Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 05.djvu/142

* COD-LIVER OIL. 110 CODY. ted), diseased livers rejected. In former times the oil was obtained as follows. The fishermen would stow away the livers in barrels, which were kept unopened till the end of the fishing season; that is to say, from one to four months. During that time the livers would uinlergo putre- faction, their hepatic cells, containing the oil, would burst open, and the escaping brownish- yellow oil (called pale oil) would rise to the top of the barrels and be drawn ofT. The livers would then be allowed to undergo further putre- faction, and a quantity of dark-brown oil (called Ught-bioivii oil) would again be drawn oil'. Finally, by heating the disintegrated liver-resi- dues tlius obtained above the boiling tempera- ture of water, a last quantit_y of oil (called hroU'ii oil, though really black) would be obtained. This primitive method, a knowledge of the details of which would render the oil too repulsive to most patients to swallow, is still employed to some extent. By far the greater quantity of the oil. however, now reaching the market is pre- pared in a much cleaner way by the steam process first introduced by Jloller in 1853. In- stead of allowing the livers to undergo putre- factive decomposition, MoUer obtained the oil by simply heating for about three hours the fresh livers, which were carefully selected, cleaned by washing with water, and separated from the gall-bladders. To avoid delay, the livers are often heated on board vessels, in wooden apparatus, steam being conducted directly into the mass of livers. Usu- ally, however, the livers are heated in tinned sheet-iron vessels, either single or double walled. The single-walled apparatus is heated over large water-baths ; the double- walled by passing steam into the space inclosed between the interior and the exterior walls. In all these apparatus the temperature is about that of boiling water. An improvement recommended during recent years consists in heating the livers at a con- siderably lower tem[)erature. for a nuich shorter time, and as far as possible out of contact with the air: it is asserted that in this man- ner the oxidation of the oil may be almost completely prevented and that the oil would, therefore, not become rancid, nor acquire the disagreeable property of causing eructations. CoMPCSiTiON. Besides a large proportion of fats, cod-liver oil has been shown to contain (1) a peculiar principle called giiduin (CrJ^vPsi) ; (2) a crystalline substance called morrhtiol ; (3) traces of bromine and iodine; (4) biliary prin- ciples; and other substances. The brown oils contain also considerable quantities of ptomaines, which cannot but be injurious to health; bleach- ing brown oil by sunlight only masks the pres- ence of such substances without destroying their injurious properties, and should therefore not be resorted to. It is generally believed that the gieat benefit derived from cod-liver oil in tuber- culosis is due to the specific action of some active principle that must be contained in the oil. It is probable, however, that the effect is due to nothing but the food-value of the fatty constituents of the oil. These fats are commonly assumed to consist, like other natural fats, of the glyeerides of oleic, palmitic, and .stearic acids. Holler's chemist. P. M. Heyerdahl, states, on the contrary, that cod-liver oil contains a little palmitic, but no oleic or stearic acid; ac- cording to him it consists mainly of the glyeer- ides of therapic and jecoleic acids (CuHjjOa and t-'uHsaO., respectively), two unsaturated organic acids which are not known to e.xist anywhere else in nature, and to which the therapeutic action of cod-liver oil is due. The solid fat that is some- times removed by freezing the oil is, according to Heyerdahl, also composed mainly of those glyeerides; so that its removal ajipears to serve no purpose whatever. In view of the readiness with which the fats of cod-liver oil imdergo oxidation, the oil should be kept out of contact with the air. Cod-liver oil is now prepared in Norway, the United States, Canada, Newfound- land, Great Britain, Iceland, and Russia. By far the greater proportion of the oil reaching the market comes from Lofoten and Romsdal in Norway. CODOGNO, ko-do'nyo. A city in the Prov- ince of Milan, north Italy, 30 miles east of Pavia (Map: Italy, D 2). It is the principal export market for Parmesan cheese, and has tan- neries and linen, silk, and majolica factories. Population (commune), in 1881, 11,444; in 1901, 11,594. COD'RINGTON, Sir Edw.kd (1770-1851). A British admiral, born in Gloucestershire. He entered the navy in 1783, and at Trafalgar (Oc- tober 21, 1805) was captain of the Orion. He afterwards served in the ilediterranean and in North America, and rose to the rank of vice-ad- miral in 1821. In 1826 he was appointed com- mander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Squadron, and commanded the English. Russian, and French ileets against the Turks at the battle of Navarino (q.v. ), immediately after which he was recalled for having exceeded his orders. He was made ad- miral in 1837. Consult the Memoir of the Life of Sir Edward Codrinqton. edited by his daughter. Lady Bouchier (London, 1873-75). CODRINGTON, Sir William John (1804- 84). An English general, son of Sir Edward Codrington. He entered the army in 1821. Dur- ing the Crimean A'ar he commanded a brigade at the battle of the Alma and at Inkermau, and in 1855 succeeded Sir James Simpson .as com- mander-in-chief in the Crimea. He was elected to Parliament in 1857, was Governor of Gibraltar from 1859 to 1865, and in 1863 was appointed general. CO'DRXJS (Lat., from Gk. K65pos, Kodros). The reputed last King of Athens. He was the son of Melanthus, and is supposed to have lived about B.C. 1060. He is said to have sacrificed his life for his coiuitry when the Dorians once invaded the -Attic territory. .An oracle having declared that .thens would he saved if its ruler should perish by the hand of the enemy. C'odrus, in the disguise of a peasant, entered the Dorian camp
 * ind was struck down in a quarrel of his own

making. His son Medon was the first Archon chosen fur life. CO'DY, Wii,i.i.M Frederick (1845—). An American scout and showman, known as 'Buffalo Bill.' He was born in Scott County, low-a, and became one of the riders of the Pony Express (q.v.) at its establishment in 1860, and at the beginning of the Civil War was a Government scout and gtiide. In 1863 he enlisted in the Seventh Kansas Cavalry, and at the close of the war contracted with the Kansas Pacific Railroad to furnish bufi'alo-meat to its laborers building