Secrets Of Beauty Of Cleopatra: Donkey's Milk

Recently I met an old friend of mine who is now in medical school and he jokingly said that donkey’s milk is very good for health. First i thought that he must be pulling my leg but when i and a friend of mine who is also in medical school researched a little on donkey’s milk we were quite surprised to know that he was not telling fibs but was actually right. I was really surprised to know that legend have it that the most beautiful woman in the history of mankind Cleopatra used donkey’s milk extensively daily. It is said that she used to take bath with milk of seven hundred donkeys yes right 700 donkeys. It is said that this prevented her skin from aging and getting wrinkles. Those were days when anti wrinkle creams were not available even to kings and queens so they have to find their own way. Also a recent study on rats it was found in Istanbul, Turkey that rats fed on Donkey’s milk put on less fat that rats fed on cow’s milk. They also were more energetic and burnt more calories than cow milk fed rats.

                         Donkey’s milk is closet to human milk in composition and thus is very good for the infants. This milk is so much in demand in South Indian cities for infants that 50 ml of the milk costs 200 rupees while one litre of cow’s milk cost 25 Rupees. It may be due to fact that a donkey only gives 2 pint of milk a day or about only 10 % of what a cow gives.

Uses of Donkey’s Milk:

1.       Alimentary Canal Use:   Till early part of 19^th century it was used extensively as replacement of the human milk. In Ayurveda it is considered as having magical properties and is supposed to treat all most all the alimentary canal diseases in infants. This milk has been used in Suddha Ayurveda medicine for 100s of years now. While the doctors practising the modern medicine do agree that it is very close to Human milk but are little sceptical about its magical properties. But they do agree it can be a good substitute for mother’s milk.

2.       Cosmetic Use:  Well as already described Cleopatra used it but she wasn’t the only one. Infact wife of Roman emperor Nero ( who was famous for playing flute while Rome burnt.) Poppaea Sabina who was also supposed to be very beautiful, used donkey’s milk a lot for her beauty. It is supposed that the donkey’s milk makes skin wrinkle free, delicate and its lustre and whiteness.  Cleopatra and poppaea used to wash their faces many times a with Donkey’s milk.

3.       Medicinal use:   First one to recognise the value of the Donkey’s milk was Hippocrates (Doctors still take oath in his name) . He found this milk to be useful in various conditions such as liver diseases, bleeding from nose, various fevers and infections, oedema ( swellings),  and wounds.  Since then others doctors have found other uses of this milk. The various uses are

1.       Gargle for the throat infection

2.       As an antidote to many poisons

3.       Fatigue

4.       Eye strain

5.       Face wrinkles

6.       Ulcers

7.       Asthma

8.       Teeth if got hit and got loose.

9.       Respiratory troubles

10.   Given to new born for better voice and sound.

 Though donkey’s milk may not be easily available because of very less demand and production and also not every civilization and country look favourably to this milk but it has got so many valuable properties and no side effects so i think it deserves a fair chance.