Unpublished paper, 'On changes produced in the blood by the administration of cod liver and cocoa nut oil' by Theophilus Thompson

Description

Thompson explains that during the administration of cod-liver oil to phthisical patients their blood grew richer in red corpuscles. He refers to a previous observation of Franz Simon to the same effect. He explains that the use of almond oil and of olive oil was not followed by any remedial effect, but results were obtained from coconut oil almost as decided as from cod liver oil, and Thompson believes it may turn out to be a useful substitute. The oil employed was a pure cocoa oleine, obtained by pressure from crude coconut oil, and refined by being treated with an alkali and then repeatedly washed with distilled water. It burns with a faint blue flame, showing a comparatively small proportion of carbon, and is undrying.

Subject: Physiology / Electricity

Received 30 March 1854. Read 27 April 1854.

Whilst the Royal Society declined to publish this paper in full, an abstract of the paper was published in volume 7 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'On the changes produced in the blood by the administration of cod-liver oil and cocoa-nut oil'.

Reference number

AP/37/24

Earliest possible date

1854

Physical description

Ink on paper

Page extent

10 pages

Format

Manuscript