582  Commercial  Carbolic  Compounds.  {Am'Nov.r'i887arm' 
and,  so  far  as  we  know,  we  have  tried  every  published  modification, 
besides  those  resulting  from  our  own  experiments. 
Another  thing  which  tends  to  lead  to  much  dissatisfaction  in  such 
matters  is  the  tendency  of  local  authorities  to  contract  wildly  for  pow- 
ders or  liquids  "  containing  (say)  fifteen  per  cent,  carbolic  acid,"  with- 
out getting  their  medical  officer  to  ask  the  analyst  whether  such  an 
article  really  exists  in  commerce.  The  manufacturer  takes  such  a 
contract  with  a  light  heart,  because  he  knows  he  can  practically  put 
in  an  acid  as  tarry  and  weak  as  he  likes,  and  argue  (if  challenged) 
that  he  really  put  in  fifteen  per  cent,  of  "  commercial"  carbolic  acid, 
and  bring  reliable  witnesses,  if  needful,  to  prove  they  saw  it  done. 
Meantime  the  powder  is  complained  of  and  sent  to  the  analyst,  who  is 
asked  to  state  the  percentage  of  carbolic  acid.  He  does  this  according 
to  his  lights,  and  naturally  takes  the  words  of  the  contract  as  literal, 
and  reports  the  amount  of  real  phenol  he  finds.  This  being  generally 
microscopic,  the  authority  becomes  indignant,  and  the  manufacturer, 
in  defending  himself  as  above  shown,  hints  that  the  analyst  is  incom- 
petent, and  generally  gets  one  or  two  persons  on  the  local  board  to 
believe  him.  If,  in  such  matters,  the  boards  could  be  induced  to 
consult  their  analyst  before  issuing  the  form  of  tender,  they  would 
then  learn  that  words  like  those  we  have  above  commented  upon  are 
absolutely  useless  in  such  cases,  and  that  it  is  ridiculous  to  ask  for  a 
thing  which  never  could  be  supplied  in  practice  within  any  reasonable 
limit  of  cost. 
It  may  be  now  taken  as  a  tolerably  well  admitted  fact  that,  setting 
aside  the  necessities  of  surgery  and  medicine,  the  cresol  and  other 
higher  phenols  are  just  as  good  for  ordinary  antiseptic  purposes  as  real 
carbolic  acid  itself,  and  that  unless  the  presence  of  such  congeners  be 
permitted,  the  cost  of  disinfectants  of  this  class  would  be  quite  pro- 
hibitory. It  is  therefore  sufficient  that  the  analyst  should  see  that  his 
board  is  being  supplied  with  an  article  which  is  all  made  up  of  mixed 
phenols,  and  not  with  tar  oils,  containing  only  a  small  proportion  of 
such  bodies. 
There  is  nothing  more  involved  in  the  processes  than  the  following 
well-known  data  : — 
(1)  Phenol,  cresol,  and  their  homologues  are  completely  soluble 
when  shaken  up  with  a  five  per  cent,  solution  of  sodium  hydrate. 
(2)  Liquefied  phenol  and  the  corresponding  cresol  are  insoluble  in 
a  saturated  solution  of  sodium  chloride. 
