ON COD-LIVER OIL. 
343 
body is filled with it. This is the only means known to the in- 
habitants of the Batta-lands of preserving the bodies of their kings, 
without smell or corruption, during so many months, in the humid 
air of such a hot climate. Dr. Junghuhn saw a corpse which had 
been preserved in this manner during four months, and which was 
shrunk up like a mummy, and emitted no smell but the penetrating 
odor of the camphor. 
In this way an immense quantity of camphor (a quarter to half 
a quintal) is consumed, for the purchase of which the family of 
the deceased king must make the greatest sacrifice, and often sell 
all their cattle. Every village has such a rajah. — Lond. Pharm, 
Jour. July 1852.— -from Hooker's Journal of Botany* 
ON COD-LIVER OIL. 
By Dr. F. L. Winckler. 
The constituents of genuine cod-liver oil, are, according to Dr. 
De Jongh's analysis : — 
Gaduin? (a so-called organic substance) Bilifulvin 
Oleic acid ... Iodine, Chlorine and Bromine 
Margaric acid - - - Phosphoric acid 
Glycerine .... Sulphuric acid 
Butyric acid - Phosphorus 
Acetic acid - Lime 
Fellinic acid - Magnesia 
Cholic acid - Soda 
Bilifellinic acid 
Hence, therefore, its composition would be quite analogous to 
that of the other fatty oils ; but with the addition of small quanti- 
ties of some of the constituent parts of the bile and also of iodine, 
bromine and gaduin. But my own investigations have led me to 
regard cod-liver oil as an organic whole, of a peculiar chemical 
composition, differing from that of all other fatty oils hitherto em- 
ployed as medicines. I prove this assertion by the following 
facts. 
1. If genuine cod-liver oil from Berg (the light clear sort) be 
saponified with potash, and the thus obtained and purified soap be 
decomposed bytartaric acid, we obtain oleic and an inorganic acid. 
