To conclude, Phenol is an extremely important compound. It helped to both kill and save human lives. While it was used as a toxic gas by cynical organizations like the Nazis to exterminate prisoners, it helped to revolutionize the scientific world into what it is today. Used to sterilize elements, doctors were able to use the clean tools for each operation, which in turn made infection decrease significantly. So although phenol has been used for some inhumane purposes, the amount of positive uses outweighs these negations. And although it shares the same basic structure as some other similar compounds, there is no question that phenol is extremely unique. The world would not be as clean or sanitized without the use of one of the most beneficial drugs of the past century: Phenol.