In the early 20th century , picric acid was stocked in pharmacies as an antiseptic and as a treatment for burns , malaria , herpes , and smallpox . Picric acid-soaked gauze was also commonly stocked in first aid kits from that period as a burn treatment . It was most notably used for the treatment of burns suffered by victims of the Hindenburg disaster in 1937 . Picric acid was also used as a treatment for trench foot suffered by soldiers stationed on the Western Front during World War I
disaster
Hindenburg disaster
Picric acid