MAZUN AND LEBEN. 139 



the addition of cow's milk at 37 C. it coagulates to a thick 

 paste without noticeable separation of whey. Its optimum 

 lies between 20 and 30 C. Ten minutes' heating at 60 C. 

 is sufficient to kill it. In experiments with mare's milk in 

 presence of these three organisms, Schipin arrived at the 

 conclusion that this species plays the most important part 

 in the formation of Koumiss, and that it produces a lactic 

 acid, as well as an alcoholic fermentation. It only displays 

 its activity when the yeast and lactic acid bacteria have 

 prepared the way for its development. At certain health 

 resorts cow's milk is used instead of mare's milk, with the 

 addition of sugar and alcohol yeast ; in other words, a pre- 

 paration which has nothing at all to do with Koumiss. 



Mazun is, like kephir, a fermented milk (buffalo, goat, 

 or cow's milk), which is prepared in Armenia, and is used 

 both as a beverage and for butter-making. According to 

 Kalanthar, Emmerling, and Lindner it contains a number of 

 organisms, and amongst them yeasts fermenting lactose, an 

 Anomalus form, Bac. subtilis, and lactic acid bacteria. In 

 a similar way in Egypt, a sourish aromatic product resembling 

 kephir is prepared from buffalo's, goat's, and cow's milk 

 named Leben. It contains less alcohol than kephir, and 

 coagulates in an alkaline mass. As in previous cases, boiled 

 milk is brought into fermentation by the addition of dried 

 milk from a previous fermentation. According to Rist and 

 Khoury five different species are active in this fermentation ; 

 a Streptobacillus which coagulates milk and produces lactic 

 acid from lactose ; a very thin Bacillus which also yields 

 lactic acid ; a Diplococcus which strongly coagulates milk : 

 a yeast species which ferments glucose, saccharose, and maltose, 

 but not lactose, but which, along with the Streptococcus, may 

 give a vigorous fermentation in milk, as the bacterium hydro- 

 lyses lactose ; and, finally, a Mycoderma species which can 

 ferment glucose and maltose, but not lactose. The Strepto- 

 coccus and the Diplococcus also possess a special coagulating 

 enzyme. According to Rist and Khoury, by the use of these 

 five species, Leben can be prepared from milk, and, best of all, 

 if the two budding fungi are added first and the bacteria 

 later. 



