Called by the Tartars KOUMISS. 



Even MACQUER, in his Chemical Dictionary *, has fallen in- 

 to an error of the fame kind. Speaking of whey, he fays, " In 

 " whey is contained diffolved, a confiderable quantity of ex- 

 " tractive fubftance, of the nature of the faccharine juices, and 

 " it is accordingly fufceptible of the fpirituous fermentation. 

 " The Tartars certainly make from it a fpirituous drink, or 

 " kind of wine." From this it appears he had not made the 

 experiment. 



THE following method of making Koumifs, is that which I 

 adopted in my own practice with fuccefs. It is common among 

 the Bafchkir Tartars^ who inhabit that part of the government 

 of Orenbourg which lies between the rivers Kama and Volga. It 

 was communicated to me by a Ruffian nobleman, in whofe cafe 

 I was confulted, and who was the firft who made ufe of it by 

 my advice. He went into that country on purpofe to drink it; 

 and, as he refided for fome time there, he could not be mif- 

 taken with refpecl to the procefs. 



TAKE of frefh mares milk, of one day, any quantity ; add to 

 it a ^fixth part of water, and pour the mixture into a wooden 

 veffel ; ufe then, as a ferment, an eighth part of the foureft 

 cows milk that can be got ; but, at any future preparation, a 

 fmall portion of old Koumifs will better anfwer the purpofe of 

 fouring j cover the veffel with a thick cloth, and fet it in a 

 place of moderate warmth ; leave it at reft twenty-four hours, 

 at the end of which time, the milk will have become four, and 

 a thick fubftance will be gathered on the top ; then, with a 

 ftick, made at the lower end in the manner of a churnftaff, 

 beat it, till the thick fubftance above mentioned be blended in- 

 timately with the fubjacent fluid : In this fituation, leave it 

 again at reft for twenty-four hours more ; after which, pour it 

 into a higher and narrower veffel, refembling a churn, where the 

 agitation muft be repeated, as before, till the liquor appear to 

 be perfectly homogeneous; and, in this ftate, it is called Koumifs ; 



of 



* MACQUER Di&ionary of Chemift. p. 432. 



