2 
ON  COD  LIVER  OIL. 
The  other  varieties  affording  the  oil  of  commerce  are  the  Gadus 
Pollachius  or  pollock,  Gadus  Merluccius  or  hake,  and  Gadus 
^Eglifinus  or  haddock.  All  of  the  latter  varieties  frequent  the 
same  waters.  As  they  subsist  upon  the  same  food,  and  as  the 
fishermen  are  not  generally  particular  in  separating  them,  the  oil 
derived  from  all  is  thrown  into  one  common  reservoir.  The  Had- 
dock, however,  frequents  the  shores,  and  is  seldom  obtained  far 
at  sea ;  the  oil  derived  from  this  species,  is,  therefore,  principally 
confined  to  the  shore  oil.  The  oil  is  derived  from  the  livers  only. 
There  are  several  varieties,  the  difference  in  quality  depending, 
in  some  measure,  upon  the  locality  from  which  the  fish  are  ob- 
tained, though  principally  upon  the  mode  of  manufacture.  Of 
the  three  varieties  found  in  the  market,  the  white  is  deservedly 
the  most  prized.  The  method  of  obtaining  this  oil,  upon  the 
shores  of  Nova  Scotia,  is  as  follows : 
The  fish  are  obtained  within  from  one  to  five  miles  from  shore, 
and  if  the  day  be  favorable  the  fisherman  fills  his  boat,  (which  is 
small,)  at  least  twice  during  the  day.  As  soon  as  the  boat  is 
filled,  they  are  taken  on  shore,  and  handed  over  to  women  and 
children,  who  split  the  fish  for  drying,  carefully  putting  the 
livers  into  a  clean  tub,  or  some  other  article  used  for  the  purpose. 
All  the  fish  being  thus  prepared,  and  spread  on  sheds  to  dry,  the 
livers  are  carried  to  a  cool  place,  where  they  are  kept  till  evening; 
by  which  time  another  boat  load  of  fish  has  generally  been  ob- 
tained. Treating  this  second  lot  as  the  first,  the  livers  are  now 
all  put  together  in  a  large  shallow  vessel  of  iron,  usually  about 
five  feet  square,  and  three  in  depth,  which  vessel  is  again  inserted 
into  another,  and  larger,  which  is  set  into  masonry,  and  partly 
filled  with  water.  A  fire  is  then  kindled  under  the  outer  vessel, 
and  kept  burning  until  the  greater  part  of  the  oil  has  been  sepa- 
rated from  the  livers.  The  fire  is  then  extinguished,  and  when 
cool,  the  oil  is  dipped  out,  and  introduced  into  new  or  clean 
casks.  What  oil  remains  in  the  livers  is  now  pressed  out;  but 
not  being  of  as  good  quality  as  that  made  without  pressure,  it  is 
put  into  a  separate  cask,  constituting  an  inferior  quality.  The 
casks  containing  the  oil  are  now  put  into  a  cool  place,  and  left 
undisturbed  for  five  or  six  days  ;  at  the  end  of  which  time  a  con- 
siderable sediment  has  fallen,  leaving  a  pure  oil  on  top,  which  is 
carefully  drawn  off,  and  put  into  other  casks  :  the  oil  is  now  fit 
