630 
Eulaohon  Oil. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Dec,  1884. 
The  olein,  which  for  medicinal  purposes,  at  least,  must  be  regarded 
as  eulachon  oil,  forms  a  limpid  fluid  of  a  pale  straw  color  and  fishy- 
odor,  unlike  that  of  cod-liver  oil,  perhaps,  to  many,  less  repulsive. 
Personally,  I  find  it  impossible  to  overcome  my  natural  aversion  to  any 
fish  oil ;  those  who  are  less  fastidious  in  their  tastes,  declare  that  the 
oil  of  the  candle  fish  is  positively  delicious.  Probably  most  patients 
would  find  little  to  choose  between  eulachon  and  cod-liver  oil. 
In  specific  gravity  the  eulachon  oil  differs  from  any  other  oil  hereto- 
fore described.  At  a  temperature  of  59°F.  (15°C),  water  at  the  same 
temperature  taken  as  standard,  its  specific  gravity  is  0*9071  ;  at  77  °F. 
(25 °C),  the  apparent  sp.  gr.  is  '9012,  referred  to  same  standard.  The 
specific  gravity  of  cod-liver  oil  ranges  from  0*92  to  0*93,  generally 
being  about  0*927,  at  59°F.  Other  fish  oils  have  nearly  the  same 
range  of  specific  gravity,  and  the  vegetable  oils  which  consist  chiefly 
of  olein,  are  only  a  trifle  lighter,  sp.  gr.  0*915  to  0*920;  and  the  same 
is  true  of  animal  oils,  like  lard  oil,  neat's  foot  oil,  etc.,  which  consist 
mainly  of  olein.  Shark  oil  is  much  lighter  (sp.  gr.  0*870),  and  so  also 
is  sperm  oil  (sp.  gr.  *875  to  *883.)  I  do  not  know  whether  shark  oil 
has  been  subjected  to  chemical  anaylsis,  but  from  its  specific  gravity 
one  may  infer  that  it  does  not  consist  wholly  of  olein,  and  this  is 
known  to  be  the  fact  in  regard  to  sperm  oil. 
In  viscidity  there  is  a  notable  difference  between  cod-liver  oil  and 
the  eulachon  oil.  Under  the  same  conditions  of  temperature  and 
pressure,  40  parts  only  of  the  eulachon  oil  will  flow  from  an  orifice 
which  will  discharge  45  or  46  parts  of  cod-liver  oil.  Experiments, 
however,  must  embrace  a  larger  number  of  samples  than  mine  have 
done  to  be  of  much  value. 
When  mixed  with  sulphuric  acid  (5  volumes  of  oil  with  one  of  acid) 
the  temperature  rose  55°C.  (100°F.).  With  cod-liver  oil  the  elevation 
of  temperature  is  about  double  this,  112°C.  (202°F.). 
The  color  reactions' with  acids  are  quite  different  from  those  of  cod- 
liver  oil.  Mixed  with  one-third  its  volume  of  nitric  acid  (sp.  gr.  1*27), 
it  develops  at  once  a  pink  color,  which  fades  slowly  to  amber.  After 
15  hours'  standing  the  mixture  is  considerably  thickened,  and  is  of ,  a 
deep  amber  color,  with  a  reddish  cast.  Cod-liver  oil  treated  in  the 
same  manner  turned  at  first  pink,  faded  rapidly  to  pale  amber;  after 
15  hours  the  color  remained  pale  amber,  and  the  mixture  was  more 
fluid  than  the  former,  but  with  thickened  portions  partially  separated. 
With  Cailletet's  test,  a  mixture  of  phosphoric  acid,  sp.  gr.  1*44,  12 
