CARVACROL

carvacrol, or cymophenol, c10h13oh, or ch3 / \ oh | | \ / c3h7 (iso), a constituent of the ethereal oil of _origanum hirtum_, oil of thyme, oil obtained from pepperwort, and wild bergamot. it may be synthetically prepared by the fusion of cymol sulphonic acid with caustic potash; by the action of nitrous acid on 1-methyl-2-amino-4-propyl benzene; by prolonged heating of 5 parts of camphor with 1 part of iodine; or by heating carvol with glacial phosphoric acid. it is extracted from origanum oil by means of a 10% potash solution. it is a thick oil which sets at -20 deg.c. to a mass of crystals of melting point 0 deg.c, and boiling point 236-237 deg.c. oxidation with ferric chloride converts it into dicarvacrol, whilst phosphorus pentachloride transforms it into chlorcymol.