Coffee, chocolate, and wine are some of the luxuries which must be
renounced during a kumys cure, and though black tea (occasionally with
lemon) is allowed, no milk or cream can be permitted to contend with the
action of the mare's milk unless by express permission of the physician.
"Cream kumys," which is advertised as a delicacy in America, is a
contradiction in terms, it will be seen, as it is made of cow's milk,
and cream would be contrary to the nature of kumys, even if the mare's
milk produced anything which could rightly pass as such. Fish and fruits
are also forbidden, with the exception of _klubniki_, which accord well
with kumys. _Klubnika_ is a berry similar to the strawberry in
appearance, but with an entirely different taste. Patients who violate
these dietary rules are said to suffer for it,--in which case there
must have been a good deal of agony inside the tall fence of our
establishment, judging by the thriving trade in fruits driven by the old
women, who did not confine themselves to the outside of the gate, as the
rules required, but slipped past the porter and guardians to the house
itself.

We found the kumys a very agreeable beverage, and could readily perceive
that the patients might come to have a very strong taste for it. We even
sympathized with the thorough-going patient of whom we were told that he
set oft regularly every morning to lose himself for the day on the
steppe, armed with an umbrella against possible cooling breezes, and
with a basket containing sixteen bottles of kumys, his allowance of food
and medicine until sundown. The programme consisted of a walk in the
sun, a drink, a walk, a drink, with umbrella interludes, until darkness
drove him home to bed and to his base of supplies.

We did not remain long enough, or drink enough kumys, to observe any