CHAPTER XIIL 



KOUMISS. 



IN addition to cream, butter, and cheese, the derivatives of 

 milk include whey and butter-milk, which latter do not call 

 for any special notice. There is, however, another derivative 

 of milk, which ought not to be passed over. Milk can be 

 got to ferment and yield a sort of milk- wine, which goes by 

 the name of koumiss. In Tartary, where mare's milk is 

 used for the purpose, the drink which results is of great im- 

 portance as an article of nourishment for the population. 

 The use of koumiss is said, moreover, to impart immunity 

 from phthisis, and an attempt is being made in this country 

 to produce an English koumiss for the use of patients whose 

 nutrition is impaired. It is hoped that koumiss will prove 

 to be at least as efficacious as cod-liver-oil is believed by 

 many people to be. 



The following analyses of koumiss manufactured in Lon- 

 don by E. Chapman & Co. were made in my laboratory. 



It should be mentioned, that inasmuch as mare's milk 

 contains a larger proportion of sugar than cow's milk, an 

 addition of a little sugar is made to the milk before it is set 

 to ferment. 



In "full koumiss," forty-eight hours old, which had a 

 specific gravity of 1.032 at 67 Fah., I found 



In 100 parts by weight 

 Water . ..- . . . . 87.32 

 Alcohol . ; . . . 1.00 



Carbonic acid . ; 0.90 



Solids . . . . . . 10.78 



100.00 



