208 W. M. DOHERTY. 
The present significance of this colour reaction, according 
to recent investigations,* is that it has a direct connection 
with the growth promoting dietary factor known as Vita- 
mine A. Whether this is so is a matter for further work, 
and it would be no doubt interesting if this our premier 
and much vaunted food fish did contain, besides the usual 
flesh-forming substances, such a powerful dietary primer 
as the elusive vitamine is conjured up to be. 
Fish are popularly supposed to be superlative brain foods 
on account of a rich phosphorus content. This, however, 
is a fallacy, inasmuch as the quantity present in fish is 
about the same as that found in ordinary flesh-lean beef for 
instance. 
* * * * * 
My second note deals with whale oil. 
A Scandinavian expedition visited the Pacific in 1912, 
and had its quarters in Jervis Bay. Its object was the 
exploitation of the southern seas for whales. I took the 
Opportunity thus afforded of procuring samples of oil from 
the animals caught, keeping them distinct according to 
their species and the portions of the animal from which the 
oil was collected. The term whale oil, usually covers the 
product of all kinds of whale without distinction (with the 
exception of sperm oil which differs fundamentally from 
other kinds) and I was desirous of ascertaining if there 
were any marked differences in the constants of oils obtained 
from different sources. The object being to elucidate the 
matter for purposes of identification. 
The following table shows the results obtained by me, 
the source of the oil being given in the first column:— 
* “<The Sulphuric Acid Reaction tor Liver Oils,’ by Drummond and 
Watson, ‘The Analyst,’ August, 1922, p. 341. 



