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oil contains many isomers of vitamins A and D. on supplements, we have decided to label the fermented cod liver oil as a
We have to add the peaks to get some idea of food—which it certainly is. Thus the label will contain a suggested dose
the total. We currently receive a wide range of and list vitamin A as a percentage of the RDA. There will be no mention
nutrient values depending on the laboratory test of vitamin D on the label.
method and interpretation of the analysis. The suggested dose will be about 2 - 2.5 ml or about 1/2 teaspoon for
In general, the test totals are substantially adults, double for pregnant and nursing women and those under stress,
higher for vitamin D than one would find in any and half that for children. Some practitioners are giving larger doses to
industrialized cod liver oil. Whereas the high- treat serious health problems. The experience of Dr. Rosann Volmert (see
vitamin cod liver oil contains almost 12,000 IU page 31) indicates that best results are obtained using a combination of
vitamin A and 1200 IU vitamin D per teaspoon fermented cod liver oil and high-vitamin butter oil—a confirmation of Dr.
(five milliliters), the fermented oil contains 4,000 Price’s own experience.
- 9,000 IU vitamin A per teaspoon and 3,000 Since this product is a fermented one, we surmised that it would con-
- 4,000 IU vitamin D. The vitamin levels likely tain vitamin K as well as vitamins A and D. What we found was a range
2
test lower because we are only testing for retinol of quinones, which include the various forms of K . The fermentation
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and palmitate, not for all the other vitamin A increases the total quinone count by 700-1600 percent compared to read-
isomers. ings prior to the fermentation process. We have not identified the specific
Anticipating increasingly stringent controls quinones but I suspect that the K category and Co-enzyme Q family will
2
FATHER JOHN’S MEDICINE

Father John O’Brien was an Irish-born priest who came to America before his ordination. He served in Virginia and
Newburyport, Massachusetts before coming to the mill city of Lowell in 1848. It was the time of massive Irish immigration
with each newcomer seeking employment and a new life. The good pastor understood the balance that was needed for
these people who were caught between two worlds, the need to retain their own identity as Irish men and women, and that
of identifying themselves as Americans. It was during his pastorship that the Irish became an active and prominent factor in
Lowell’s population.
Tradition has it that Father John was taken ill in 1855. He made his way to the phar-
macy of Carleton and Hovey on Merrimack Street to get something for relief. He was
given a tonic that was composed of cod liver oil, which had a licorice taste. Unlike many
other medicines of its time, the prescription contained no alcohol. It worked so well for
the priest that he began recommending folks to visit the apothecary and ask for “Father
John’s Medicine.” From this, a legend was born.
Soon the shop was packaging the medicine for sale. Father John was given a small
stipend for using his name and picture. It was agreed that anyone Father John sent to the
shop personally would not have to pay for the medicine. The pastor was always looking
after his flock. For many years the company was overseen by the Donehue family. The
generosity of the management to its employees was well known, even so far as keeping
workers long past the need to, just so an employee could have a job. W i t h i n
50 years the medicine was known far and wide. Early literature claimed it worked on
“consumption, grip, croup, whooping cough, and other diseases of the throat,” which it
most certainly did. Pamphlets given to customers stated, “All disease is due to a run-down
condition of the body, unhealthy tissue, blood poisoned with impurities, and general
weakness.” Guarantees were made by the manufacturer of its restorative powers. The
potion was sold in numerous countries. Pharmacies built huge displays in their windows
advertising the product.
The factory building was a model of production. Every process from manufacturing,
to bottling, to packaging, to advertising was done in that one spot. Freight cars pulled
in back of the building to ship cartons to parts unknown. A second factory was built in
Montreal, Canada. In the 1970s the company was sold. The building was made into an
elderly housing complex, and the product no longer made its home in Lowell. It contin-
ued to be produced by the Oakhurst Company in New York for a number of years. The
brown-orange bottle with the trusting face of Father John O’Brien was a sign of assurance
to people for 140 years.
Source: http://library.uml.edu/clh/Fath/Fath1.Html
30 Wise Traditions SPRING 2009