582 
Iodine  in  Marine  Products. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm» 
Nov.,  1884. 
the  author  thinks  it  possible  that  they  assist  in  bringing  about  the 
formation  of  the  more  complicated  products. 
By  the  action  of  sodium  on  an  ethereal  solution  of  chlorhydrin,  a 
hexyl  alcohol,  C6H10(OH)4  (glycerythrol),  is  obtained,  homologous  with 
erythrol.  It  is  soluble  in  water  and  alcohol,  insoluble  in  ether,  and 
forms  a  thick  yellowish  syrup  of  bitter  taste. — Ber.y  vol.  17,  p.  6 — 12, 
and  Jour.  Chem.  Soc,  p.  765,  July,  1884. 
ON  IODINE  IN  COD  LIVER  OIL  AND  OTHER  MARINE 
PRODUCTS. 
By  Edward  C  C.  Stanford,  F.C.S. 
In  a  paper  on  this  subject  read  before  the  Pharmaceutical  Conference 
at  South  port,  last  year,  I  found  the  proportion  of  iodine  in  cod  liver 
oil  to  be  much  less  than  the  results  published  by  other  observers.  (See 
"  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1883,  p.  612) 
Taking  the  average  of  six  samples  from  different  sources,  I  found 
them  to  vary  from  -000138  per  cent,  to  -000434  per  cent.,  the  average 
being  •000322  per  cent.  The  amount  contained  in  the  fresh  liver  was 
more  than  twice  as  much,  -000817  per  cent.  Since  then  I  have  had 
the  opportunity  of  examining  two  genuine  samples,  of  which  I  know 
the  origin,  with  the  liver  from  which  these  have  been  extracted;  one 
was  sent  me  by  Mr.  Gale,  of  Messrs.  J.  Bell  &  Co.,  and  the  other 
was  made  by  myself.  I  obtained  14  ounces  of  oil  and  a  little  water 
from  2J  lbs.  of  liver.  All  were  examined  for  iodine  with  the  follow- 
ing results: 
Per  cent. 
Cod  liver  oil,  Gale,  filtered   -000040 
"      M     "      "    unfiltered   -000052 
"       "     "      "     marc   -000200 
"       "     "    Stanford   -000077 
"       "     "         "      marc   -000765 
"      "     "         "      water   -000680 
I  think,  therefore,  from  the  analyses  of  these  oils  of  known  origin,, 
we  are  justified  in  the  conclusion  that  iodine  has  little  to  do  with  the 
therapeutic  value  of  the  oil. 
Oysters. — It  is  commonly  supposed  that  these  delicious  esculents  are 
