218 REPOKT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



expense. At present comparatively little medicinal oil is produced in 

 Newfoundland. The livers are mostly all converted into curriers' oil, 

 resulting in an annual output of about 1,100,000 gallons. 



The situation in Nova Scotia is pretty much the same as in New- 

 foundland, aithougli much less oil is produced, tlie annual output 

 probably amounting to about 20,000 gallons of medicinal oil and 

 250,000 gallons of curriers' oil. 



The bank fisheries of America are situated too far from the land to 

 permit the use of the livers in making medicinal oil; but the shore 

 fisheries during autumn and winter, when the spawning fish visit the 

 coast, furnisli good material f(n- that puri)Ose, resulting in the prepa- 

 ration of about 25,000 gallons each j^ear. Much of this is of supe- 

 rior qualit}^, and unsurpassed for color and pleasantness of odor and 

 taste. The livers taken in the bank fislieries are practically all used 

 in preparing curriers' oil, the total annual product of which is about 

 450,000 gallons. 



Considerable cod oil has been exported from Japan for medicinal 

 purposes, but that received in this country has not found favor with 

 the wholesale druggists and has usually been sold for currying. The 

 first shipment of 200 cases, made in 1889, sold at 35 cents per gallon. 

 We have no data bearing on the cod-oil output in Japan, but with an 

 annual catch of 7,000,000 fish it probably does not exceed 100,000 

 gallons. 



The entire product of cod oil is estimated as follows : Norway, 1,200,- 

 000 gallons; Newfoundland, 1,100,000 gallons; Dominion of Canada, 

 300,000 gallons; United States, 475,000 gallons; Japan and all other 

 countries, 450,000 gallons, making a total of 3,525,000 gallons of all 

 varieties of oil produced from the livers of cod and related spt^cies. Of 

 this quantity about 050,000 gallons represent the output of medicinal 

 oil, and the remaining 2,875,000 gallons is curriers' oil. 



DESCRIPTION OF LIVERS AND THE RESULTING OILS. 



The following description of livers and the account of rendering 

 them into oil are the results principally of an inquir}^ made by the 

 writer on the New England coast in October and November of 1901. 

 Most of the oil factories were visited and many of the principal fisher- 

 men were interviewed. The writer is especially indebted in this con- 

 nection to Mr. A. W. Dodd and Messrs. George J. Tarr & Sons, of 

 Gloucester, and to Messrs. Geo. H. Leonard & Co., Mr. John B. 3?aum, 

 and Mr. F. F. Dimick, of Boston. 



Normal cod livers in good condition ai'e of a cream color, uniform 

 texture, and very soft, so that the finger may be readilj' pushed quite 

 through them. Lean livers are fre(iuently found. Those are tough 

 and dark in color, the toughness and darkness increasing with the 

 degree of leanness, the color finally i-oaching a dark brown hue. Lean 

 livers furnish very inferior oil, as well as only a small quantity. A 



