then, and we had some strange ways--a few drops of paregoric (opium, I think) for an upset stomach, talk of rheumatism, hardening of the arteries, etc. I'm surprised we didn't have blood lettings and use leeches!

I thought that Gilbert's father looked like a communist. Seriously
Back at that time we had several eastern European families in the neighborhood who talked surprisingly like Boris and Natasha, had no outwardly noticeable source of income, yet lead comparatively lavish lifestyles, and the Fathers all looked suspiciously like Mr Gates in today's episode.

We just figured they were Russian traitors brought over to the USA by our government as refugees seeking asylum.

More to your point however...the term "hydrophobia" (not to be confused with "aquaphobia") was sometimes used as an euphemism for "rabies" or other infection that would cause one to foam at the mouth.

Yeah, we had some interesting medicines. Mom put paragoric directly into an aching ear. And had this vile concoction known as "Dr Lemke's Jonhannis Drops" she'd give me for a tummy ache.

I also remember home brew "poultices" for injuries that were pretty strange. some had egg intended to draw-out an established infection, or laden with vile smelling oils to seal-out any potential new infection.

And "medicated" enemas? Where did they even learn witchcraft like that?

If I recall correctly, a few drops of paregoric actually did settle the stomach.

And we did use the red stuff - mercurochrome or iodine - on minor cuts.

Also these were the times of a doctor painting a sore throat, shots of penicillin as a cure all for seemingly everything, shots of polio vaccine and later an oral Sabin vaccine, use of ether as an anesthetic, widespread removal of kids' tonsils, and popular dosing of kids with castor oil (although I escaped this).

If any kid is rabid, it's Gilbert.

I remember the red stuff that was used on kids as a treatment for cuts and scrapes, I don't recall it was ever used on me although I rarely had cuts or scrapes, haven't seen that red stuff in years. Drinking ginger ale is a good remedy for stomach issues.

I vaguely remember a "Mutt & Jeff" cartoon where one of them had shaving cream around their mouth only, and the other mistook the condition as hydrophoba.

Oh indeed we had mercurochrome in our house. I’d get a cut, and Dad would get it out. I’d be crying and squirming, knowing it’ll sting like the dickens—but apparently it cured what ailed us at the time.

cd

Merbromin (marketed as Mercurochrome, Merbromine, Mercurocol, Sodium mercurescein, Asceptichrome, Supercrome, Brocasept and Cinfacromin) is an organomercuric disodium salt compound used as a topical antiseptic for minor cuts and scrapes and as a biological dye.


DYE ? for what ?

Merbromin's best-known use is as a topical antiseptic to treat minor wounds, burns, and scratches.[4] It is also used in the antisepsis of the umbilical cord[5] and the antisepsis of wounds with inhibited scar formation, such as neuropathic ulcers and diabetic foot sores.[6] When applied on a wound, it stains the skin a distinctive carmine red, which can persist through repeated washings. Due to its persistence and to its lethality to bacteria as an antiseptic, Merbromin is useful on infections of the fingernail or toenail.