320     COCOA  NUT  OIL  A  SUBSTITUTE  FOR  COD  LIVER  OIL. 
iodide  of  formyle  to  4  equivs.  potash)  until  it  is  completely  de- 
composed into,  formiate  of  potash  and  iodide  of  potassium. 
This  fluid,  mixed  with  that  filtered  from  the  iodide  of  formyle, 
is  now  evaporated  to  dryness,  then  mixed  with  some  powdered 
charcoal  (for  the  more  ready  decomposition  of  any  iodate  of 
potash  that  may  have  been  formed),  and  heated  to  redness  ;  the 
mass,  which  contains  iodide  of  potassium  and  carbonate  of  potash, 
is  then  extracted  either  directly  with  alcohol,  or  with  water  after 
neutralization  by  hydriodic  acid.    Pure  iodide  of  potassium  is 
obtained  by  crystallization  from  either  of  these  extracts  Ibid, 
from  Archiv  der  Pharm.,  lxxvii.  p.  8. 
COCOA  NUT  OIL  A  SUBSTITUTE  FOR  COD  LIVER  OIL. 
From  experiments  made  by  Dr.  T.  Thompson,  on  the  effects 
produced  upon  the  human  system  in  disease  by  the  administration 
of  cocoa  nut  oil,  he  is  led  to  believe  that  it  may  prove  to  be  a 
very  efficient  substitute  for  cod  liver  oil.  He  has  communicated 
the  results  of  his  experiments  in  a  paper  lately  read  before  the 
Royal  Society,  entitled,  On  Changes  produced  in  the  Blood  by 
the  Administration  of  Cod  Liver  Oil  and  Cocoa  Nut  Oil,"  in 
which  he  states,  that  the  use  of  almond  oil,  and  of  olive  oil,  was 
not  followed  by  any  perceptible  remedial  effects  ;  whereas,  from 
the  cocoa  nut  oil,  results  were  obtained  almost  as  decided  as  from 
cod  liver  oil;  and,  therefore,  he  believes  the  former  oil  may  here- 
after prove  to  be  a  most  useful  substitute  for  the  latter  oil.  The 
cocoa  nut  oil  he  employed  was  a  pure  cocoa  oleine,  obtained  by 
pressure  from  crude  cocoa  nut  oil,  as  expressed  in  Ceylon  and 
the  coast  of  Malabar,  from  the  dried  cocoa  nut  kernels,  and  re- 
fined by  being  treated  with  an  alkali,  and  then  repeatedly  washed 
with  distilled  water.  This  oil  burns  with  a  blue  flame,  thus  indi- 
cating a  comparatively  small  proportion  of  carbon  in  its  consti- 
tution. It  is  being  brought  forcibly  beneath  the  notice  of 
medical  practitioners,  as  may  be  seen  by  announcements  of  it  in 
the  many  periodicals,  specially  devoted  to  the  communication  of 
medical  and  therapeutical  intelligence ;  nor  is  this  surprising, 
when  the  very  large  consumption  of  cod  liver  oil,  for  which  this 
is  proposed  as  a  substitute,  is  taken  into  account. — Annals  of 
Pharmacy,  June,  1854. 
