KOUMISS 315 



growth on potato. It is incapable of inverting or fer- 

 menting milk-sugar by itself, but manufactures alcohol 

 from the products of the hydrolysis of this sugar, which 

 arise through the activity of a Streptococcus b. The latter 

 is a small oval coccus which gives rise to lactic acid 

 and gas in milk without precipitation of the casein. 

 Streptococcus- a. is a larger species, resembling Str. 

 lacticus in many of its properties, but produces gas 

 when grown in milk. 



Bacillus caucasicus, Beijk. (Dispora caucasica, Kern). 

 One of the constant components of the interior of 

 Kefir-grains is a non-motile organism 5 to 6 /x long, 

 .4 to .5 a broad, frequently curved or bent, and often 

 having a spore-like granule at each end. It coagulates 

 milk, forming much lactic acid but no gas. 



Recently, Nicolaiewa states that she was able to 

 produce good Kefir by the combined action of pure 

 cultures of this bacillus and the Torula ; the others she 

 considers are impurities, as also Torula ellipsoidea, 

 Oospora lactis, and Sarcina lutea, which are usually 

 found in Kefir. 



3. Koumiss is another alcoholic beverage prepared 

 from milk. Its manufacture has been carried on from 

 time immemorial by the nomadic tribes inhabiting the 

 Steppes of Russia. These people make it from the milk 

 of mares, asses, and camels. 



To start the fermentation in fresh milk, a small 

 amount of old Koumiss, or some of the dried sediment 

 from an old sample is added ; in some districts " barm," 

 or " liquid yeast " from a brewery, is used for the same 

 purpose. 



The organisms at work in Tartarian Koumiss are not 

 well known. 



