FIEE AS AN AGENT IN HUMAN CULTUBE 247 



In Japan and Burma outcrops of mineral oil were put to some 

 use for burning, but probably at no distant date. There are many 

 instances of the use of the limited supply of outcrop mineral oil long 

 antedating the production of enormous quantities of kerosene, which 

 began about 65 years ago. 



ANIMAL 



Most of the lamp fuels under this class are derived from water 

 animals, the fats of land animals being unsuitable on account of their 

 fixity, which is shown by the content of stearin and other bases com- 

 pared with the oil. Oil from aquatic animals, containing a smaller 

 amount of separable bases remains fluid in cold climates and the fats 

 are more easily reduced to a liquid state by the heat of the lamp 

 flame. In many respects fish oil is comparable to petroleum. 



In view of these facts the animal lamp fuel was confined to oils 

 derived from water animals, principally from sea life, and thus was 

 collected on the coasts. Fish oil was the earliest animal oil secured 

 in amount. In the island of Skye the oil burned in crusies was 

 extracted from the livers of fish. The livers were allowed to semi- 

 decay and were then heated and the oil poured off into a stone jar 

 or craggan. The oil made in this way was dark, but thin and 

 good.*' 



Seal oil was used in preference by the aboriginal coast dwellers of 

 the north. The Eskimo and Aino are examples. The lesser water 

 mammals were more easily taken than the whale, and there is a pri- 

 ority of the use of oil derived from them. Fish oil was also used 

 before whale oil. In response to a demand for a better supply of 

 oil among other economic products derived from cetaceans, whal- 

 ing increased rapidl}^ to a great industry, tlireatening to exterminate 

 these great sea animals. It has been observed that the introduction 

 of petroleum and the consequent decline of the industry prevented 

 the extinction of the whale. Improved technical methods early in 

 the nineteenth century also placed lard oil and other animal oil at 

 the disposal of those who burned lamps. 



In the height of the sea-oil industry many oils for certain uses were 

 procured from numerous sea animals. Of those for illuminating pur- 

 poses were fish oil, seal oil, and whale oil. Whale oil was classed as 

 from different species of whales and known as crude, natural winter, 

 bleached, extra bleached, refined, and whale-oil "foots." The sperm 

 oil, which was regarded as superior to any other whale oil, was known 

 as crude sperm, crude head sperm, crude body sperm, natural winter 

 sperm, and bleached winter sperm. Grampus, blackfish, and por- 

 poise oils from these cetaceans were sold as crude and refined. Seal 

 oils were marketed as natural and steam refined. Menhaden oil was 



"Proc. Soc. Antiq., Scotland, vol. 2, 1880, p. 145. 



