Evening star., 1881-12-28
KOunliSs.
From the Saturday Review

From the Saturday Review.
There are few more popular themes in folk
lore tales than the resuscitatiOn Of dead heroes,
or at least the curing Of apparently fatal wounds
Such cures as are mentioned in popular stories
are stated by DR.. Carrick to have been worked
in the circle of his own acquaintance. Persons
whose lives were apparently threatened with
immediate extinction, men whose constitutions
had given way under hardship or distress.
women whose frames appeared to be utterly
shattered, have left st. Petersburg, or whatever
other Russian city they might happen to nhabit.
apparently doomed to die in the distant
province to which they were sent. A few
months later they have returned home sound.
healthy, even robust. The cure has been
worked by the kOumss i'm it's native land at it's
fitting time. The Tartar drink has proved for
these persons, who were apparently destined to
death. a true water of life. Not very long has
its extraordinary power been known but gradu-
ally OF late years its fame has been extending
In future it seems likely to play a more
prominent part in therapeutics; and it may be
that the time will come when excursion trains
Will run with compartments reserved for con-
sumptlOn) to the steppes of Samara. bearing
pale gaunt forms, which will return i'm the au-
tumn rendered by robustness unrecognizable to
their dearest friends.
Not far from the town Of Samara on the edge
of the wide-stretching steepe, where the wind
blows fresh from it's limitleSS iOurney where the
cOvil grass blossoms in June, several establish
.ments have been founded for the treatment of
patients by kOumiss. writer in the Nouoe
Tentya, who visited these establishments last
year. gave an interesting account of what he
saw, and had only few faults to find with the
management OF the kOumiSS establishments
The rooms might be more comfortable it seems
the beds might be softer and sometimes
cleaner. The food might decidedly he better;
but this does not matter much, for the kou-
miss -drinker is endowed with wonderful ap-
petite. Comfort is word which does not
come home to Russian as it does to
an English ear, and comfort at present
can scarcely be looked for But there are other
attractions. All day long, what the Russians
call 1.-The dear red sun" blazes steadily in the
heavens ali night long the wind Of the steppes
blows fresh and cool and sOmnferOus. The
views, If mountainless, are still grand from their
extent, and soothing from their fiatness. At
night the stars shine as they shine only out of
England. But the great charm of the spot is
the beverage which the visitor to it consumes
There is kOumiss everywhere. it is drunk all
day long. 1t renders days happy and tranquil,
producing a sense in the drinkers mind of it's
always being afternoon. At night the kOumiss
drinkers sleep the sleep of the demi-semi-in-
ebriated. Every morning when they rise they
feel themselves better and fatter than they were
yesterday. Every day their long-famished
forms are gradually assuming the proportions of
rude health. The establishments are at present
filled almost exclusively with Russians. AS yet
but few foreigners have made their way to this
enchanted land One English traveller has.
however, made his impression public The
reader may be referred to the book on the Volga
by Mr.. Butler Johnstone, formerly member for
Canterbury. Russians, it has often been re-
marked. have good deal of the childish element
in them, and when hundred Russians are
brought together to spend the day in drinking
koumiss. they exhibit the best qualities of
children. They are gregarious, lively amusing,
and always ready to talk and tell stories The
visitor who is acquainted with the Russian
tongue will find ample opportunities for exercLs-
ing his somewhat rare accomplishment. There
is plenty to do, but the great thing to be done
is to drink kOumiss. When 'koumissnks" meet
after the days work is done, the conversation
Gays DIR. Carrick) ''almost always turns upon
the quality of the fermented milk OF that day.
and the quantity each person has been able TO
consume" Their capacity for drinking varies
with the temperat ure; but ON an average. each
individual consumes five bottles day-.vigor-
GUS drinkers reach as high figure as eighteen y
The cost Is about stxpence bottle at Samala.
When transported to st. Petersburg the price
is trebled; and transported koumiss often dis
appoints the expectations which have been
formed by persons who have performed sirni.
lar operation to quafang ''the pendant vintage