Donkey milk in history: Buffon (1753)

In the fourth volume of his natural history, Buffon states in 1753 that the use of donkey milk has been widespread “from the Greeks to us,” and describes how a milk donkey should be selected and fed.

The source in brief

• Author: Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707–1788)
• Work: Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, Tome IV
• Passage: Chapter “L’Asne” (The Donkey), p. 402 (Paris, Imprimerie royale, 1753)
• Time and place: 1753 · France (Paris)
• Type of source: Natural history

The original wording

le lait d’ânesse au contraire est un remède éprouvé & spécifique pour certains maux, & l’usage de ce remède s’est conservé depuis les Grecs jusqu’à nous

Donkey milk, on the other hand, is considered [according to Buffon] a proven and targeted remedy for certain ailments, and this use has been preserved from the Greeks to our time.

French, Buffon, HN IV, p. 402

il faut choisir une ânesse jeune, saine, bien en chair, qui ait mis bas depuis peu de temps

One must choose a young, healthy, well-nourished donkey that has recently foaled.

French, Buffon, HN IV, p. 402

German translation: own, free translation by the DON DONKEY'S editorial team.

Background

Buffon was the Intendant of the Royal Botanical Garden in Paris. His “Histoire naturelle” was published in 36 volumes starting in 1749 and was a widely read natural history work in Europe in the 18th century. Volume IV (1753) deals with domestic animals, including horses and donkeys.

Buffon wrote as a naturalist, not as a physician. His information on medical applications reflects the prevailing opinion of his time, which was still largely based on ancient authors such as Galen.

What the source reports

At the end of the chapter on donkeys, Buffon discusses the uses of the animal. While he describes donkey meat as poor and—citing Galen—unhealthy, he contrasts it with donkey milk: It is a proven remedy “for certain ailments,” and its use has been preserved since the time of the Greeks.

Buffon lists practical conditions: The donkey should be young, healthy, and well-nourished, have recently foaled, and not be bred again. The foal is weaned, and the animal is fed hay, oats, barley, and herbs.

Immediately afterward, Buffon critically distances himself: The ancients had also attributed special powers to donkey blood, urine, and organs, but experience had refuted this or at least not confirmed it.

Numbers and facts

• 1753 – Year of publication of Volume IV
• p. 402 – Passage on donkey milk in the chapter “L’Asne”
• 4 – Feed: hay, oats, barley, herbs
• 36 – Total number of volumes in the Histoire naturelle
• 1777 – Almost literal adoption into Krünitz’s Encyclopädie, Vol. 11

Critical assessment

• Source value: First edition by the Royal Printing House, verifiable as a digital copy with exact page numbers. The text was translated and copied throughout Europe, among other places in Krünitz’s Oekonomische Encyclopädie.
• Critical view even with Buffon: It is noteworthy that Buffon distinguishes between donkey milk and the other “donkey medicines” of antiquity, expressly describing the latter as not confirmed by experience.
• Modern assessment: The statement about “certain ailments” reflects the state of knowledge in the 18th century. A health benefit of donkey milk is therefore not proven and cannot be applied today.

Our assessment

Buffon's text was frequently quoted and adopted during the Enlightenment. We find the practical information on the care and feeding of the milk donkey particularly interesting—as well as Buffon's skepticism toward older folk remedies.

Reference: Original 1753 edition, p. 402 (archive.org, copy BIU Santé Paris) · Summarized by the DON DONKEY'S editorial team, as of November 2026.

End of source summary. The source does not refer to DON DONKEY'S® or our products. Our donkey milk is a food.