The Arctic Whaleman; or, Winter in the Arctic Ocean

by Lewis Holmes

Winter strained sperm oil is heavier, and burns away faster than spring strained sperm oil, for the simple reason that the winter oil is freer from spermaceti than the spring strained oil.

Sperm oil is tested by authority of government, when contracts are made with the manufacturer to furnish oil for lighthouses, in the following manner: A common tin lamp of a cylindrical form is taken, and fitted with a wick which reaches to the bottom of the lamp. It is then filled with oil, and kept burning until all the oil in the lamp is burned up, and the wick so dry that not a drop of oil will fall from it.

The number of hours which a given quantity of oil will burn, is another consideration included in determining the relative quality of oil.

Mixing or Adulterating Oils. Sperm oil is the purest and best of all varieties of whale oil, and brings the highest price in the market. Sperm oil is frequently mixed in greater or less proportions with right whale oil, which is an inferior kind of oil, and labelled sperm oil. This is a fraud, and it is practised more extensively than people are aware of.

The fraud may be detected if either the right whale oil or sperm oil happens to differ in its shade or color, the one from the other. Sperm oil is lighter than right whale oil. If sperm oil is carefully put into a glass containing right whale oil, the former will not displace the latter, but remain separate; and the line of separation between the two kinds of oil, providing the color is somewhat different, may be easily detected. The smell and taste of oil, likewise, determine whether it be bogus sperm oil or not.

But the surest and most certain test of all others, as to the quality of oils, is by the oilometer,[K] (elaiometer.) This instrument is not only authorized by government, and employed for the purpose of securing genuine sperm oil, but it is used in all oil manufactories to determine both in buying and selling the different varieties of oils.

It should be observed, however, that the mixing or adulteration of oils is never practised by the oil manufacturer. It would be fatal to his business if he should do it. There is no such article in an oil factory for sale as mixed or adulterated oils. It is either sperm or otherwise. The mixing takes place after it passes into the hands of the second, third, and it may be the fourth purchaser, or retailer. It is believed that but little genuine sperm oil reaches far back in the country, except, perhaps, for the purpose of lubrication in machinery; and even then, much of that, if tested by the proper measure, would probably be found badly mixed with an inferior quality of oil.

Since preparing the present chapter on the manufacture of oil, the following just remarks came under our observation, selected from the New Bedford Mercury, January 16, 1857, and are worthy of the attention of all.

"We embrace the present opportunity to offer some remarks and suggestions in the matter of the adulteration of sperm oil, which has been carried on to such an extent as to form one of the causes, we may safely say, for the decline of the article in price. Like every other commodity, it is liable to be counterfeited; and we know, after it has passed out of the hands of importers and manufacturers, adulteration has been practised to a wide extent. This is an evil beyond the control of our merchants, however much they may deprecate its influence upon the trade. To say that a system of adulteration is practised here, is a charge which cannot be substantiated by facts; and to suppose that the manufacturer would knowingly injure or damage his own business, is too absurd to require refutation.... We believe it would be a wise and judicious policy to establish agencies in different sections of the country, with agents of known honesty and integrity, for the wholesale and retail of the article; and that each barrel and cask bear the name of the manufacturer as a guaranty of its purity.

"Consumers, especially those who buy for machinery purposes, would then know where to make their purchases, and have the assurance of 'value received.'"