THE WHALING INDUSTRY 703 



at the whaling station or factory ship. The principal use is for margarine and 

 glycerine in Europe; it hydrogenates as does a similar, partially unsaturated vege- 

 table oil. In the United States the main use is for soaps and the production of 

 glycerine. Consumption is limited because of the abundance of cheaper vegetable 

 oils. Fatty acids are to some extent the by-products of the production of glycerine. 

 However, all these usages and techniques are essentially a part of the chemical 

 industry, not whaling. 



Body oil from the white whale (beluga) is often referred to by that name, as 

 is that from the blackfish (pilot whale). Similarly, body oil from various smaller 

 cetaceans when they form an exclusive cetacean fishery are called by the species: 

 porpoise oil (either from true porpoise, or bottlenose dolphin) or dolphin oil, etc. 

 There is some confusion, however, over the head and jaw oil from dolphins and 

 porpoises, and often the exact nature of the oil is not indicated by the name. 



A peculiar form of glyceridic oil is found in the head fat (melon) and jaw-pan 

 fat of dolphins and porpoises. This oil contains a high proportion of glycerides of 

 isovaleric acid which gives the oil peculiarly good properties as a lubricant. The 

 oil does not gum or stiffen at low temperatures, nor oxidize at high; it does not cor- 

 rode metal or become acid. Properties of this oil are given in Table 153. Formerly 

 it was the exclusive watch and fine instrument oil of commerce, though recently 

 it has been replaced to some extent by a synthetic product. Generally these oils 

 are referred to as head and/or jaw oils, or blackfish head oil, porpoise jaw oil, etc.; 

 but sometimes the general term blackfish oil or porpoise oil is used to indicate 

 the special head and jaw oils, and not a body oil. 



Liver oils of all species, including the sperm, are mainly glycerides, but are not 

 classed as whale oil because of the high content of vitamin A. This vitamin is 

 usually esterified; but cholesterol, a cyclic alcohol, may also be present and give 

 additionally unique properties to liver oil. 



There is evidence of appreciable amounts of vitamin D and traces of vitamin A 

 in cetacean blubber oils which may cause the alleged curative powers of the oils 

 in dermatoses of various sorts. 



Refining. Steamed whale oil is usually of excellent quality, and for many pur- 

 poses does not need refining. 



Table 153. Some Chemical and Physical Properties of the Oil of the 

 Common Porpoise. 



18° C) 



Note: The yield of oil from these 4 body sources was: Blubber oil 14 pounds (324 ounces), upper jaw 

 (with melon) 3% ounces, lower jaw (pan fat) 2V2 ounces, and skull (brain, etc.) P/^ ounces. 



Source: Sunderland, P. A., "Analysis of Pacific Coast Porpoise Oils," Fisheries Research Board Canada, 

 Prog. Repts. Pacific Coast Stations, 14, 14-15 (1932). 



