8SG 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[May G, 1871. 
v/as dry bread. Every quart that is drunk carries into 
the body about four ounces of solid food, so that koumiss 
supplies every rational want. Of course invalids in 
lesser degree, and those who go about actively, may 
drink according to their appetite, even though they 
consume as much as a gallon per day. 
Patients in the adynamic stage of febrile disease re¬ 
gain wonderfully appetite and strength, and recover from 
stupor; their dry, black tongue clears up by perceptible 
gradations daily, the nervous tremor subsides promptly, 
the respiration becomes free, and the diuresis augments. 
This shows how thorough is the digestibility of koumiss, 
and how great is the restorative power of its elements. 
It is because the entire nutriment of the original milk is 
presented in those forms which greatly facilitate the 
natural action of the enfeebled organs of digestion ; in 
other words, chemical skill has done in the preparation 
of koumiss nearly all the preliminary work which would 
otherwise fall on the digestive organs. 
As has been noted already, koumiss can be made of 
any consistence or composition; therefore, if the amount 
of caseine in the normal koumiss is too great for any in¬ 
dividual case, it must be replaced by another of lesser 
richness in that clement. Again, for example, feverish 
persons require a thin or whey koumiss. The physiolo¬ 
gical explanation of whey koumiss in this connection is, 
that it not only gives less plastic material', but is very 
rich in sugar and salts. 
For stout people the internal qualities of the koumiss 
must be so adjusted as to exclude the nourishing ten¬ 
dency, and therefore whey koumiss is thus indicated. 
Rut if a fat person has any morbid condition, such as 
chronic bronchitis, the koumiss must be not only whey 
koumiss, but have the special action suited to that mor¬ 
bid condition. The No. 2, or in more severe cases, the 
No. 3 koumiss of whey have this special action by reason 
of their much greater proportion of lactic acid. 
That exercise in open air, after each dose, augments 
the appetite for koumiss I have already stated; but it 
must be added, that the warmer the season the more 
rapid is the progress in the cure; for then the koumiss 
has the immediate effect of allaying thirst and exciting 
appetite. 
Fresh or No. 1 koumiss is a mild aperient, and pro¬ 
motes the flow of bile;—it is indicated, therefore, in 
constipation, especially when the complexion is sallow 
and the conjunctiva yellowish. So beautifully does it 
clear the skin, that its effect in this respect is proverbial 
in Moscow as the ‘ koumiss complexion.’ 
No. 3 koumiss applies to chronic diarrhoea, relaxation 
of the mucous membranes, and to nervous debility ; it is, 
therefore, well suited for bronchitis, winter cough, and 
consumption. In such cases it is a benignant friend 
which has no rival; for, though not a specific, it is 
always a great palliative, and oftentimes a means of 
cure. It is necessary, however, to be used under the 
advice of a physician, so that it may be associated with 
other treatment as might be thought expedient. 
Diaphoresis appears to be greatly increased by koumiss 
in summer, but in the colder seasons diuresis is strongly 
marked, and sometimes both effects follow together, 
especially in dropsies without organic lesion. 
The pulse at first shows no change, but when the 
koumiss has been taken for a few days, then during the 
hours which follow its ingestion, the frequency dimi¬ 
nishes, but there is more softness and fulness of volume. 
From this it might be inferred that koumiss is contra¬ 
indicated in haemorrhage ; but such is not the case, for 
in fact the blood itselt is modified so favourably in its 
plasticity, and the walls of the blood-vessels are so 
strengthened, that the tendency to bleeding becomes 
lessened. 
Koumiss produces a general calmness of feeling, some¬ 
times accompanied with slight drowsiness ; and the con¬ 
tinuous use of it in its normal state produces plumpness 
in degree greater as the emaciation has been more ad¬ 
vanced. Experience has shown in this connection that 
the average gain of weight ranges from the minimum of 
one ounce to the maximum of ten ounces per day. The 
weight of the patient should therefore be taken at the 
commencement of the treatment, and from time to time 
afterwards in order to observe the effect. If, in ten 
days, there is no sign of an increase, then it is better to 
stop the koumiss. 
In conclusion, No. 2 koumiss is neither aperient nor 
constipating, but in other respects is midway between 
Nos. 1 and 3. It may be substituted advantageously for 
other drinks at meals, as it has a very agreeable taste, 
and is a great promoter of digestion. 
If it should be desired to impart an aperient property 
to either Nos. 2 or 3, it is only necessary to drink the 
latter with one-half of fresh milk. By this admixture, 
the milk also becomes very digestible .—The Milk Journal. 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HISTORY OF THE 
OPIUM ALKALOIDS. 
Part I.—On the Adieu cf Uydrobromic Acid on Codeia. 
RY C. It. A. WRIGHT, D.SC. 
{Concluded from paye 868.) 
The third base is conveniently obtained, as hydrobro- 
mate, by treating codeia with three times its weight of 
48 per cent. HBr for two hours on the water-bath, pre¬ 
cipitating the product (diluted with water) by excess of 
carbonate of soda, collecting on filters, and well draining 
from the mother-liquors, and finally extracting with 
ether until scarcely anything more is taken up; care 
must be taken to have as little watery fluid as possible 
present, otherwise the insoluble substance forms a sort of 
lather on agitation from which the ether will not sepa¬ 
rate. The insoluble substance is then dissolved in the 
least possible quantity of weak hydrobromic acid and 
fractionally precipitated by cautious additon of stronger 
acid; the second precipitate is dissolved up in water, in 
which it is readily soluble, and a few drops of carbonate 
of soda solution added. The filtrate from this vields, 
with strong H Br, nearly white flakes, which are wholly 
void of crystalline character under the microscope. These 
remain solid at 100° if previously completely dried over 
S 0 4 II 2 ; but if warmed whilst moist, become a more or 
less coloured tar. Dried at 100°, the following numbers 
were obtained:— 
0-3440 grm. gave 0-6810 C0 2 and 0-1740 H 2 0. 
0-3425 grin, gave 0*6685 CO and 0-1680 H 2 0. 
0-5615 grm. burnt with soda lime gave 0-1310 Pt. 
0-3200 grm. boiled with NO s H and AgN 0 3 gave 
0-1330 AgBr and 0 0315 Ag. 
Calculated 
r --A 
c 72 . . 
.864 
54-03 
H S7 . . 
.87 
5-44 
k; . . 
.56 
3-50 
0 12 . . 
.192 
1201 
Br s . . 
.400 
25-02 
Cj- 2 H^ Br N 4 0 12 ,4 H Br 1599 
100-00 
Found. 
r 
\ 
53'99 
53-23 
5-61 
5"45 
3-33 
24-97 
Carbonate of soda throws down from the hydrobromate 
a nearly white precipitate, which rapidly darkens, and 
finally turns a deep green, nearly black. Dried at 100° 
rapidly, the product gave the following numbers, which 
fall below those required for the formula C ;2 H^BrN^Op 
but which agree with those required for a similar formula 
but containing more oxygen:— 
