Am.  Jour.  Pharm.l 
January,  1908.  / 
Kefir  and  Its  Preparation. 
bered  that  the  grains  must  be  thoroughly  and  carefully  washed  in 
cold,  distilled  water  from  the  deposit  of  curd  which  accumulates 
upon  their  surface,  causing  subsequent  acid  fermentation  which  is 
highly  detrimental  to  their  quality  and  fermentative  power. 
Second  Method  :  Kefir  may  be  prepared  by  taking  a  tablespoonful 
of  the  dry  grains,  covering  them  with  warm  water  and  changing  the 
latter  several  times  during  twenty-four  hours.  Next  the  grains  are 
daily  covered  with  fresh  milk  until  they  become  "  springy."  The 
so-prepared  grains  are  placed  in  a  decanter  covered  with  three  glasses 
(750  c.c.)  of  milk  and  agitated  frequently  during  six  to  eight  hours. 
The  grains  are  now  strained  off,  the  colate  placed  in  bottles  which 
should  not  be  filled  too  full — and  these  latter  are  proceeded  with  as 
described  in  the  first  method. 
Third  Method  :  This  method  depends  upon  the  employment  of 
"  three-day-old  "  kefir.  Thus  the  contents  of  a  bottle  of  the  latter 
is  divided  equally  into  three  bottles,  these  are  filled  within  an  inch 
of  the  top  with  cold,  previously  boiled  milk,  corked  securely, 
agitated  occasionally  at  the  room  temperature  during  three  days  or 
until  the  mixture  thickens,  when  one  of  the  bottles  is  again  divided 
into  three  fresh  bottles  and  proceeded  with  as  above.  This  method 
has  one  disadvantage  in  that  the  third  and  the  fourth  attenuations 
spoil  quickly. 
The  following  points  should  be  observed  in  the  preparation  of 
kefir :  The  milk  should  be  fresh,  previously  skimmed  and  boiled  ; 
the  latter  condition  is  imperative  to  prevent  butyric  fermentation. 
It  is  also  advantageous  to  sometimes  add  a  teaspoonful  of  lactose 
to  the  milk,  as  in  this  wise  more  alcohol  and  C02  is  formed  and  the 
albuminous  bodies  undergo  peptonization  much  more  readily.  Good 
kefir  should  be  homogeneous,  viscous  fluid  not  readily  separating 
into  two  layers.  Ferrated  kefir  for  ansemics  is  prepared  by  adding 
to  each  bottle  o*i  gramme  of  ferric  lactate.  Pepsinated  kefir  is  made 
by  adding  075  gramme  of  powdered  pepsin  to  each  bottle. 
