In 1834, German chemist
Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge discovered a
phenol, also known as carbolic acid, which he derived in an impure form from
coal tar. Its disinfecting and anti-putrescent properties were known by 1859. In 1860, Alexander McDougall (or M'Dougall) obtained a U.K. patent for a
sheep dip, in which phenol was combined with an alkali and some fatty substance, in effect creating a carbolic soap.
F. C. Calvert and Company of
Manchester, England, was established in 1859 as a manufacturer of pure crystalline phenol. By 1863, phenol was being used topically for treatment of skin diseases and ulcers by medical practitioners in the UK. Calvert established himself as a major supplier of phenol in the UK by 1866, and played a significant role in popularization of the chemical compound. In August 1865,
Joseph Lister applied a piece of lint dipped in carbolic acid solution to the wound of an eleven-year-old boy at
Glasgow Royal Infirmary, who had sustained a compound fracture after a cart wheel had passed over his leg. After four days, he renewed the pad and discovered that no infection had developed, and after a total of six weeks he was amazed to discover that the boy's bones had fused back together, without the danger of
suppuration. His discovery was published in
The Lancet in 1867. This contributed to a rapid introduction of carbolic acid in medical and surgical practice. At first, M'Dougall brothers were the only manufacturers of carbolic soap in the UK. In the United States, the licence for manufacturing carbolic soap was held by James Buchan and Company. In 1894,
William Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme, introduced the
Lifebuoy brand of carbolic soap to the market. ==Features==