EXTRACT  OF  COD  LIVER. 
EXTRACT  OF  COD  LIVER. 
[Note. — In  the  December  number  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Journal,  Dr. 
Attfield,  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society's  Laboratory,  under  the  caption  of 
"  Analysis  of  a  quack  imposture/'  severely  criticizes  a  preparation  pre- 
pared in  Paris  and  sold  in  London,  called  "  Oleo-MorrTiuine  or  Saccha- 
ride of  Cod  Liver  Oil,"  which  professes  to  be  a  saccharine  powder  imbued 
with  cod  liver  oil  in  a  state  of  minute  division,  and  to  be  greatly  more 
efficacious  than  cod  liver  oil.  Dr.  Attfield  states  that  the  powder  contains 
no  oil,  and  that  he  could  not  detect  chlorine,  bromine,  iodine,  phosphorus 
or  sulphur,  which  the  label  alleges  are  ingredients,  and  believes  it  to  be 
wholly  lactine. 
In  the  January  number  of  the  same  Journal,  is  a  communication  from  Dr. 
Le  Thiere,  the  inventor  of  the  preparation,  to  Dr.  Attfield  his  critic,  in 
which  he  asserts  that  sulphur,  iodine,  bromine  and  phosphorus  are  pre- 
sent, and  that  an  authenticated  analysis  will  be  published.  Dr.  Attfield 
did  well  to  expose  this  bold  piece  of  quackery,  but  he  may  after  all  be 
mistaken  in  asserting  the  absence  of  all  except  the  oil.  The  extract 
of  cod  livers,  sold  in  the  form  of  dragees  and  pills,  appears  to  have 
some  claims  to  merit,  and  was  brought  to  the  notice  of  the  Pharmaceutical 
•  Society,  at  its  meeting  held  Jan.  6,  1866,  (see  Pharm.  Jour.,  for  Janu- 
ary, 1866,)  by  Mr.  Squire,  who  called  the  attention  of  the  members  to  the 
composition  of  the  watery  extract  of  cod  livers.  "  He  had  brought  with 
him  the  extract  resulting  from  the  evaporation  of  the  water  which  oozes 
out  of  cod's  liver  when  extracting  the  oil.  He  finds  that  on  the  average 
28  lbs.  of  large  and  fresh  livers  yield  12  lbs.  of  oil,  and  2  ounces  of  aqueous 
extract  resulting  from  the  evaporation  of  the  water.  It  has  been  repre- 
sented in  the  advertisements  of  a  medicine  called  *  Cod  Liver  Dragees,' 
that  five  grains  of  the  purified  extract  equal  a  tablespoonful  of  cod  liver 
oil.  It  was  this  startling  announcement  that  induced  him  to  have  the 
water  collected  and  evaporated,  in  order  that  the  members  of  the  Society 
might  examine  the  product  and  judge  for  themselves,  and,  if  it  was  thought 
worth  while,  to  have  it  analyzed  in  their  laboratory.  He  thought  it  was 
highly  important  to  know  whether  or  not  we  were  throwing  away  so  valu- 
able a  part  of  the  livers  as  this  statement  indicated." 
A  gentleman  present  explained  that  the  "  cod  liver  extract "  was  not  a 
secret  remedy,  but  was  patented  and  read  a  specification. 
Some  discussion  followed  evidencing  a  disposition  unfriendly  to  the  pre- 
paration on  the  plea  that  it  was  not  the  business  of  the  Pharmaceutical 
Society  to  expose  nostrums  or  to  make  therapeutic  experiments ;  notwith- 
standing this,  we  believe  the  subject  worthy  of  consideration. 
There  are  two  views  of  the  action  of  cod  liver  oil ;  one,  that  it  proves 
curative  through  the  agency  of  certain  mineral  and  organic  constituents, 
which  are  contained  in  cod  livers  and  a  portion  of  which  are  retained  by  the 
oil ;  the  other,  that  cod  liver  oil  itself  has  a  great  fitness  for  assimila- 
i 
