Middletown transcript., 1908-03-21
SOURED MILKS
Their Relation to Old Age as Proven by
Science

Their Relation to Old Age as Proven By
Science
For e n arations the use of sour milk a
drinks and foods has been universal. Ac
cording to the geographical section Gu
died milks presents certain differences
due to the epecial microbial ferments pc
culiar to tie region, just as cheeses tliffr
according to the places they are made
By microbial ferme nts is meant CLASS 0
microscopic plants which grow abun
danAy in milk, causes the changes no.
ticed when mil is allowed to stand in {
warm room for some hours.
With us, buttermilk and clabber have
been used by few due to the knowledge
that they are good for certain digestive
troubles and by many because of theil
agreeable tastes. The proportion of such
acid milks consumed is not at all compar'
able to the amounts used in other coun.
tries. In Egypt "liben raib" product
made from cows or goats milk has been
consumed in great quantities ever since
the dawn of history. A similar food
"yaourth'' is very popular among the in
habitants of the Balcan peninsula. The
natives of Algeria prepare a sort of''liben"
which differs, however, from the Egyptian
product. Iu European Russia "ptostok-
,uooI,a5j aud voopE
lar, while in Asiatic Russia "koumis" is
the beverage among the Kerghises, Tar
tars and Kalmouka races, (this &c koumis''
is not the milk known in this country by
that name). All through central and
southern Africa are many races who
drink these fermeDted milks in large
quantities, particularly the Mpeseni, a
black race, who live almost entirely on
cIotted milk and fruit. This list of sour
milk drinkers is not nearly completed, it
could be extended, taking in many more
sections of Europe, Asia and even in-
Guiding South America, but it is complete
enough to show the universal use of such
fermented milks.
1t is usual to find merit in practice or
custom which has been followed bv
generation after generation among widely
separated people. Such is true Of the
continuous use Of fermented milks, but
that alone is not enough to insure their
recommendation. Let US go a little
further, look upon the subject from
scientific point of view.
Some few years ago Bulgarian student
made the announcement to the world
that in his country of four millions of
people there were very nearly four thous
and centenarians. A comparison of these
figures with those of our own country will
show the wonderful existing conditions;
we with our eighty millions of people are
credited by staticians with less than FIVE
hundred who are known to be over one
hundred years of age.
The above announcement concerning
Bulgaria attracted the attention Of Euro
pean scientists, including the eminent
Ellie Metchnikoff, who has lately been
elected head of the celebrated Pasteur In
stitute of Paris. These men being biolo- |
gists at once began to question why the |
longevity of these people exceeded the |
natural time allotted to man. After care |
full paintaking.work they eliminated factor
after factor of custom and habit of these
people which might be contributary to
the extended years, at last the credit was
placed upon their habitual use of sour
milk in connection with a comparatively
simple diet.
These deductions only brought the
scientists to means of combating old age,
the question then to determine was how
did these fermented miIks act upon the
body. After deeper study and further re-
search it was proven beyond doubt that
these milks did not act upon the body
differently than an easy assimilated food;
what they did was to prevent the growth
OF harmful poisonous peutrafactric and
allied ferments, which cause digestive
troubles and slow breaking down of our
vital organs. These acid miks carry into
the digestive tract harmless ferments
which take the place of harmful poison.
GUS ferments which are normally found in
man, and abnormally when digestive
troubles occur. Mr.. Lucien Green, who
has opened laboratories on East Main
street, tells his own story in another col
umn OF this issue. See his ad.