ANIMAL FOOD. 285 



taining little caseine and fat but all the sugar and salts of milk. The 

 caseine and fat being absent, there is no fear of curdling in the 

 stomach and thus causing pain or diarrhea. Whey can therefore be 

 taken by many persons with whom milk disagrees. It is not very 

 valuable as nutriment, but it is very digestible, is easily absorbed 

 and is a refreshing drink in the sick-room, especially in inflam- 

 matory disorders. Slightly flavored with nutmeg it is very palatable. 

 There is a prevailing opinion that whey causes sweat; hence wine- 

 whey, alum-whey, arid tamarind -whey, the milk having been 

 curdled by these substances, are recommended. The method of 

 preparation is given hereafter. In Switzerland whey is supposed to 

 be of value in the treatment of chronic disorders of the abdominal 

 organs. 



CONDENSED MILK is milk preserved by the evaporation of a 

 large proportion of its water, and the addition of cane-sugar. It 

 is sold in hermetically sealed tins, in which it can be kept for sev- 

 eral years ; when the tins are opened it is found in the form of 

 sirup, which will remain good for several days. It is very useful 

 for the diet of invalids, in the making of light puddings, or other 

 food into which milk largely enters. It requires the addition of a 

 considerable quantity of soft water (three parts water to one part 

 milk) to replace what has been evaporated. Being already sweet- 

 ened, it needs no addition of sugar. Its sweetness renders it very 

 agreeable to infants. 



KOUMISS, fermented mare's or cow's milk, has been found very 

 useful in consumption. The Russian plan of making it is as fol- 

 lows : Two teacupf uls of wheat-flour are mixed with one spoonful of 

 honey, one of good beer-yeast, and sufficient milk to form a not too 

 thin paste; the whole is put in a moderately warm place to ferment. 

 When fermentation takes place the ferment is put in a linen bag, 

 and hung in a jar or keg containing sixteen pounds of fresh mare's or 

 cow's milk, covered and allowed to stand till the milk has acquired a 

 pleasant acidulous taste (about 16 to 24 hours, according to the 

 temperature). The butter and cheese particles which float about 

 are now skimmed off, the liquid is poured into another keg and 

 shaken for one hour, after which time it is poured into bottles, 

 corked and put into the cellar. A " cure " requires the product of 

 twelve to fifteen pounds of milk daily ; the best season for it is from 

 May to July. The koumiss is taken early in the morning, every 

 hour (a teacupful to a tumblerful at a time), and plenty of exercise 

 must follow. 



BUTTER is the fatty portion of milk, obtained by churning the 

 cream or the entire milk. This operation causes the rupture of the 

 envelopes of the fat globules, which then coalesce and become in- 

 corporated into a solid mass. Milk yields on an average 5 per 

 cent, of butter, arid milk, for its favorable production, requires a tem- 

 perature of 60. When the butter is formed it shoula be worked 

 and washed with water to remove the caseine, fatty acids and other 



