MISCELLANY. 
87 
say that when properly administered, cod-oil cures scrofula of the bones, 
marasmus, and chronic arthritis of a scrofulous or rheumatic form. Caries, 
accompanied by a sore and swelling of the soft parts, requires the treatment 
with oil to be seconded by local applications, such as compression, and 
ioduretted alcoholic fomentations; cod-oil is of no avail against gouty 
arthritis, or swelling of any lymphatic glands but those of the abdominal 
cavity ; its action seems doubtful or null in scrofulous phthisis when at 
all advanced. To produce advantageous results, in any disease, the use 
of cod-oil must be persevered in for several months, in doses of three or 
four table-spoonsful daily. 
Now, if this be all true, cod-oil is no bad thing, and it would be well 
to have it as good as can be got. Perhaps it should not taste exactly like 
train-oil, as that might make one sick, if it did nothing else. So Mr. 
Donovan has perfected the process for its preparation, and made cod-oil 
a very respectable oil to take. 
Take, says he, any quantity of livers of cod, throw T them into a very 
clean iron pot, and place it on a slow fire, stir them continually until they 
break down into a kind of pulp : water and oil will have separated. 
When a thermometer plunged in the pulp will have risen to 192°, the pot 
should be taken from the fire, its contents transferred to a canvass bag, and 
a vessel placed underneath. Oil and some water will run through. After 
twenty-four hours, separate the former by decantation, and filter it through 
paper. 
The oil, thus prepared, is of a pale yellow colour ; its smell is weak, 
and resembles that of a cod boiled for the table when in excellent condi- 
tion. Its taste is bland, by no means disagreeable, and, as might be ex- 
pected, is totally free from rancidity. It is very liquid. Its specific gra- 
vity in my trials was 0.934, although in all the published tables of spe- 
cific gravities it is stated to be 0.923. In cold weather it deposits much 
stearine, and this ought not to be separated. 
The product of pure oil is very variable. He has obtained so much as 
a gallon (wine measure) from twenty-eight pounds of livers, the produce 
of fifty cods. Sometimes the livers will afford much less. The runnings 
of the first heat only should be used : a second heat will supply more oil, 
but it will be comparatively strong-smelling, ill-tasted, and deep-coloured. 
The above estimate is true only when the fish is in the best season, and 
fully grown. Towards the close of the season the produce will be less. 
The livers of some cods are flaccid and lie flat without plumpness on a 
plane surface. These afford a deficient quantity of oil, a brown, strong- 
smelling quality, and a large portion of brown water; they are totally un- 
fit for use, and their oil is disgusting. The livers are often found diseased 
and dark-coloured ; such afford a very bad oil, and are of course to be re- 
jected. 
