this output was raised to 40,200,000 gallons of benzol and 10,200,000 of
toluol. The toluol was used mostly in the manufacture of trinitrotoluol
for use in Europe. When the war broke out in 1914 it shut off our supply
of phenol (carbolic acid) for which we were dependent upon foreign
sources. This threatened not only to afflict us with headaches by
depriving us of aspirin but also to removed the consolation of music,
for phenol is used in making phonographic records. Mr. Edison with his
accustomed energy put up a factory within a few weeks for the
manufacture of synthetic phenol. When we entered the war the need for
phenol became yet more imperative, for it was needed to make picric
acid for filling bombs. This demand was met, and in 1917 there were
fifteen new plants turning out 64,146,499 pounds of phenol valued at
$23,719,805.

Some of the coal-tar products, as we see, serve many purposes. For
instance, picric acid appears in three places in this book. It is a high
explosive. It is a powerful and permanent yellow dye as any one who has
touched it knows. Thirdly it is used as an antiseptic to cover burned
skin. Other coal-tar dyes are used for the same purpose, "malachite
green," "brilliant green," "crystal violet," "ethyl violet" and
"Victoria blue," so a patient in a military hospital is decorated like
an Easter egg. During the last five years surgeons have unfortunately
had unprecedented opportunities for the study of wounds and fortunately
they have been unprecedentedly successful in finding improved methods of
treating them. In former wars a serious wound meant usually death or
amputation. Now nearly ninety per cent. of the wounded are able to
continue in the service. The reason for this improvement is that
medicines are now being made to order instead of being gathered "from
China to Peru." The old herb doctor picked up any strange plant that he
could find and tried it on any sick man that would let him. This