408 CARBOLIC ACID 



dysentery., contagious abortion, and in distemper of the 

 dog. For the destruction of parasites in the intestine a 

 filtered solution of twenty grains in a quart of water may 

 be used. Externally, a solution of five grains to a pint of 

 water is employed as a lotion for wounds and ulcers, and 

 as a dressing for eczema and mange. 



CARBOLIC ACID 

 ACIDUM CARBOLICUM. Phenol. C 6 H 5 OH. 



Carbolic acid is an occasional constituent of the urine of 

 most animals, may be extracted from some plants, and is 

 one of the many products of coal-tar. Cannel coal is its 

 most prolific source ; but it also occurs in other coals, as 

 well as in bitumen and petroleum. It is obtained from coal- 

 tar oil by fractional distillation (B.P.). 



Carbolic acid occurs in small, colourless, deliquescent 

 crystals, having a peculiar odour and sweetish pungent 

 taste. Exposed to moist air it may acquire a pinkish tinge. 

 Specific gravity 1-060 to 1-066. It is devoid of acid reaction, 

 is liquefied at 60 Fahr. by ten parts of water, and completely 

 dissolved by twelve hundred parts of cold water. It is freely 

 soluble in glycerin, most volatile oils, alcohol, ether, alkaline 

 solutions, and acetic acid. It has a caustic action on the 

 skin and mucous membranes, coagulates albumin, and 

 liquefies camphor. With an equivalent of sulphuric acid, 

 it forms sulpho-carbolic acid, which produces a series of 

 definite, stable, soluble, crystallisable salts the sulpho- 

 carbolates, which have no action of carbolic acid. With 

 nitric acid, it forms explosive picric acid (C 6 H 2 (N0 2 ) 3 OH), 

 an antiseptic, and much used as a yellow dye. When 

 carbonic anhydride is passed through heated dry powdered 

 sodium phenate, salicylic acid is produced. 



Carbolic acid is distinguished by its odour. Bromine 

 water forms, even in very dilute aqueous solutions, pale- 

 yellow crystalline needles of tribromo-phenol. An aqueous 

 solution, even if containing y^ 1 ^ part, when treated with a 

 drop or two of ferric chloride solution, produces a purple 

 colour. 



