The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-12-31
KOumiss,
From the Chicago Times. |

In the various medical and scientific pa
pers and periodicals, foreign and domes-
tic. OF late, have appeared notices of /;
new article of diet and medicine calico
koumiss, of kumys, which seems to be en-
gaging the attention of the profession
quite generally. In the November number
Of the Chicago Medical Journal is an eX
ceedingly interesting and able paper by
DR.. Oscar &. DeWolf, Of this city, which
is reproduced in part as Il matter of gen
sral interest:
During the years 1858, 90 go, 81, while
student of medicine in England an(
on the Continent, heard occasionally OIL
the wonderful effect of a preparation o.
termented milk when taken largely as q
dietetic remedy. l recall particularly ;
clinical lecture by the immortal Trousseau
at the Hotel Dieu, in 1860, in which he
confirmed the statement Of a German in.
vestigator that "it possessed the highest
power of nutrition, aud was one OF the
most decided enemies Of emaciation we
could produce 1t does not appear &c
have received the attention in this country
which it merits, and while enthusiasm
may CATER the fashion OF our people, mis-
represent it as a cure-all, it nevertheless
has legitimate place in medicine, which
amore extended acquaintance and use will
develop and define.
! have been able to gather much that
has been written in Germany and England
on the subject, and | venture to collate
such facts in regard to its history and use
as will interest the profession and command
their attention.
DR. Grieve says: 1t may appear sur
| 1f ,b WI, ~
productions of milk should still remain in
4 great measure unknown to the most en-
| lightened portions OF Europe This pro-
duction, which is procured by fern enta-
ton from mares milk is vinous liquor,
and it was scarcely to be expected that
after it had escaped the observation OF
men the most skilled in chemistry, it
should be taught us by q horde of Tartars,
whose rank in the social scale is not above
| that of barbarians'
koumisS. as prepared from mares milk
has its native country in those regions of
the Russian Empire in Asia, between the
Don. Volga, and Sea OF Aral, consisting
of the steppes, inhabited by the Tartar
tribes, especially in the country of Oren-
burg, which. according to the Won Hum
boldt, belongs to the so-called ''continen-
stl CAllllalt, Nutlc lllC SuliltlCi - tACtCt-
ingiy dry, and the heat very great, with
scarcely any rain, whereas, in winter con
tinuous frosts are prevalent The inhabi-
tants are a nomadic people. generally of a
strong and vigorous habit of body, with
great muscular development and we'll
shaped thoraX. Their food is very simple !;
they live exclusively on meat, especially
the flesh of the sheep and horse, and in
age is koumiss In order to obtain milk
in sufficient quantity, the Tartars are ac-
customed to separate ihe toal from the
mare during the day, allowing it to sucl,
only at night. and the milk is taken from
the mare about five times a day. During
the winter, when mares milk fails them.
they use the milk of the COW, which is
also susceptible of the vinous fermentation
The best koumiss. according to Dr. Stahl-
burg, is made near Orenburg, while that
in the Departments OF StauropOl, Taurein,
and on to Caucasus is not SO well prepared !:
it has an unpleasant etlluvium. as even the
best preparations OF mares milk always
have more OF less, but to which patients
soon grow accustomed The milk of all
animals is converted into koumiss by one
and the same process; but by proper ma
nipulation if appears that the milk Of the
COW is as equally good if not better raw
material than that Of the mare, and it GER
tainly affords q facility for varying the
composition OF the product that the lighter
milk OF the mare does not possess.
Three grades Of koumiss are manutac-
tured in Germany and Russia, known as
A. b. and G. Full koumiss (A) is made
from the cows milk, preserving the whole
OF the cheesy matter. Medium koumiss
OBJ is the artificial representant, as near
ly as possible, Of that made from the
mares milk, by Withdrawing the proper
quantity OF casein. and the addition Of
such per cent. of sugar of milk as will
approximate the cows milk to that of the
mare. In whey koumiss (C) the casein is
entirely removed"
From the commencement Of iermenta-
ton to its completion each grade passes
through three degrees Of fermentation,
and when once commenced it will. con-
tinue, no matter what the temperature
but in passing through these changes it re-
tanes all of its general and remedial prop
critics. In all cases it is :; mik-like fluid
In its fresh (No y state it is still liquor,
and has an agreeable, sweetly-acidulou
taste. AS it approaches No. > it becomes
more acidulous, and assumes a sparkling
character. In No. 3 the sweet taste is re-
placed wholly by the acidulous, slightly
bitter, and it not only sparkles, but rushes
from the bottle with great force"
In this stage it may be kept for several
months, if preserved in cool place.
The public at large in Russia is accus-
toned to regard koumiss as a specific
against tuberculous affections, and Dr.
Stahlberg declares that if remedy against
phthisis exists, it must be koumiSS. See
land compares the effect Of koumiss to
that which is produced by TRANSMISSION, and
claims that medicine is in possession Of
no blood restorer to be compared to it.
Dr. Won Chomenkoff, sufferer Of
chronic lung disease and dyspepsia, test.
tes to the great benefit of koumiss on
HIMSELF he says: "Koumiss is natural
dietetic remedy. suggested, so to say, by
nature itself, and therefore preferable in
many respects to drugs. All those who
drink koumiss agree i'll saying that they
do SO with pleasure. that it renders their
veins full; their complexion Especially
that of ladies) clear and beautiful that
they acquire sprightliness, vivacity and
plumpness, and that when ever taken in
or other unpleasant symptoms"
Allowing the widest margin for the en-
thusiasm of the German and French in
vestigators, the legitimate and rational in
dications for its use are apparent to the
practical physician 1t cannot be spe-
cifc for consumption. but it may be Of i'm
nense service in counteracting the dis
turbed and degraded nutritive changes
which predispose to it, while it certainly
supplies food peculiarly adapted to con
ditions Of exhausted vitality, emaciation
from any cause and the gastro-intestinal
affections of children. In brief, it must be
accorded a high place in the series of plas-
tic nourishment.
In Russia, Germany and France it is re
ceiving much consideration as an article
of diet in cases of consumptive tendency,
great debility from any cause, dyspepsia,
and when no other food can be retained on