The objective of this work was to investigate the possibility of using alkali metal salts of ethylcar bonic acid as a carboxylating reagent in phenol (naph thols) carboxylation and developing a new and simple method for the synthesis of hydroxybenzoic and hydroxy naphthoic acids having broad practical application. It was found that sodium ethyl carbonate and potassium ethyl carbonate can be successfully used as carboxylat ing agents in carboxylation of phenol and naphthols. For the first time, the effects of the gaseous medium (air, car bon dioxide, argon), pressure, temperature and reaction time on the proceedings of the carboxylation reactions were examined. Simple and convenient procedures for the syntheses of o and phydroxybenzoic, paminosali cylic, 1hydroxy2 naphthoic, 1hydroxy4naphthoic and 2hydroxy3 naphthoic acids were developed. New effi cient technologies for preparation of drugs salicylic acid (antiseptic activity), paminosalicylic acid (antituber culous activity) and phydroxybenzoic acid (bactericide activity) based on carboxylation reactions of phenol and maminophenol with sodium and potassium salts of ethyl carbonic acid were worked out.