COD LIVEE OIL 657 



Oleum MoREHUiE. Cod liver oil. (U. S. & B. P.) 



Synonym. — Oleum jecoris ascelli, P.O. ; oleum hapatis 

 morrhuse, cod oil, E. ; huile de morue, huile de foie de morue, 

 Pr. ; leberthran, stoekfisehleberthran, G. 



A fixed oil obtained from fresh livers of Gadus Morr- 

 huae Linne and other species of Gadus (class Pisces; order 

 Teleostei; family Gadidse). 



Habitat. — North Atlantic Ocean. 



Properties. — A ,pale-yellov5^, thin, oily liquid, having a 

 peculiar, slightly fishy, but not rancid odor, and a bland, 

 slightly fishy taste. Spec. gr. 0.920-0.925. Scarcely soluble 

 in alcohol, but readily soluble in ether, chloroform or carbon 

 disulphido; also in 2.5 parts of acetic ether. Brown oils are 

 not desirable therapeutically. 



Constituents. — 1, glycerin oleate, 70 per cent. ; 2, pal' 

 niitin and stearin, 25 per cent. ; 3, oleic, margaris, palmitic, 

 stearic, butyric and acetic acids, in small quantities; 4, bili- 

 ary matter, as cholic, fellinic and bilifellinic acids ; 5, gaduin 

 (C3BH4e09) ; 6, morrhuol, a crystalline substance containing 

 iodine, phosphorus and bromine; 7, traces of iron, lime, and 

 magnesia ; 8, decomposition products or cadaveric alkaloids, 

 in brown oils. 



Dose. H. & C, § ii.-iv. (60.-120.) ; Sh. & Sw., 5 cc.-i. 

 (15.-30.) ; D. & C, i.-iii. (4.-12.). 



Action Internal. — Cod liver oil resembles other oils in 

 aiding nutrition, the accumulation of fat, and the mainten- 

 ance of bodily heat, but surpasses them in three particulars .' 

 1, cod liver oil is more easily absorbed ; this has been 

 proven comparatively by injecting various oils into separate 

 ligated portions of the living animal bowel ; 2, 'cod liver oil 

 is more readily oxidized after absorption ; this is shown by 

 the fact that it reduces and therefore changes the color of 

 potassium permanganate solutions more quickly than other 

 oils; 3, cod liver oil increases the number of red blood 

 corpuscles in antemia ; this has been demonstrated by blood- 

 counts, but not by comparison with the effect of other oils. 

 The ease of absorption is thought by some to be due to 

 biliary principles which aid the diffusion of substances 

 through a mucous membrane (osmosis) when the latter is 

 moistened by bile ; by others it is attributed to the presence 

 of free acids in the oil which would tend to saponify and 



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