Called by the far tars KOUMISS. 183 



which are ufed by the Kalmucks for the preparation and car- 

 riage of their Koumifs, I learned, that the procefs may be much 

 fhortened by heating the milk before the fouring be added to 

 it, and as foon as the parts begin to feparate, and a thick fub- 

 ftance to rife to the top, by agitating it every hour, or oftener. 

 In this way, he made fome in my prefence in the fpace of 

 twelve hours. I learned alfo, that it was common, among 

 fome Tartars, to prepare it in one day during fummer, and that 

 with only two or three agitations ; but that in winter, when, 

 from a deficiency of mares milk, they are obliged to add a 

 great proportion of that of cows, more agitation and more time 

 are neceflary. And though it is commonly ufed within a few 

 days after the preparation, yet, when well fecured in clofe 

 veflels, and kept in a cold place, that it may be preferved for 

 three months, or even more, without any injury to its qualities. 



HE faid farther, that the acid fermentation might be pro- 

 duced by four milk, as above, by a four paile of rye-flour, by 

 the rennet of a lamb's flomach, or, what is more common, by 

 a portion of old Koumifs ; and that, in fome places, they faved 

 much time, by adding the new milk to a quantity of that al- 

 ready fermented, on being mixed with which, it very foon un- 

 dergoes the vinous change. It was according to the firft pro- 

 cefs, however, that all the Koumifs which I have employed in 

 medicine was prepared. 



FROM all thefe accounts, it appears, that three things are ef- 

 fential to the vinous fermentation of milk. Thefe are heat, 

 fouring, and agitation. Heat is neceflary to every fpecies of fer- 

 mentation, and fouring is perhaps not lefs fo, though not in fo 

 fenfible a degree as in the prefent cafe ; but the chief art of fer- 

 menting milk confifts in agitation. This laft circumftance has 

 wholly efcaped the attention of chemifts, notwithflanding it 

 appears to be confonant to the operations of nature in other fpe- 

 cies of fermentation. In fermenting vegetable juices and in- 

 fufions, nature has, no need of the afliftance of art ; the in- 



teftine 



