iv PRESERVED MILK 207 



Water 91*535 per cent. 



Fat 1-274 



Protein 1-913 



Sugar 1-253 



Salts 0-293 



Carbon dioxide, free and combined .. 0'876 



Alcohol 1-850 



Lactic acid 1-006 



100-000 

 Specific gravity at 15C 1-008 1-020. 



"Leben," " Mazoun/' and " Yoghurt," are other sour beverages 

 prepared from milk, the first in Egypt, the second in Armenia, 

 and the last in Bulgaria. Yoghurt has come into, prominence 

 in the last few years, because of the Bacillus bulgaricus which 

 it contains. This organism is a very powerful exciter of lactic 

 acid fermentation, and, according to E. Metschnikoff, it acts as 

 a sort of disinfectant in the large intestine, and thereby checks 

 the chronic toxic poisoning caused by the putrefaction organ- 

 isms. Metschnikoff, who is of the opinion that the putrefactive 

 fermentation which usually takes place -in the large intestine 

 tends to shorten life and that if these putrefactive changes 

 could be checked human life would be prolonged, recommends 

 the use of milk containing the Bacillus bulgaricus. The un- 

 usually long life enjoyed by many of the Bulgarian country 

 population would thus be explained, for they are known to 

 consume large quantities of yoghurt daily. Cultures of the 

 micro-organisms present in yoghurt can now be bought all 

 over the world under the name of Lactobacillin, Bulgarian 

 Maya, &c. By allowing milk to become partially sour, and 

 then adding some of the culture, yoghurt can be obtained in a 

 few hours if the temperature is kept at about 40. 



Fuhrmann 1 has prepared yoghurt in this way, and after 

 seven hours at 40 it had the following composition : 



The milk used. The Yoghurt. 



Protein 5*090 per cent. 4 -410 per cent. 



Fat 5-780 5-740 



Milk sugar 7'210 ,, 6'873 ,, 



Acids, calculated to lactic acid 0445 ,, 0'344 ,, 



Fat, free dry matter 14-800 14-892 



Alcohol 0-090 ,, 



Aldehyde traces 



1 Zdtschr. far Untersuch, der Nahr.-u. Genussmittel, 1907, Vol. XIII, 

 p. 598. 



