218 REPOKT OF COMMISSIONEK OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



expense. At present eomimratively little medicinal oil is ])r(Kluce(l in 

 Newfonndland. Tlie livoi's are mostly all convert (h1 into curriers' oil, 

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



Tlie sitnat ion in Nova .Scotia is jpretty much the same as in New- 

 foundland, although much less oil is ijroduced, the annual output 

 probably amounting to about :30,000 gallons of iiKMliciiKil oil ;ind 

 250,000 gallons of curriei-s' oil. 



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

 permit the use of the livers in making medicinal oil; l)ut the shore 

 fisheries during autumn and winter, when the spawn ijig fish visit the 

 coast, furnish good material for that purpose, resulting in the prepa- 

 ration of about 25,000 gallons each year. Much of this is of supe- 

 rioi- quality, and unsurpassed for color and jjleasantness of odor and 

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

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

 450,000 gallons. 



Considerable cod oil has been expoi-ted from Japan for medicinal 

 purposes, l)ut 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 oo 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 i)robably does not exceed 1U0,000 

 gallons. 



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

 000 gallons; Newfoundland, 1,100,000 gallons; Dominion of C'anada, 

 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 spc-cies. Of 

 this cxuantity about 650,000 gallons represent tlie output of medicinal 

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



DESCRIPTION OP LIVERS AND THE RESULTING OILS. 



The following description of livers and the account of rendering 

 them into oil are the results princiiially of an inquiry 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 especiall}' indebted in this con- 

 nection to Mr. A. W. Dodd and Messrs. George J. Tan- S: Sons, of 

 Glouct^ster, and to Messrs. Geo. H. Leonard & Co., ]\lr. John B. Uaum, 

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



Normal cod livers in good condition are of a cream color, uniform 

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

 through them. Lean livers are frequently found. These are tough 

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

 degiee of leanness, the color finally reaching a dark bi-own hue. Lean 

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



