The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-12-31

A New Article Of Diet which is Creating
Considerable Comment in Medical Cir

/ In the various medical and scientific
! papers and periodicals, foreign aud do
mestic, of late, have appeared notices
/ OF new aTticle of diet and medicine
called kOumiss, of kumys, which seems
/ to be engaging the Rttention of the pro-
fessiou quite generally. In the Novem-
Der number of the Chicago Medical
/ Journal is an exceedingly interesting
and able paper by DR.. Oscar @. De
] Wolf, which is reproduced in part as q
matter of general interest
/ During the years 1853, SO, go, 81,
/ while q student of medicine in England
and on the continent, heard occasion
/ ally of a wonderful effect Of prepare
tion of fermented milk when taken
largely as a dieuetic remedy. I recall
| particularly a clinical lecture bv the
/ immortal TroUsseau, at the Hotel Dieu,
| in 1860, in which he confirmed the state
! ment of German investigator that sit
! possessed the highest power of nutTi-
/ tion, and was one of the most decided
enenies of emaciation we could pro-
duce." It does not appear to have re-
| ceived the attention in this country
which it merits, and while enthusiasm
4 may (after the fashion of our people,
| misrepresent II as q cure-Rll, 1t never
cine, which q more extended acquaint-
Gnce and use will develop and define.
! 1t may appear surprising that one of
| the most important productions of milk
! should still remain IN a great measure
unknown to the most enlightened por-
| tions of Europe. This production. which
! Is procured by fermentation from mares
/ milk, is a vinous liquor, End 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
bRrbariane.
Koumiss, as prepared from mares
milk, has its native country IN those
regions of the Russian empire in Asia,
| between the Don, Volgs, and Sea of
! A-al, consisting of the steppes, inhabi-
| ted by the Tartar tribes, especially in
the country of Orenburg, which, ac-
cOrding to the Won Humboldt, belongs
to the so-called " continental climate, -
where the summer is exceedingly dry,
and the heat very great, with scarcely
any rain, whereas, IN winter, continu-
Gus frosts are prevalent. The inhabi-
tants are a nomadic people, generally
ef a strong aud vigorous habit of body,
with great muscular development and
well-shaped thOrax. Their food j. very
simple; they live exclusively on meat,
especially the flesh of the sheep and
horse, and in winter and summer their
favOrite beverage is koUmlss. In order
to obtain milk IN sufficient quantity, the
TartaTs are accustomed to separate the
foal from the mare during the day, al
lowing it to snck only at night, and the
milk is taken from the mare about FIVE
10 lava
mares milk fails them, they use the
milk of the COW, which is also suscepti-
bic of the vinous fermentation. The
best koumiss, according to DR.. StshI-
burg, Is made near OTenburg, while
that in the departments of StaurOpOl,
! TauTieD, and on TO Caucasus is not SO
well prepared it has an unpleasant
| effiuvium, as even the best preparations
of mares milk always have more or
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 it appears that the milk Of
the COWS is an equally good If not bet
ter raw material as that of the mare,
and that it certainly affords a facility for
varying the composition of the product
that the lighter milk of the mare does
not possess.
Three grades of koumiss are manu-
factured in Germany and Russia, known
as A. B. and @. Z" Fall koumiss (A) is
made from the cows milk, preserving
the whole of the cheesy matter. Me-
dunn koumiss (B) is the artificial repre-
sentant, as nearly as possible, OF that
made from the mares milk, by with
drawing the proper quantity of cssein,
and the addition of such per cent. of
| sugar of milk as viii approximate the
cows milk TO that of the mare. In
whey koumiss (C) the caseine is entirely
| removed.
From the commencement of fermen-
| tation TO its completion such grade
passes through three degrees of fer
mentation and when once commenced
/ it will continue, no matter what the
| temperature but 10 passing through
these changes IN retains oil of it's gener-
al and remedial properties. 6 In all
cases it is a milk-like fluid. In its
fresh (No. u state it is still liquor,
and has an agreeable, sweetly-acidu-
lous taste. As it approaches No. 2 it
becomes more acidulous, and assumes q
sparkling character. In No. 3 the
sweet taste is replaced wholly by the
acidulous, slightly bitter, and it not
bottle with great force"
In this stage it may be kept for sew
eral months, if preserved in a cool
place.
The public at large in Russia is &C
customed TO regard kOumiss as spe-
eife against tuberculous affections, and
DR.. Stahlberg declares that if a remedy
| against phthisis exists, it must be kOu-
miss.
Seeland compares the effect Of kou-
mics to that which is produced by trans
/ fusion, and claims that medicine is IN
possession of no blood restorer to be
| compared to it.
DR.. Won Chomenkoff, a sufferer Of
/ chronic lung disease and dyspepsis,
/ testifies TO the great benefit OF kourniss
/ on himself he says: Koumlss is a
natural dietetic remedy. suggested, 50
4 to say, by nature itself, and " therefore
! preferable in many respects to drugs.
/ All those who drink koumiss agree in
saving that they do so with pleasure,
| that It renders their veins full their
/ complexion Especially that Of ladies'
/ clear and beautiful F; that they acquire
/ sprightlIness vivRcity and plumpness.
/ and that when ever taken IN excess. il
/ is never followed by Indigestion or
other unpleasant symptoms"
Allowing the widest margin for the
/ enthusiasm OF the German and French
/ investigators, the legitimate and ration
/ al Indications for It's use are apparent
to the practical physician. It cao not
/ be a specific for consumption, but 1t
may be OF immense service in counter
/ acting the disturbed and degraded nu-
/ tritive changes which predispose TO it.
while it certainly supplies 8 food pecu-
\ liariy adapted 70 conditions o exhaust-
/ ed vitality, emacietion from any cause
and the eastro-intestinal affections Of
children. In brief, It must be accorded
/ a high place IN the series of plastic
I nourishmeut.
i In Russia, Germany and France it is
/ receiving much consideration as an arti-
/ Gle Of diet IN cases Of consumptive ten.
deBcy, great debility from any cause,
] dyspepaia, and when no other food can
| be retained on the stomach. A taste
for It is easily acquired, ,eand IL becomes
a pleasant beverage for daily use, beDe-
( fcially substituting beer, tcnies and al
alcoholic liquors, especially in laeta-
] finn