Kumisotherapy

Kumisotherapy. The beginning of organized kumisotherapy was laid in the mid-19th century by Dr. Postnikov, rightly called the Nestor of kumisotherapy. In 1858, he opened the first kumisotherapy institution in Russia near Samara. Soon he found many imitators, and within a few years, several kumisotherapy institutions appeared in the Samara, Ufa, and Orenburg provinces. The creation of more favorable conditions for kumisotherapy contributed to the development of this treatment method, and it soon gained enormous popularity. Until 1858, the number of patients coming for treatment with kumis was counted in the tens, but in 1881, in the Samara province alone, there were already 1,500 patients during the summer; in 1909, according to data from Dr. Zolotnitsky, there were 40 specialized kumisotherapy sanatoriums and up to 75 villages where kumis patients came for the summer in the Samara, Ufa, and Orenburg provinces. The total number of people who came for treatment in 1912 reached approximately 10,000 according to rough calculations. However, in the pre-revolutionary period, kumisotherapy developed without any plan, exclusively through private initiative; meanwhile, the construction of railways, the development of grain farming and industry in the steppe provinces of Eastern Russia led to a reduction in steppe areas, and consequently a reduction in horse herds. Nomads became sedentary. Kumis production turned into a special occupation of local residents—Bashkirs and Kirghiz. However, land-poor and impoverished village residents could not organize this business satisfactorily, observing the minimal requirements of rational kumis production and sanitation. Pastures for mares were always extremely insufficient; mares were cruelly exploited, performed all farm work, were used for plowing, and at the same time were milked 5-6 times a day. Workshops for making kumis were kept extremely unsanitary, and spoiled kumis was often sold to patients, etc. For the accommodation of patients, mostly poor, dirty huts were used. The nutrition of patients was extremely unsatisfactory. In kumisotherapy institutions, the situation was little better. Premises were mostly unsatisfactory, estates were kept in an unsanitary manner, there were no preventive measures against tuberculosis, unsatisfactory organization of nutrition, lack of a definite regimen and systematic treatment, insufficiency of pastures and horses, and because of this, the kumis was more or less poor (in Pogulyanka of Vitebsk province, in Zheleznovodsk and other places). In the Chernigov, Voronezh, and Saratov provinces, there were specialized kumisotherapy sanatoriums. The years of the civil war heavily affected the development of kumisotherapy. Kumisotherapy sanatoriums fell into disrepair, the economy of local peasants declined, and the number of milch mares drastically decreased. The influx of patients into the steppes ceased. After the end of the civil war, the People's Commissariat of Health, having all resort affairs in its hands, organizing it on new principles and recognizing resort treatment as a powerful factor in the restoration of health of the working people, could not overlook kumisotherapy. Despite the general difficult economic conditions and famine, a network of kumisotherapy sanatoriums was developed. Gradually, the dilapidated and completely ruined buildings of former private kumisotherapy institutions were put in order. For the organization of rational kumis production, state kumisotherapy sanatoriums were provided with state farms, the necessary amount of meadow and arable land. Virgin steppe areas (Uranbash) were allocated to them to ensure the further development of kumisotherapy. Gradually, kumisotherapy sanatoriums began to acquire their own herds of mares. Instead of primitive methods of kumis production, a scientifically based laboratory method using pure cultures began to be applied. At present, kumisotherapy is conducted both in specialized state and local significance kumisotherapy resorts and in a number of other resorts as an additional treatment method. In addition, primitive kumis production has again developed among Bashkirs and Cossacks, attracting a fairly large number of patients. Rational kumisotherapy is possible only in a well-organized kumisotherapy sanatorium. The main role in the development of steppe kumisotherapy belongs to the state kumisotherapy sanatoriums mentioned below, which are developing at a fairly rapid pace. Below are some statistical data on their activities. Kumisotherapy Sanatoriums Number of sanatorium beds 1927 1928 1929 Number of sanatorium patients 1927 1928 1929 Shafranovo 1,497 Orenburg 400 Boro- voye 335 530 450 350 1,800 1,552 1,385 Resort budgets 1927 1928 475,000 512,000 251,000 506,000 320,000 342,000 kumis. The owners of kumis establishments pursued exclusively profit-making goals. Nevertheless, even under such extremely unfavorable conditions, a remarkable success in treatment was still achieved, and the influx of patients continued to grow unabated. In addition to the Volga steppes, kumisotherapy developed in other parts of Russia. In the Turgay steppes, where nomads, abundant pastures, and huge horse herds still remained, primitive kumis production continued to flourish, attracting, however, few patients, mostly from nearby populated areas. As an additional treatment method, kumisotherapy was applied in sanatoriums. State kumisotherapy resorts. 1. The Shafranovo kumisotherapy district is located in the Belebeevsky canton of the Bashkir Republic, on both sides of the Samara-Zlatoust railway line between the stations of Aksakovo and Shafranovo, 128 km from Ufa and 342 km from Samara. The terrain is elevated, hilly, forming part of the western foothills of the Urals. Height above sea level from 418 to 620 m. The steppe alternates with forests (forest-steppe), individual elevations are interrupted by steppe streams and rivers. Forests are mostly birch and oak, occasionally coniferous species. The steppe is partly feather grass (in separate areas). The climate is continental, moderately hot summer, cold, snowy winter, early unstable spring with cold mornings and warm, almost hot midday periods, and early rainy and windy autumn. 2. The Orenburg-Buzuluk kumisotherapy district is located near Orenburg. The climate is sharply continental. In summer, there are strong heats (up to 50°), in winter, strong frosts. Snow lingers for a long time, spring is friendly. In summer, there are hot midday periods, cool evenings, almost cold nights. A feature of the climate is constant winds from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., however, rarely reaching great strength. Dryness of the air, abundance of sun and absence of dew—another feature of this district. The treatment season is from May 16 to September 30. Communication routes—junction No. 9 of the Tashkent railway; from the station—by horse. In 1930, the Shafranovo and Orenburg kumisotherapy districts were united into one resort trust. The management is located in Shafranovo. 3. Borovoye (see). Local significance kumisotherapy sanatoriums. The Troitsky kumisotherapy district in the Urals region consists of five sanatorium groups and 3 rest houses with 1,190 beds. The Peschanskaya kumisotherapy sanatorium with 160 beds in the Lower Volga region, 70 km from the city of Balashov. The Nikolaevskaya kumisotherapy sanatorium with 120 beds near the city of Nikolaevsk in the Lower Volga region. The Ber-Chogurskaya kumisotherapy sanatorium with 130 beds near the station of Ber-Chogur of the Tashkent railway. The Stavropol kumisotherapy sanatorium with 250 beds near Stavropol on the Volga. The Tarlovskaya kumisotherapy sanatorium with 60 beds in the Tatar Republic on the Kama. The Aksakovskaya kumisotherapy sanatorium with 200 beds in the Bashkir Republic at the station of Aksakovo of the Samara-Zlatoust railway. The Aksenovskaya kumisotherapy sanatorium with 250 beds in the Bashkir Republic, 10 km from the station of Aksenovo of the Samara-Zlatoust railway. The Glukhovskaya kumisotherapy sanatorium with 150 beds (100 for adults, 50 for children) in the Bashkir Republic at the station of Glukhovsky of the Samara-Zlatoust railway; a rest house with kumisotherapy, station of Alkino Sam.-Zlat. railway; Manychskaya kumisotherapy sanatorium in the North Caucasus region; being reopened by the North Caucasus regional health department in 1930. Aul and Berezovka—climatic and kumisotherapy resorts of the Kazakh ASSR, 80 km from Semipalatinsk. The Central kumisotherapy sanatorium in the Buryat-Mongolian ASSR, 50 km east of the city of Verkneudinsk. Chemal mountain-climatic and kumis station in the Oirot region (Altai), 164 km from the city of Biysk. In addition to kumisotherapy sanatoriums, village kumisotherapy is still very widespread to this day. In terms of sanitary conditions, it has somewhat improved compared to the pre-revolutionary period, but even now patients are often in unfavorable conditions of housing and nutrition, use low-quality kumis, and are not sufficiently provided with medical assistance. There are especially many villages engaged in the kumis business in the Bashkir Republic, in the valley of the Demy River, along the Samara-Zlatoust railway. In the Orenburg region, village kumisotherapy is beginning to develop recently along the Tashkent railway. Lit.—see lit. to article. Ya. Yakhnin, M. Mikhailov.