Cetacea. 7167 



considerably larger have been talcen at Calpentyn. The male and 

 female diigongs are very afFeclionate to each other, and especially so 

 to their offspring ; when the latter is killed, the mother can scarcely 

 be induced to leave her enemies, and falls an easy prey. 



The dugong obtains considerable length and size ; the outline of 

 the horizontal tail-fin is crescent-shaped, and a large thick upper lip 

 falls over the lower ; the skin of the body is thinly set with short 

 prickly bristles ; the anterior limbs or flippers are destitute of nails, 

 and the eyes are very small. A short description of these creatures 

 is necessary, and will no doubt be received with satisfaction, con- 

 sidering that eight or ten gallons of oil may be obtained from an ordi- 

 nary dugong, the extraordinary properties of which I have been, I 

 believe, the first to test in this country. At Brisbane and Moreton 

 Bay, Australia, the natives catch the animal and greedily devour it. 



Dr. Hobbs, a medical practitioner at the latter place, had his atten- 

 tion drawn to the oleaginous properties of the dugong, and for some 

 time past prescribed the oil with advantage where he would have 

 advised cod-liver oil. 



For the last twelve months I have been in possession of the oil for 

 the purpose of testing its value, and submitted it to the analytical 

 opinion of my respected friend, the eminent chemist, Professor Taylor, 

 of Guy's Hospital, who has kindly allowed me to state that he considers 

 the oil " very palatable," in fact agreeable, differing in that one point 

 specially from the best cod-liver oil. Its component proportions are 

 exceedingly harmless, stearine in excess, and it can, in his opinion, 

 be taken, without any ill effects, by the most delicate lady, child or 

 invalid. I have communicated to Professor Taylor the results of the 

 use of this remedy in cases of scrofula and consumption, which has 

 led him to give his opinion that an oil so agreeable, with such results, 

 is decidedly a most valuable and important remedy. 



As my object is merely to give temporary information to the public, 

 I shall mention a few facts in confirmation of my statement. 



A young lady, aged 17, residing in Harley Street, Portland Place, 

 came under my medical care some time since, at the request of her 

 family. She was a perfect skeleton, complexion extremely fair, light 

 hair, of moderate height; her system was saturated with scrofula, had 

 a hacking cough, and evident dulness on percussion, over the apex of 

 the right lung particularly, also slighter over the left. Stethoscopic 

 diagnosis inferred tubercular deposit in these portions of the lungs ; 

 scrofulous enlargement of the cervical glands on the right side of the 

 neck, and tumours of the same about the wrist joints; added to all 



