Cooley's Cyclopædia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume II

Chapter XXIV: Front Matter (24)

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“The adulteration being ascertained as far as is possible, the oil is then tested by endeavouring to discover the adulterating oil, either by reagents or by its odour when gently heated, as before described. This having been found out, small quantities of the suspected oil are added to a perfectly pure oil of the kind under examination. Every mixture is then tested by the reagents, until precisely similar results are obtained as those yielded by the oil under examination. Thus, the proportions of the two mixed oils will be discovered by approximation.” (M. Penot.) A simpler method of finding the proportions of the so mixed oils is referred to above.

4. (From increase of temperature.) M. Maumené proposed the increase of temperature arising from the admixture of monohydrated sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol, sp. gr. 1·845) with the fatty oils as a test of their purity, but a sufficient number of observations have not yet been made to furnish data for a general application of this method. According to MM. Faisst and Knauss, who have re-examined the subject, the following are the results when 15 grammes of oil are mixed with 5 grammes of the acid:

_Rise of Temperature._
Almond oil 72·5°
Olive oil 68·0°
Poppy oil 127·0°
Rape or colza oil 100·0°
Linseed oil (with Nordhausen
or fuming acid only) 133·0°

The above method is less liable to error when a larger quantity of the substances are thrown together.

5. The presence of FISH OIL in the vegetable oils may be readily detected by passing a stream of chlorine through them; the pure vegetable oils are not materially altered, but a mixture of the two turns dark brown or black.

6. Mr Coleman states that the presence of mineral oils in animal or vegetable oils can be easily detected by two characteristic tests——(1) the fluorescent properties they impart to all animal or vegetable oils. (2) The strongly marked aromatic burning flavour they communicate to mixtures containing them. The first-mentioned property is brought out by smearing a metallic surface, such as tin plate or steel, with the oil, and then viewing it at different angles in the open air or sunlight. Mr Coleman suggests that, in examining a dark-coloured oil, it may first be necessary to refine the sample by successive treatments with concentrated sulphuric acid and weak soda solution or lime water, so small a quantity as 2-1/2 per cent. may then be detected by the bluish colour noticed on viewing the oil at certain angles and by tasting it.

The absence of resin oil must also be proved. Nitric acid is said to be a good test, as the colour developed is much greater than in pure oils. Sometimes it may be detected by the smell. The presence of 10 per cent. of resin or mineral oil in non-drying oils delays their solidification with the nitrate of mercury test.[50]

[Footnote 50: ‘Journal of Applied Chemistry,’ Dec., 1874.]

7. Miss Kate Crane[51] states that the cohesion figures of oils may be usefully employed as tests of the identity and purity of the oils. She says, “A number of experiments on this subject have led her to the conclusion that a little patient practice will teach the eye of the observer in a short time to detect the characteristic differences of the figures. To make these perfect it is necessary to observe the time in forming, for _at different periods_ some varieties form figures very like; but with this precaution each is entirely characteristic.

[Footnote 51: ‘American Journal of Pharmacy,’ iv, 406.]

“It is essential that the dish used, &c., be perfectly clean, so that when filled with water no dust or lint floats upon the surface, as this materially interferes with the perfect formation of the figure.

“A single drop is let fall from a burette or glass rod held steadily above the water, upon the centre of the surface. The experiments made with fixed oils are as follows:——_Poppy-seed oil_ spreads instantly to a large figure, retaining an entire outline, and for a few seconds the surface is unbroken, except the bare intimation of a beaded edge.

“In a few moments little holes appear round the edge, and soon the whole surface is broken in like manner; these increase in size very slowly. In fifteen minutes the edge begins to open, forming indentations, which gradually work their way across the figure. As they increase in length these begin to curve, and in three quarters of an hour have doubled themselves two or three times.

“_Cod-liver oil_ spreads in a large film; a little way from the edge a row of small holes appears, and in a minute or two the surface is covered with them; these gradually enlarge, assuming irregular shapes, soon separated by branching lines.

“_Cod-liver oil_ with _lard oil_ spreads very like the former, but in a few moments the edge opens, and the film separates partly across; in a moment one of the projecting points begins to curve itself towards the centre, bending more and more until it forms a coil; meanwhile a few holes have appeared, which spread irregularly, throwing out projecting points.

“_Castor oil_ spreads instantly, the edge remaining entire; openings appear quickly in thirty seconds, and increase gradually, but unevenly, those nearer the edge being larger, and lengthening out irregularly as they spread. The figure lasts some time.

“_Castor_ with a little _lard oil_ makes a smaller figure, and not nearly so much broken; in five minutes the holes open into each other, and the figure breaks up from the edge.

“A mixture of _castor_ and _poppy-seed oils_ spreads to form a lacework border, but smooths out to an entire edge soon, and within a few seconds openings appear. The figure, in size and general appearance, is more like castor oil alone, but the holes spread less uniformly in a given time, a few being larger, but the greater portion much smaller. In fifteen minutes there is a general tendency to break up.

“_Castor_ with a little _croton oil_ throws out a spray, which in a few moments unites into a thin film. The spray, as it spreads, draws out the inner portion into radiate points, which open into a beautiful network, the centre cohering closely.

“_Croton oil_ throws out, in spreading, a fine spray in advance of the more closely cohering portion, which follows quickly. The outer edge breaks up unevenly into little indentations, the border of the inside portion being quite broken, but gradually becomes nearly entire. The surface, too, has openings, which increase quite rapidly in size, the outer ones being much the larger. In the final breaking up, before the holes open one into another, the outlines are beautifully fringed.

8. “Spontaneous combustion ensues when a handful of cotton waste is embued with oil and placed in an air bath at 130° to 200° F. Boiled linseed oil required 1-1/4 hour; raw linseed oil, 4 hours; lard oil, 4 hours; refined rape about 9 hours.”[52]

[Footnote 52: J. J. Coleman, ‘Journal of Applied Chemistry,’ Dec., 1874.]

Mr Gellatly found that an admixture of 20 per cent. of mineral oil retarded combustion, and 50 per cent. prevented it completely.

M. Burstyn,[53] believing that the value of a fatty oil as a lubricant depends on the amount of acid it contains, has invented a method for volumetrically determining the acidity. The process is as follows:——A tall cylindrical vessel, provided with a ground-glass stopper, and having two marks on it to indicate respectively 100 cubic centimètres, and 200 cubic centimètres, is filled to the first mark with the oil to be tested, and to the second mark with 88 to 90 per cent. alcohol. The cylinder is then closed and well shaken. Equal quantities other than 100 cubic centimètres can be employed without any other change in the process. After standing two or three hours the oil settles, and the clear alcohol, which contains in solution the free acids and a little of the oil, rises to the top perfectly clear; 25 cubic centimètres of the clear alcohol is taken from the top by means of a pipette. A few drops of alcohol extract of turmeric is added, and the acid determined by means of a standard solution of potash, as in acetometry. The change from yellow to brownish red takes place with great sharpness when neutralisation is reached.

[Footnote 53: Ure’s ‘Dictionary of Arts,’ &c.]

The number of cubic centimètres of potash employed, multiplied by four, gives the quantity of normal solution requisite to neutralise the free acid in 100 cubic centimètres of oil. As it is not an individual acid, but a variable mixture of acids, it is not possible to calculate the percentage of acids present. These numbers, however, may be taken as degrees of acidity. For instance, an oil of 3° of acidity is one which contains enough free acid to neutralise 3 cubic centimètres of normal alkali.

If we assume that oleic acid predominates, which in most cases is the fact, 1° of acidity correspond to 0·28 per cent. by weight of oleic acid. The olive oil of commerce has an acidity ranging from 0·4° to 12°. The first passes as very fine, and is called free from acid or salad oil, while the latter is known by smell and taste as very rancid. Oil that has 4° to 6° of acidity has been found to answer very well as a lubricator.

What relation there exists between the degree of acidity and any injurious effect upon metals is shown by the following experiments:——Four shallow vessels of sheet brass, having a surface of 40 square centimètres each, at the bottom, were filled to the depth of 2 millimètres, with oils of different acidity, and exposed to the air at the ordinary temperature. The vessels were soon more or less covered with green fatty salts, and the oil too acquired a green colour. Oil and vessel No. 1 were the only ones in which no change could be perceived. At the end of 3 days the vessels were cleaned with ether and weighed. The following table shows the amounts of action:

Vessel No. 1, filled with oil of 0·8° lost 0·03 gr.
” No. 2, ” 4·6° ” 0·22 ”
” No. 3, ” 7·8° ” 0·36 ”
” No. 4, ” 8·8° ” 0·04 ”

The quantity of metal destroyed, in equal times and under equal conditions, increases with the acidity of the oil.

The table on page 1128, by Mr Bottome, describes the most striking physical properties of some of the principal fixed oils.

⁂ The following are the principal fixed oils met with in commerce, or which are objects of interest or utility:

=Oil of Al′monds.= _Syn._ OLEUM AMYGDALÆ (B. P., Ph. L), O. AMYGDALARUM (Ph. D.), O. AMYGDALI COMMUNIS (Ph. E.), L. “The oil expressed from the kernels.” (Ph. L.) “Bruise the fresh almonds in a stone mortar, then put them into a hempen sack, and express the oil, without heat.” (Ph. E.) The oil of almonds B. P. and of commerce is obtained from either the bitter or sweet almond, but chiefly from the first, on account of their less value, and the marc being employed in the manufacture of essential oil.

_Prop., &c._ Oil of almonds is black, demulcent, emollient, and nutritious; possesses a purely oleaginous taste, and is one of the most agreeable of the fixed oils; when taken in quantity it is mildly laxative; it is little affected by cold, and congeals with difficulty; is soluble in 35 parts of cold and 6 parts of boiling alcohol; ether dissolves it freely. Sp. gr. ·915 to ·918. _Av. prod._ Sweet almonds, 46%; bitter a., 41%.

_Pur._ It is extensively adulterated with poppy, nut, and teel oil, and not unfrequently with refined rape or colza oil. (See _above_.)

=Oil of Bay.= 1. (EXPRESSED O. OF B.; OLEUM LAURI, O. LAURINUM, L.) By expression from either fresh or dried bayberries, as castor oil. Limpid; insipid.

2. (By decoction; BUTTER OF B.; OLEUM LAURI NOBILIS, O. L. VERUM, L.) From the berries, by boiling them in water, and skimming off the oil. Green, buttery; chiefly imported from Italy. Used by the vulgar in bruises, sprains, rheumatism, deafness, &c. _Prod._ 20%.

=Oil of Beech.= _Syn._ OLEUM FAGI, L. From the nuts of _Fagus sylvatica_ (Linn.) or beech mast. Clear; keeps well; when washed with hot water, it is used for salads, and burnt in lamps. Sp. gr. ·9225. _Prod._ 16%.

=Oil of Belladon′na.= _Syn._ OLEUM BELLADONNÆ SEMINUM, O. B. BACCÆ, L. From the seeds or berries of _Atropa belladonna_ or deadly nightshade. Yellow; insipid. Used for lamps in Swabia and Wurtemberg, and as an application to bruises. The marc is poisonous. It freezes at 34° Fahr. Sp. gr. ·9250.

=Oil of Ben.= _Syn._ OIL OF BEHEN; OLEUM BALATINUM. From the seeds of _Moringa pterygosperma_ (ben nuts). Scentless, colourless; keeps long without growing rank; by standing, it separates into two parts, one of which freezes with difficulty, and is hence much used in perfumery.

=Oil of Benne Seed.= See OIL OF GINGELLY.

=Oil of Brazil-nuts.= _Syn._ OLEUM BERTHOLLETIÆ. From the kernels of the fruit of _Bertholletia excelsa_, or Brazil-nuts. An oil of a bright amber colour, congealing at 24° Fahr. Sp. gr. ·917. It has been used as a substitute for olive oil in plasters and ointments.

=Oil of Caca′o.= _Syn._ BUTTER OF C.; OLEUM CACAO CONCRETUM, BUTYRUM CACAO, L. From the seeds of _Theobroma Cacao_, or chocolate nuts, gently heated over the fire, and then decorticated, and pressed between hot iron plates. Sp. gr. ·892.

Column headings:

A. Name of Oil.
B. Specific Gravity at 15°C., Water = 1,000.
C. Combustibility. Grms. consumed per hour in a Lamp with Wick.
D. Freezing Point in degrees Centigrade.
E. Colour.
F. Taste.
G. Smell.
H. Limpidity. Time (in seconds) required to trickle a given distance.
I. Drying Power.

+-------------+------+----+------+-------------+-------------+------------+------+-------------+
| A. | B. | C. | D. | E. | F. | G. | H. | I. |
+-------------+------+----+------+-------------+-------------+------------+------+-------------+
|Plum kernel |0·9127|68 | -9 |Brownish |Amygdalaceous|Very slight | 93 |Non-drying. |
| | | | | yellow | | | | |
|Rape seed |0·9128|30 | -4 |Yellow |Nauseous |Nauseous | 159 |Non-drying. |
|Colza |0·9136|40 | -9·25|Yellow |Nauseous |Nauseous | 162 |Non-drying. |
|Cabbage seed |0·9139|48·5| -8 |Yellow |Nauseous |Nauseous | 148 |Non-drying. |
|White mustard|0·9142|29·8|-16·25|Light |Pleasant |Very slight | 157 |Non-drying. |
| | | | | yellow | | | | |
|Ground nut |0·9163| ? | -3 |Pale greenish|Like peas |Like peas |Not |Non-drying. |
| | | | | yellow | | |tested| |
|Black mustard|0·9170|25 |-17·5 |Yellow |Pleasant |Very slight | 141 |Non-drying. |
|Olive |0·9176|62 | -6[54]|Yellow |Sweet |Peculiar | 195 |Non-drying. |
|Sweet almond |0·9180|52·8|-21·5 |Amber |Agreeable |None | 150 |Non-drying. |
|Horse-radish | | | | | | | | |
| seed |0·9187|43 |-16·25|Yellowish |Pleasant |None | 143 |Non-drying. |
| | | | | brown | | | | |
|Grape seed |0·9202|37 |-16·25|Gold yellow |Sweet |None | 99 |Dries slowly.|
|Beech nut |0·9225|50 |-17·5 |Amber |Very sweet |None | 158 |Non-drying. |
|Pumpkin |0·9231|43 |-15 |Pale brown |Sweet |None | 185 |Dries slowly.|
| | | | | yellow | | | | |
|Land-cress |0·9240|42 |-15 |Brownish |Acrid |Disagreeable| 103 |Dries slowly.|
| | | | | yellow | | | | |
|Hazel nut |0·9242|53·4|-10 |Amber |Sweet |None | 166 |Non-drying. |
|Poppy |0·9243|31 |-18[55]|Pale yellow |Flat |None | 123 |Drying. |
|Camelina |0·9252|34 |-18 |Yellowish |Peculiar |Peculiar | 119 |Drying. |
|Walnut |0·9260|45 |-27·5 |Light yellow |Flat |None | 88 |Drying. |
|Sunflower |0·9262|51·8|-16 |Colourless |Sweet |None | 114 |Dries slowly.|
|Hemp seed |0·9276|46 |-27·5 |Dark greenish|Disagreeable |Disagreeable| 87 |Drying. |
| | | | | yellow | | | | |
|Cotton seed |0·9316| ? | -2·5 |Reddish brown|Strong |None |Not | |
| | | | | | | |tested|Drying. |
|Sesame |0·9320| ? | -5 |Bright yellow|Pleasant, |None |Not |Non-drying. |
| | | | | | slightly | |tested| |
| | | | | | piquant | | | |
|Linseed |0·9347|38 |-27 |Dark greenish|Strong |Disagreeable| 88 |Drying. |
| | | | | yellow | | | | |
|Wood |0·9358|44 |Not |Green |Unpleasant |None | 73 |Drying. |
| | | |noted | | | | | |
|Spindle |0·9360|61 |-20 |Reddish brown|Acrid |Slight | 143 |Non-drying. |
|Castor |0·9611|47 |-18 |Colourless |Sickly |Very slight |1,830 |Dries slowly.|
+-------------+------+----+------+-------------+-------------+------------+------+-------------+

[Footnote 54: Though these oils do not become quite solid till the point indicated is reached, yet they begin to become grainy at +4° C.]

[Footnote 55: Once solidified, this oil does not liquify until the temperature reaches 2°C.]

TABLE _giving the reactions of various_ OILS _with_
SULPHURIC ACID _and with a saturated solution of_
BICHROMATE OF POTASH _in sulphuric acid_.
Re-arranged from M. PENOT’s table, with additions,
by Mr COOLEY.

⁂ _The result indicated is obtained in each case by the action of_ one drop _of the_ REAGENT _on_ twenty drops of OIL.

=Oil, Cas′tor.= _Syn._ RICINI OLEUM (B. P.), OLEUM CASTOREI, O. RICINI (Ph. L., E., & D.), L. “The oil prepared by heat, or by pressure, from the seed” of “_Ricinis communis_, Linn.” (Ph. L.), the _Palma Christi_, or Mexican oil-bush.

The best castor oil (COLD-DRAWN CASTOR OIL; OLEUM RICINI SINE IGNE)is prepared by pressing the shelled and crushed fruit (seed) in hemp bags, in an hydraulic press, and heating the oil thus obtained along with water in well tinned vessels, until the water boils and the albumen and gum separate as a scum; this is carefully removed, and the oil as soon as it has become cold is filtered through Canton flannel, and put into canisters. The commoner kinds are prepared by gently heating the crushed seeds, and pressing them whilst hot. Another method, sometimes adopted, is to put the crushed seed into loose bags, to boil these in water, and to skim off the floating oil.

_Prop._ It is the most viscid of all the fixed oils; when pure it mixes in all proportions with alcohol and ether, and also dissolves, to a certain extent, in rectified spirit, but a portion of the oil separates on standing. Camphor and benzoic acid increase its solubility in spirit. By long exposure to the air it becomes rancid, thick, and is ultimately transformed into a transparent yellow mass; light hastens these changes. Exposed to cold, a solid, white crystalline fat separates from the liquid portion, and when cooled to 0° it congeals into a yellow transparent mass, which does not again liquefy until the temperature rises to about 18° Fahr. Sp. gr. ·9611 to ·9612, at 60°; ·9690, at 55° (Saussure); ·9575, at 77° (Saussure). _Prod._ 38% to 40% (62%——Ure).

_Pur._ Castor oil is sometimes adulterated with rape oil or with lard oil, a fraud which may be detected by its diminished density; and, when the added oil exceeds 33%, by its insolubility in its own weight of alcohol of ·820. In many cases croton oil is added to increase the purgative quality of the mixture. A compound of this kind is vended in gelatine capsules under the name of ‘CONCENTRATED CASTOR OIL,’ the use of which is fraught with danger. “I have heard of several cases in which very violent and dangerous effects were produced by these capsules.” (Pereira.) The best is imported from the East Indies in tin canisters. The oil obtained from the seeds of _Ricinus viridis_ (Willd.), or lamp-oil seeds, is often mixed with or sold for castor oil.

_Uses, &c._ Castor oil is an exceedingly useful mild purgative, particularly when abdominal irritation should be avoided, as in inflammations of the stomach and bowels, pregnancy, surgical operations, &c.——_Dose_, 2 fl. dr. to 1 fl. oz.

=Oil, Cocoa-nut.= _Syn._ COCOA-NUT BUTTER; OLEUM COCOIS NUCIFERÆ, L. By expression from the kernels of the cocoa nut, or fruit of the _Cocos nucifera_.

=Oil, Cod-liver.= _Syn._ MORRHUÆ OLEUM (B. P.), COD-FISH OIL; OLEUM JECORIS ASELLI, O. GADI, O. G. MORRHUÆ, OLEUM MORRHUÆ (Ph. L.), L. “The oil extracted from the fresh liver of the _Gadus morrhua_ by a steam heat or water bath not exceeding 180° Fahr. Yellow.” “The oil prepared from the liver of _Gadus morrhua_, Linn.” (Ph. L.)

The common cod-liver oil of commerce drains from the livers of the cod-fish when freely exposed to the sun, and just beginning to putrefy. It is dark coloured, strong, and nauseous, and is now chiefly employed in this country by the curriers, for dressing leather. It is the ‘OLEUM JECORIS ASELLI FUSCUM’ of Continental writers. Formerly, the less fetid varieties of this crude oil, after the impurities were removed, either by subsidence or filtration, constituted the only cod-liver oil used in medicine. As its employment as a remedy increased, its revolting flavour, and its great tendency to permanently disorder the stomach and bowels, was found, however, to be a serious obstacle to its general use. It was observed that the oil as it exists in the liver of the cod is bland and nearly colourless, and has only a slight fishy, but not a disagreeable flavour. The attention of persons interested was therefore immediately directed to the subject, and improved methods of obtaining the oil were suggested, and ere long adopted on the large scale.

The methods of preparing cod-liver oil are noticed in another part of this work, but we think it advisable to add to these a description of the plan adopted by Messrs Charles Fox and Co., of Newfoundland, Scarborough, and London, the well-known manufacturers and importers of cod-liver oil:——

“The Newfoundland fisheries are entirely carried on in small boats, principally by the hand-line system, and quite close to the shore. The boats go out early in the morning, and return about four o’clock in the afternoon. The fish, on landing, are handed over to a ‘fish-room keeper,’ whose duty it is to split and open the fish, and to deposit the livers in small tubs holding 17 or 18 gallons each. The tubs are soon afterwards collected from the different ‘fish-rooms,’ and conveyed to the manufactory. The livers are here thrown into tubs filled with clean cold water, and, after being well washed and jerked over, are placed on galvanised iron-wire sieves to drain. They are next put into covered steam-jacket-pans, and submitted to a gentle heat for about three quarters of an hour, after which the steam is turned off, cold air again admitted, and the whole allowed to repose for a short time, during which the livers subside, and the oil separates and floats on the top. The oil is then skimmed off into tin vessels, and passed through flannel strainers into tubs, where it is left to subside for about 24 hours. From these the purer upper portion of oil is run into a very deep, galvanized-iron cistern, and again left to clarify itself by defecation for a few days. It is now further refined by carefully passing it through clean and very stout mole-skin filters, under pressure. The transparent filtered oil is received in a clean, galvanised-iron cistern containing a pump, from which the casks are filled for exportation. The latter, before being filled, are carefully seasoned and cleaned, to prevent their imparting either flavour or colour to the pure oil.”

The superiority of the oil prepared as above consists essentially in every part of the process of extraction being performed whilst the livers are fresh, and in no chemical means being adopted to give the oil a factitious appearance. Its natural pale colour is thus preserved from contamination, and its medicinal virtues maintained intact.

Much of the light brown oil of commerce is obtained from _Gadus callarius_ (the dorse). _G. carbonarius_ (the coal-fish), and _G. pollachius_ (the pollack).

_Pur., &c._ “The finest oil,” remarks Dr Pereira, “is that which is most devoid of colour, odour, and flavour. The oil, as contained in the cells of the fresh liver, is nearly colourless, and the brownish colour possessed by ordinary cod-liver oil is due to colouring matters derived from the decomposition (putrefying) of hepatic tissues and fluids, or from the action of the air on the oil (age). Chemical analysis lends no support to the opinion, at one time entertained, that the brown oil was superior, as a therapeutic agent, to the pale oil. Chemistry has not discovered any substance in the brown oil that would confer on it superior activity as a medicine. On the other hand, the disgusting odour and flavour and nauseating qualities of the brown oil preclude its repeated use. Moreover, there is reason to suspect that, if patients could conquer their aversion to it, its free use, like that of other rancid and empyreumatic fats, would disturb the digestive functions, and be attended with injurious effects.”[56]

[Footnote 56: ‘Elem. Mat. Med.,’ &c., 3rd edit., iii, 2339.]

Among the tests of purity, that generally relied on is known as the ‘sulphuric acid test.’ See OILS (Fixed): _Purity_.

DORSE OIL, and other FISH OIL, sold as ‘LIGHT-BROWN COD-LIVER OIL,’ exhibit with this test much lighter reactions, which closely resemble those of LIVER-TRAIN and WHALE-TRAIN OIL.

To detect the presence of combined iodine, upon which, by some, the therapeutic value of cod-liver oil is thought to depend, the sample is saponified by trituration with a little caustic potassa and hot water, the resulting soap cautiously incinerated, the ashes digested with water, and the whole thrown on a filter. The usual tests for iodine may be then applied to the filtered liquid.

The presence of iodine artificially added is best detected by agitating the oil with a little rectified spirit, and then testing this last for iodine. Or, a little solution of starch and a few drops of sulphuric or nitric acid may be at once added to the oil, when a blue colour will be developed if iodine, or an iodide, has been mixed with the sample.

The sp. gr. of the pale oil is ·9230 to ·9238; of the light-brown oil, ·9240 to ·9245; of the dark-brown oil, ·9290 to ·9315. The density is, however, apt to vary a little with the quantity of moisture present.

_Uses, &c._ Cod-liver oil is a most valuable medicine in a great variety of diseases, more especially in glandular indurations and enlargements, scrofula, phthisis, rheumatism, gout, certain cutaneous diseases, amenorrhœa, chlorosis, caries, rickets, &c. To be of service, however, its use must be continued for several weeks, and the oil must be recent.——_Dose_, 1 to 2 table-spoonfuls, 3 or 4 times daily, or oftener.

=Oil, Col′za.= From the seeds of _Brassica campestris_, var. _oleifera_, or _colza de printemps_, a variety of _Brassica campestris_ (Linn.). It may be regarded as a superior sort of rape oil. Burns well in lamps, especially after being refined. Sp. gr. ·9136. _Prod._ 39%. The term ‘colza oil’ is commonly applied to ordinary refined rape.

=Oil, Cottonseed.= _Syn._ OLEUM GOSSIPII SEMINUM, L. From the seeds of _Gossypium Barbadense_. Drying.

=Oil, Croton.= _Syn._ CROTONIS OLEUM (B. P.), OLEUM CROTONIS (Ph. E.), O. TIGLII (Ph. L.), L. From the shelled seeds of _Croton tiglium_ or Molucca grains. Imported chiefly from the East Indies. It is one of the most powerful cathartics known, and acts when either swallowed or merely placed in the mouth. Externally, it is a rubefacient and counter-irritant, often causing a crop of painful pustules, like tartar emetic.——_Dose_, 1 to 2 drops, on sugar; in apoplexy, &c. It is poisonous in larger doses. Sp. gr. ·947 to ·953. _Prod._ Unshelled seeds, 22% to 25%; shelled do., 32% to 35%.

Pure croton oil is soluble in an equal volume of alcohol of ·796, but in 2 or 3 days about 96% of the oil separates. In France the marc is exhausted with alcohol, and the oil thus obtained is added to that previously obtained from the same seeds by expression. The East Indian oil (OLEUM CROTONIS EXOTICUM) is usually of a pale yellow; that pressed in England (O. CROTONIS ANGLICANUM) is much darker.

=Oil of Cu′cumber.= _Syn._ OLEUM CUCURBITÆ, L. From the seeds of _Cucurbita pepo_ or squash, and the _C. melopepo_ or pumpkin. Pale; used in lamps; and, sometimes, as a soothing application to piles. Sp. gr. ·9231. _Prod._ 24%.

=Oil of Eggs.= _Syn._ OLEUM OVI, O. O. VITELLI, O. OVORUM, L. From the yolks of eggs, gently heated until they coagulate and the moisture has evaporated, and then pressed or broken up, digested in boiling rectified spirit, the tincture filtered whilst hot, and the spirit distilled off. Bland; emollient. The common plan is to fry the yolks hard; but the oil is then darker coloured and stronger. The P. Cod. orders them to be exhausted with ether, by displacement. Formerly commonly used to ‘kill’ quicksilver, and still held in great esteem in some parts of England for sore nipples and excoriations. _Prod._ 10 to 12 eggs yield 1 oz. See MIXED OILS.

=Oil of Garden Cress.= _Syn._ OLEUM LEPIDII SATIVI, L. From the seed. Drying. Sp. gr. ·9240. _Prod._ 54%.

=Oil of Gar′den Spurge.= _Syn._ OLEUM LATHYRIS, O. EUPHORBIÆ L., L. From the seeds of _Euphorbia lathyris_ or garden spurge. Cathartic.——_Dose_, 3 to 8 drops. Sp. gr. ·9281. _Prod._ 30% to 41%. Croton oil mixed with 6 times its weight of nut or rape oil is usually sold for it.

=Oil of Gingel′ly.= _Syn._ OIL OF SESAMUM, BENNE OIL, TEEL O., TEL O.; OLEUM SESAMI, L. From the seeds of _Sesamum orientale_ (Willd.), or gingelly. Pale; bland. Used in salads, paints, &c.; also to adulterate oil of almonds. _Prod._ 46%.

=Oil, Gourd.= See OIL OF CUCUMBER.

=Oil of Ground Nuts.= From the nuts of _Arachis hypogæa_. Glutinous.

=Oil of Gurgun.= See BALSAM, GURGUN.

=Oil of Hemp.= _Syn._ OLEUM CANNABIS, L. From the seed of _Cannabis sativa_ (Linn.), or common hemp. Mawkish. Sometimes used for frying, but chiefly for paints, soaps, &c. Freely soluble in boiling alcohol; does not thicken until cooled to 5° Fahr. Sp. gr. ·9276. _Prod._ 18% to 24%.

=Oil of Jatro′pha.= _Syn._ OIL OF WILD CASTOR SEEDS; OLEUM JATROPHÆ, L. From the seeds of _Jatropha purgans_. Somewhat resembles CROTON OIL. Used for lamps in the East Indies.

=Oil, Kundah.= _Syn._ TALLICOONAH O.; OLEUM TOULOUCOUNÆ, L. From the fruit of _Carapa Touloucouna_. Rancid, nauseous, vermifuge, rubefacient, emetic, and purgative. Chiefly used in lamps.

=Oil, Lard.= _Syn._ TALLOW O., CRUDE OLEIN, C. OLEIC ACID; OLEUM ADIPIS, L. By separating the olein of lard from the stearin by means of boiling alcohol. Only applicable where spirit is cheap. The product is, however, excellent. The crude oleic acid, or lard oil of commerce, is chiefly obtained as a secondary product in the manufacture of stearin. It is purified by agitation with sulphuric acid, and subsequently by steaming it, or washing it with hot water. Burns well in lamps, if the wick-tube is kept cool. Sp. gr. ·9003.

=Oil, Linseed.= _Syn._ OLEUM LINI (B. P., Ph. L., E. & D.), L. 1. (COLD-DRAWN LINSEED OIL; OLEUM LINI SINE IGNE.) From the seed of _Linum usitatissimum_ (Linn.), or common flax, bruised or crushed, and then ground and expressed without heat. Pale, insipid, viscous; does not keep so well as the next. _Prod._ 17% to 20%.

2. As the last, but employing a steam heat of about 200° Fahr. Amber coloured; less viscous than the last; congeals at 2°; soluble in 5 parts of boiling and 40 parts of cold alcohol. Both are drying and cathartic.——_Dose_, 1 to 2 oz.; in piles, &c. Chiefly used in paints, varnishes, &c. Sp. gr. ·9347. _Prod._ 22% to 27%.

3. (BOILED LINSEED OIL.) See OILS (Drying).

=Oil of Mace (Expressed).= See OIL OF NUTMEG (Expressed).

=Oil of Male Fern.= See EXTRACT OF MALE FERN.

=Oil of Mustard.= _Syn._ OLEUM SINAPIS, L. 1. (OIL OF WHITE MUSTARD.) From _Sinapis alba_, or white mustard, but chiefly from _Sinapis arvensis_, _S. chinensis_, _S. dichotoma_, _S. glauca_, _S. ramosa_, and _S. tori_. Sweet. Used for the table. Sp. gr. ·9142 (·2160——Ure). _Prod._ 36%.

2. (OIL OF BLACK MUSTARD; OLEUM SINAPIS NIGRI, L.) From the ‘hulls’ of black-mustard seed. Viscid, stimulant. Used in rheumatism, Sp. gr. ·9168 to ·9170. See OILS (Volatile).

3. (OIL OF WHITE MUSTARD; OLEUM RAPHANI, L.) From the seed of _Raphanus raphanistrum_ (Linn.), or jointed charlock or wild mustard. _Prod._ 30%.

=Oil, Neat’s-foot.= _Syn._ NERVE OIL, TROTTER O.; OLEUM BUBULUM, O. NERVINUM, AXUNGIA PEDUM TAURI, L. From neat’s-feet and tripe, by boiling them in water, and skimming off the oil. Does not thicken by age. Used to soften leather, to clean fire-arms, and for other purposes.

OIL, NUT. _Syn._ HAZEL-NUT O.; OLEUM NUCIS, O. CORYLI, L. From the kernels of _Corylus Avellana_ (Linn.), or hazel-nut tree. Pale, mild tasted, drying; superior to linseed oil for paints and varnishes. It is commonly sold for oil of almonds and oil of ben, and is extensively employed to adulterate both. Walnut oil is also frequently sold for nut oil. Sp. gr. ·9260. _Prod._ 63%(Ure).

=Oil of Nut′meg (Expressed).= _Syn._ EXPRESSED OIL OF MACE, BUTTER OF M.; OLEUM MYRISTICÆ (CONCRETUM) (Ph. L.), MYRISTICÆ ADEPS (Ph. E.), M. BUTYRUM, O. MYRISTICÆ EXPRESSUM (B. P.), O. MOSCHATÆ, O. NUCISTÆ, L. “The concrete oil expressed from the seed of _Myristica officinalis_,” Linn. (Ph. L.), or common nutmeg. The nutmegs are beaten to a paste, enclosed in a bag, exposed to the vapour of hot water, and then pressed between heated iron plates. Orange coloured, fragrant, spicy; butyraceous, or solid. It is a mixture of the fixed and volatile oils of the nutmeg. When discoloured and hardened by age, it is called ‘BANDA SOAP’ (OL. MACIS IN MASSIS). When pure, it is soluble in 4 parts of boiling alcohol and in 2 parts of ether. It has been used in rheumatism and palsy, but is now chiefly employed for its odour and aromatic qualities. From the East Indies. _Prod._ 17% to 20%.

=Oil, Ol′ive.= _Syn._ SALAD OIL, SWEET O.; OLIVÆ OLEUM (B. P.), OLEUM OLIVARUM, O. OLIVÆ (Ph. L., E., & D.), L. The “oil expressed from the fruit” of “_Olea europœa_, Linn.” (Ph. L.), or common olive. Five different methods are employed to obtain the oil, from the fruit:

1. (VIRGIN OIL; O. O. VIRGINEUM, L.); (HUILE VIERGE, Fr.) From olives, carefully garbled, either spontaneously or only by slight pressure, in the cold. That yielded by the pericarp of the fruit is the finest.

2. (Ordinary ‘FINE OIL,’) This is obtained by either pressing the olives, previously crushed and mixed with boiling water, or by pressing, at a gentle heat, the olives from which the virgin oil has been obtained. The above processes furnish the finer salad oils of commerce. The cake which is left is called ‘GRIGNON,’

3. (SECOND QUALITY.) By allowing the bruised fruit to ferment before pressing it. Yellow; darker than the preceding; but mild and sweet tasted. Much used for the table.

4. (‘GORGON.’) By fermenting and boiling the pressed cake or marc in water, and skimming off the oil. Inferior.

5. (OIL OF THE INFERNAL REGIONS; OLEUM OMPHACINUM) is a very inferior quality of oil, which is skimmed off the surface of the water in the reservoirs into which the waste water which has been used in the above operations is received, and allowed to settle. The last two are chiefly used for lamps, and in soap-making, &c.

Of the principal varieties of olive oil known in commerce, and distinguished by the place of their production, ‘PROVENCE OIL’ is the most esteemed; ‘FLORENCE OIL’ and ‘LUCCA OIL’ are also of very fine quality; ‘GENOA OIL’ comes next, and then ‘GALLIPOLI OIL,’ which forms the mass of what is used in England; ‘SICILY OIL,’ which has a slightly resinous flavour, is very inferior; and ‘SPANISH OIL’ is the worst imported.

_Prop., &c._ Olive oil is a nearly inodorous, pale greenish-yellow, unctuous fluid, with a purely oleaginous taste, peculiarly grateful to the palate of those who relish oil. It does not suffer active decomposition at a heat not exceeding 600° Fahr.; and when cooled to 36°it congeals into a granular solid mass. It is very slightly soluble in alcohol, but its solubility is increased by admixture with castor oil. It is soluble in 1-1/2 part of ether. When pure it has little tendency to become rancid. Sp. gr. ·9170 to ·9173; ·9192, at 53-1/2° (Saussure); ·9176, at 59° (Heidenreich); and ·9109, at 77° Fahr. (Saussure). _Prod._ 32%, of which 21% is furnished by the pericarp, and the remainder, which is inferior, by the seed and woody matter of the fruit.

_Pur._ Olive oil, with the exception of that of almonds, being the most costly of the ordinary fixed oils of commerce, is, consequently, the one most subject to adulteration. Nut, poppy, rape, and lard oil, are those most commonly used for this purpose. Refined tallow olein, including that obtained from the ‘knackers’ yards’ of Paris, is said to have been used in the same way. The addition of any other oil to olive oil renders it far less agreeable to the palate, and, by increasing its tendency to rancidity, much more likely to offend and derange the stomach and bowels of those who consume it. Parties who indulge themselves in the use of this luxury would, therefore, do well to ascertain that what they purchase is pure. When pure, and also fresh, olive oil is most wholesome as an article of food or us a condiment.

The detection of the sophistication of salad oil is a matter of no great difficulty. The palate of the connoisseur will readily perceive the slightest variation in the quality of his favourite condiment. Other methods, however, of a more accurate and certain description, and of more general application, are adopted. Amongst these, in addition to those mentioned above, are the following:——

_a._ When pure olive oil is shaken in a phial, only half filled, the ‘bead’ or bubbles rapidly disappear; but if the sample has been mixed with poppy or other oil, the bubbles continue longer before they burst.

_b._ Olive oil congeals at 36° Fahr., and is completely solidified when a small bottle containing it is surrounded by ice, or a freezing mixture; but when mixed with poppy oil, it remains partly liquid, even when the latter forms only 1-4th of the mass; if more than 1-3rd of poppy oil is present, it does not solidify at all, unless cooled much below the freezing point of water.

_c._ (Ph. E.) When olive oil is “carefully mixed with 1/12th part of its volume of a solution of 4 oz. of mercury in 8 fl. oz. 6 dr. of nitric acid (sp. gr. 1·500), it becomes in 3 or 4 hours like a firm fat, without any separation of liquid oil.”

_d._ M. Pontet recommends the mercurial solution to be made by dissolving 6 parts of mercury in 7-1/2 parts of nitric acid (sp. gr. 1·35), without heat; of this solution he adds 1 part to every 48 parts of the oil, and well shakes the mixture every 30 minutes, until it begins to solidify. This it does after about 7 hours in summer and 4 or 5 hours in winter, and when the oil is pure it will have formed, in 24 hours, a mass so hard that some little force must be employed to thrust a glass rod into it. The other edible oils do not furnish a hard mass with nitrate of mercury. The solidity of the mass is exactly in proportion to the quantity of foreign oil present. When the sophistication is equal to 1-8th of the whole, a distinct liquid layer separates; when the mixture contains half its volume of an inferior oil, one half only of the mixture becomes solid, and the other half continues liquid. A temperature of about 90° Fahr. is the best to cause the oil and coagulum to separate perfectly from each other. When the oil has been adulterated with animal oil, the mixture solidifies in about five hours; but in this case the coagulum consists of the animal oil, whilst the olive oil floats on the surface, and may be decanted for further examination. This coagulum, on being heated, exhales the well-known odour of rancid fat or melted tallow.

_e._ Dr Ramon Cordina Langlies states that the best reagent for the examination of olive oil is that of Hauchecorne.

This reagent is composed of three parts of pure nitric acid at 40° with one part of distilled water. The following is Dr Langlies’ process for proving that olive oil does not contain seed oil, and more especially cotton oil:——

He mixes three grammes of the oil to be tested with one gramme of the reagent in a test tube, or a small stoppered flask, and heats the liquid in a water bath. If the oil is pure the mixture becomes clearer, and takes a yellow colour, like purified oil; if it is adulterated with seed oil, it acquires the same transparency as the pure oil, but becomes red. With 5 per cent. of seed oil the reddish colouring is characteristic; with 10 per cent. it is decided. The reaction does not require more than from 15 to 20 minutes.

The colouring of the oils lasts for three days.

_Uses, &c._ The dietetical uses of olive oil are well known. In Spain and Italy it is commonly employed as a substitute for butter. It is highly nutritious, but is digested with difficulty by some persons, and hence should be avoided by the dyspeptic. Like almond oil, it is occasionally employed as a laxative and vermifuge, and is, perhaps, one of the mildest known. In _pharmacy_ it is extensively employed in the preparation of cerates, liniments, ointments, and plasters.——_Dose._ For an adult, 1/2 to 1 wine-glassful as a mild aperient; for an infant, 1/2 to 1 teaspoonful, mixed up with an equal quantity of honey, syrup of roses, or syrup of violets. The white fibrous sediment which forms in the recently expressed oil is the ‘AMURCA’ of Pliny, and was formerly highly esteemed in medicine.

=Oil, Olive, Droppings.= _Syn._ SWEET-OIL D. The ‘foots’ or ‘deposits,’ and the ‘drippings’ of the casks, cisterns, and utensils. Used for machinery, making soap, &c.

=Oil, Olive (Oxygenated).= _Syn._ OLEUM OLIVÆ OXYGENATUM (Ph. Batav.), L. Olive oil, 16 oz., is placed in a receiver surrounded with ice or very cold water, and chlorine is slowly transmitted through it for several days, or until it becomes thick and viscid, after which it is well washed with warm warm.

=Oil, Palm.= _Syn._ PALM BUTTER; OLEUM PALMÆ;, L. From the fruit of _Elais Guineensis_, and _E. melanococca_, the Guinea oil palms. Orange or red coloured; butyraceous or solid; smells of violets; unchanged by alkalies; bleached by sunlight, age, exposure, chlorine, chromic acid, and oil of vitriol; melts at 117-1/2° Fahr. Sp. gr. ·968. Demulcent. Used to colour and scent ointments, pomades, &c.; but chiefly to make soap and candles. From Africa.

=Oil, Pi′′ney.= _Syn._ PINEY TALLOW, P. DAMMAR, P. RESIN. From _Vateria Indica_ (Linn.) or pænoe tree. Resinous flavoured, fragrant, made into candles. Sp. gr. ·926.

=Oil, Pop′py.= _Syn._ OLEUM PAPAVERIS, L.; OLIETE, HUILE BLANCHE, Fr. From the seeds of _Papaver somniferum_ (Linn.), or white poppy. Sweet; pale; dries and keeps well. Used for salads, paints, and soaps; also (extensively) to adulterate almond oil, for the inferior qualities of which it is frequently sold. It does not freeze until cooled to 0° Fahr. Sp. gr. ·9243 to ·9245. _Prod._ 48% to 54%.

=Oil of Pumpkin.= _Syn._ OLEUM CUCURBITÆ. Expressed from the seeds of the pumpkin; a soothing application to piles.

=Oil, Rape.= _Syn._ COLZA OIL, BROWN O.; OLEUM RAPÆ, L. From the seed of _Brassica napus_ (Linn.; cole or rape), and from _Brassica campestris_ (Linn.; wild navew or rape). Glutinous; buttery at 25° Fahr. Dries slowly; makes soft soaps and good ointments, but bad plasters; smokes much in burning, unless well refined. Sp. gr. ·9135 to ·9136. _Prod._ 32%.

OIL, REFINED or PALE RAPE (OLEUM RAPÆ REFINUM, OL. R. ALBUM) is prepared from crude rape oil, by agitating it with about 2% of oil of vitriol, previously diluted with about twice its weight of water, and, after 10 or 12 days’ repose, decanting the clear oil, and filtering it through Canton flannel or felt. The quality is improved by washing it with hot water or steam before filtration. Used for lamps, blacking, and machinery; also extensively employed to adulterate both almond and olive oil. It forms the common ‘SWEET OIL’ of the oilmen and druggists. Sp. gr. ·9136 to ·9140.

=Oil, Seal.= _Syn._ OLEUM PHOCÆ, L. From the hood seal, and harp seal, and other species of _Phocidæ_. PALE SEAL OIL is that which drains from the blubber before putrefaction commences, and forms about 60% of the whole quantity of oil obtained. It is very clear, free from smell, and, when recently prepared, not unpleasant in its taste. REFINED SEAL OIL is the last, washed and filtered. Ranks close after sperm oil. BROWN or DARK SEAL OIL is that which subsequently drains from the putrid mass. It is very strong-scented and nauseous, and smokes in burning. Both are used for lamps and dressing leather. A full-grown seal yields 8 to 12 galls. of oil; a small one, 4 to 5 galls.

=Oil of Ses′amum.= _Syn._ OIL OF GINGELLY (_above_).

=Oil, Shark-liver.= The lightest of the fixed oils. Sp. gr. ·865 to ·867.

=Oil, Skate.= _Syn._ OLEUM RALÆ, L. From the livers of _Raia batis_ (Linn.), or common skate, as cod-liver oil; also from _Raia rhinobatus_, or white skate, and _Raia clavata_, or thornback. Often sold and mixed with cod-liver oil.

=Oil, Spermace′ti.= _Syn._ SPERM OIL; OLEUM CETACEI, L. From the ‘head matter’ of _Physeter macrocephalus_, or spermaceti whale; a species once common in all the principal seas, but now chiefly confined to the Southern Ocean. It is very limpid, smells little, and burns well; and has long been reputed the best oil for lamps and machinery, as it does not thicken by age or friction. It is frequently adulterated with refined seal oil. Sp. gr. ·875.

=Oil, Sun′flower.= _Syn._ OLEUM HELIANTHI, L. From the seeds of _Helianthus annuus_ and _H. perennis_. Clear, pale yellow, tasteless; thickens at 60° Fahr. Used for salads and lamps. Sp. gr. ·9261. _Prod._ 15%.

=Oil, Teel.= See OIL, GINGELLY.

=Oil, Tobac′co-seed.= _Syn._ OLEUM TABACI (EXPRESSUM), L. From the seeds of _Nicotiana tabacum_ (Linn.), or true tobacco plant. Pale; dries well; equal to nut oil. Its production has recently been carried on with considerable success in some parts of Russia. Sp. gr. ·9232.

=Oil of Touloucou′na.= See OIL, KUNDAH.

=Oil, Train.= See OIL, WHALE.

=Oil, Wal′nut.= _Syn._ OLEUM JUGLANDIS, O. NUCIS J., L. From the kernels of the nuts of _Juglans regia_ (Linn.), or common walnut tree. Soon gets rank; dries well. Used in paints, and occasionally in plasters. When ‘cold drawn’ and washed it is sometimes eaten with salad. Sp. gr. ·9260 to ·9262. _Prod._ 48% to 52%.

=Oil of Wax.= _Syn._ BUTTER OF WAX; OLEUM CERÆ, L. From beeswax, by quick distillation in a close vessel. Butyraceous. By rectification along with quicklime it yields a liquid oil.

=Oil, Whale.= _Syn._ TRAIN OIL, WHALE-TRAIN O.; OLEUM BALÆNÆ, O. CETI, L. From the blubber of the _Balæna mysticetus_ (Linn.), or the common or Greenland whale, by heat. Coarse; stinking. SOUTHERN WHALE OIL is the best. Used for lamps, machinery, &c. Sp. gr. ·9231. _Prod._ per fish, about 1-1/2 ton for each foot of bone.

=Oil of Wheat.= _Syn._ OLEUM TRITICI, L. From bruised Colne wheat, with heat. In chilblains, ringworm, and several other skin diseases.

=Oil of Wine-stones.= _Syn._ GRAPE-STONE OIL; OLEUM VITIS VINIFERÆ LAPIDUM, L. From the seeds of grapes, separated from the marc. Pale yellow, bland, emollient. Used for salads and lamps. Sp. gr. ·9202. _Prod._ 14% to 18%.

⁂ The numbers given above, under ‘products,’ unless when otherwise stated, refer to the respective fruits, kernels, nuts, seeds, &c., deprived of their husks, pods, shells, and every other portion destitute of oil.

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Cooley's Cyclopædia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume IIChapter XXIV: Front Matter (24)

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