Picric acid converted it to acetylsalicylic acid, i.e., aspirin, to keep it from the Allies. See Great Phenol Plot. At the time, phenol was obtained from coal as a co-product of coke ovens and the manufacture of gas for gas lighting. Laclede Gas reports being asked to expand production of phenol (and toluene) to support the war effort. Both Monsanto and Dow Chemical undertook manufacture of synthetic phenol in 1915. Dow was the leading producer. Dow describes picric acid as “the main battlefield explosive used by the French. Large amounts [of phenol] also went to Japan, where it was made into picric
Silk amino acid What is not so well known though is that silk has been used in traditional medicine in both China and Korea for centuries. The source of these silk amino acids is typically the domesticated moth, silkworm (Latin name: "Bombyx mori"). Sericin has a high hydroxy amino acid content which is important for the water-binding capacity which regulates the skin's moisture content. It also has a unique carbohydrate moiety and a unique repetitive amino acid sequence which give it a high affinity for bonding to adhering proteins resulting in a tightening, anti-wrinkle effect. In addition, because of its high molecular weight,