Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-11-21
CONCERNING SOUR MILK.
Modern Science Confirms Customs of
Simple Ancients.y

i
dietetc and medicinal purposes is an
example of the vindication of popular
customs by science. Just as explora-
ton is apt to vindicate historical ira
ditions against the destructive criti-
cism of theoretical historians. so does
scientific research not infreQuently re-
veal kernel of solid truth in popular
beliefs and practices which have been
ignored or hastily assumed to be mere
superstitions and condemned by do
fective knowledge unconscious of its
defects.
From time immemorial curdled milk
in various forms has rot only been
a favorite article of diet among pas
toral peoples, but has been credited
with medicinal qualities, says the Lon
don Times. In the Aryan system OF
medicine, which goes back to a date
long anterior to Hippocrates. who is
indeed, believed by some writer's to
have acquired his knowledge from In
dia, much attention is paid to milk.
1t is prescribed both fresh and in
the form of curds. whey and ghoita.
which is translated clarified butter"
and the properties of milk from num-
Der OF animals-the COW. buffalo. goat.
sheep, elephant, ass and calnel-are
distinguished. Galen in his COM
mentary on the aphorisms Of Hip
pocrates, recommends whey in some
intestinal affections; but when knowl-
edge came to be measured by the num-
Der of reconcile drugs the learned
could call to their aid such simple
substances fell out of favor
About so years ago Tactic acid came
to be used both internally and eX-
ternally for diptheria and some other
affections in the United States and
on the continent, and it was observed
to have some action on micro organ
inns: but it's use was quite empirical
and had no reference to intestinal ac-
ton or to the special properties more
recently elucidated and applied on
scientific grounds.
The knowledge which has led to the
present development was reached by
different road. The story goes back
for more than half 4 century. to those
researches by Pasteur into the nature
of fermentation which laid the foun-
dation of bio-chemistry and bacteriol-
ogy. 1t was mainly with sour milk
and Tactic fermentation that he began
Ills momcntous observations at the
Lille School of Science about 1850
BY 1860 he had proved in the teeth
of all accepted scientific teaching that
these chemical changes We're effected
by micrO-organisIns which cause the
souring of milk by converting lactose
or milk sugar nto Tactic acid and pro-
duce analogous changes in other su-
gar containing fluids. Later on he
showed that this property was pos
sessed by an indefinite number of or
Sanisms, and that the commonly OBJ
served differences in color, taste and
smell in the innumerabe preparations
made from curdled milk depend on the
particular vital agents employed,
which produce their own molecular ar
rangements of the chemical elements.
But it was Il long time before these
proce sses We're suspected of having
any influence on health. When the
connection of disease with bacteria
and micro-organisms generally was
first established attention was con-
centrated on that side and the tcnden-
cy was to regard all germs as harm
full
1t still fingers, as when the num-
Der of germs present in anything is
taken to be the measure of it's 'pur-
ity' or harmfulness whollv irrespec-
tive of their character. and the one
requisite for health is held to be the
complet" exclusion of all germs from
the BODY. That is still the working be-
llcf, not only of the lay public, but all
;" OF professional practitioners in
health.