340  DISINFECTING  AND  FERFUMING  COD  LIVER  &  CASTOR  OILS. 
that,  1,  the  essential  oil  of  bitter  almonds,  in  the  proportion  of 
5  decigrammes  to  100  grammes,  will  cause  the  nauseous  odor  and 
fishy  taste  of  the  most  impure  cod-liver  oil  to  disappear.  The 
amount  of  essential  oil  required  to  obtain  the  desired  result  varies 
with  the  fetidness  of  the  oil  ;  2,  6  centigrammes  of  anhydrous 
cyanhydric  acid  dissolved  in  water  would  suffice  to  disinfect  100 
grammes  of  cod-liver  oil,  but  would  not  perfume  it ;  3,  distilled 
cherry-laurel  water  seemed  to  me  to  afford  the  best  means  of 
obtaining  the  desired  result.  It  is  sufficient  to  shake  strongly 
in  a  flask  the  cod-liver  oil  along  with  an  equal  or  double  volume 
of  distilled  cherry-laurel  water,  according  to  its  richness  and  the 
amount  of  impurity  of  the  oil,  then  separate  the  two  liquids  by 
means  of  decantation  after  24  hours  rest.  If  the  oil  is  not  quite 
clear,  it  must  be  filtered  through  paper  to  get  it  limpid*.  The 
impure  brown  oil  acquires,  by  this  simple  process,  a  very  delicate 
odor  and  an  agreeable  taste  of  almonds,  and  the  latter  remains 
in  the  mouth  so  long  as  digestion  of  the  oil  is  going  on.  To  the 
oil,  thus  disinfected,  may  be  added  a  fifth  or  even  a  fourth  of  its 
weight  of  ferruginous  cod-liver  oil,  containing  one  per  cent,  of 
ferric  acid,  without  the  odor  and  taste  of  this  ferruginous  oil  be- 
ing strongly  communicated  to  the  mixture. 
Numerous  patients  have  employed  the  oil  thus  disinfected 
either  by  cherry-laurel  water,  or  by  the  essence  of  bitter  almonds, 
for  one  month,  without  any  appearance  of  modification  of  their 
ordinary  eff*ects.  The  dose  has  been  increased  up  to  100  gram- 
mes a  day  without  any  unfavorable  indication  from  the  employ- 
ment of  this  oil,  which  should  be  henceforth  adopted  even  in 
cases  where  it  is  most  difficult  to  take  medicine. 
Three  drops  of  essence  of  bitter  almonds  communicate  an  odor 
and  agreeable  taste  to  100  grammes  of  the  nauseous  castor  oil 
of  commerce.  The  purgative  action  is  not  changed.  This  slight 
addition  makes  easy  the  administration  of  this  excellent  purga- 
tive, against  which  the  repugnance  of  so  many  patients  causes 
them  to  rebel. — Journ.  and  Trans.  Md,  Col.  Pharm.  March, 
1861, /row  Journal  of  Pharm.  et  de  Chim, 
*  It  is  important  to  observe  that  none  of  these  methods  will  cause  the 
acrid  taste  resulting  from  rancidity  of  the  oils  to  disappear.  Rancidity  is 
a  very  different  thing  from  the  fishy  odor  and  taste. 
