Soviet Medical Encyclopedia

Beech Tar

Pharmacology, Dermatology & Venereology

Also known as: Pix Fagi, Oleum Fagi

Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.

Summary

Beech tar is a thick, dark brown, oily liquid obtained by the dry distillation of beech wood, possessing a characteristic burnt odor and a bitter, pungent taste. It serves as a raw material for the production of creosote and is used in medicine primarily in dermatological ointments for eczema and scabies.

Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)

BEECH TAR, Pix Fagi s. Oleum Fagi empyreumaticum, is obtained by the dry distillation of the wood of Fagus silvatica L.; it is a thick, oil-like liquid of a blackish-brown color, with a peculiar burnt odor resembling creosote, and an unpleasant bitter, pungent taste. It serves as the starting material for the extraction of creosote (see); in medicine, it is used predominantly in dermatology in ointments for eczema and scabies.

Mentioned in

Cite this page

“Beech Tar.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/beech-tar/