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Donkey milk knowledge archive · Historical source
Blumenbach’s Handbook of Natural History (1779): donkey milk “for the toilette”
In his Handbook of Natural History of 1779, the Göttingen naturalist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach lists donkey milk among the uses of mammals – “for pomades and otherwise for the toilette”. It does not appear under the heading “medicine”.
- Author
- Johann Friedrich Blumenbach (1752–1840)
- Work
- Handbuch der Naturgeschichte. Mit Kupfern (1st edition)
- Passage
- Section on mammals, § 51, pp. 54–55 (Göttingen, Johann Christian Dieterich, 1779)
- Time & place
- 1779 · Göttingen
- Type of source
- Natural history textbook
In the original words
What the original says
Eselsmilch, Wallrath, allerhand Fett, zu Pomaden und sonst für die Toilette.
Donkey milk, spermaceti and all kinds of fat [serve] for pomades and otherwise for the toilette.
Die vielfache Brauchbarkeit der Säugthiere fürs Menschengeschlecht reducirt sich vorzüglich auf folgendes.
The many uses of mammals for mankind come down chiefly to the following.
Endlich zur Arzney: Bisam, Bibergeil, Hirschhorn; und weiland auch; Zibet, Wallrath, Bezoare aus beiden Indien, Piedra del Porco u. s. w.
Finally for medicine: musk, castoreum, hartshorn; and formerly also civet, spermaceti, bezoars from both Indies, piedra del porco etc.
English rendering: our own translation by the DON DONKEY’S editorial team, following the sense of the text.
Background
Who, when, what kind of text
Johann Friedrich Blumenbach was professor of medicine at Göttingen and one of the most influential naturalists of his time. His “Handbuch der Naturgeschichte” first appeared in 1779, published by Johann Christian Dieterich, and was reissued in new editions for decades. It served as a textbook for lectures and summarised natural-history knowledge concisely and systematically.
In the section on mammals Blumenbach first describes anatomy and way of life. In § 51 there follows a compact overview of what humans use mammals for: riding and draught, hunting, food, clothing, crafts and arts, the toilette and finally medicine. Donkey milk appears under only one of these headings.
Content
What the source reports about donkey milk
The passage is brief: “Eselsmilch, Wallrath, allerhand Fett, zu Pomaden und sonst für die Toilette.” Blumenbach thus names donkey milk alongside spermaceti, the waxy substance from the head of the sperm whale, and animal fats. What they share is their use in pomades and other means of personal care.
What is missing is revealing. Immediately afterwards comes the heading “for medicine” with musk, castoreum and hartshorn as well as substances used “weiland”, that is formerly. Donkey milk is not among them. Milk in general is listed under “for food”, together with butter and cheese.
For a late 18th-century textbook of natural history, Blumenbach thus soberly assigns donkey milk to the sphere of personal care, without any promise of healing.
At a glance
Figures & facts from the source
Critical assessment
How reliable is this source?
Source value
First edition, available page by page with facsimile in the German Text Archive. Blumenbach was a respected scholar; his handbook reflects what counted as established basic knowledge at a leading German university.
A brief mention
The passage consists of a single clause. It says nothing about quantities, origin or preparation. Its weight lies in the classification: Blumenbach places donkey milk with personal care, not with medicine.
Today’s assessment
The passage documents the cosmetic use of donkey milk in the 18th century as a contemporary statement. It says nothing about effects on the skin and should not be read as evidence of any effect.
Our assessment
Half a sentence, but a remarkable one: while many 18th-century texts treat donkey milk mainly as medicine, Blumenbach assigns it to the toilette. That makes it an early milestone in the history of donkey milk as a personal-care product.
References
Sources to check
- Primary sourceBlumenbach, Handbuch der Naturgeschichte, Göttingen: Johann Christian Dieterich 1779, § 51, p. 55 (German Text Archive, full text with facsimile)
https://www.deutschestextarchiv.de/book/view/blumenbach_naturgeschichte_1779?p=77 - Work recordBibliographic record and download of the DTA edition
https://www.deutschestextarchiv.de/blumenbach_naturgeschichte_1779
More sources and studies in the research archive. Summarised by the DON DONKEY’S editorial team, as of November 2026.
The source summarised above does not come from DON DONKEY’S® and does not refer to our products. It serves solely to inform about knowledge of donkey milk.
DON DONKEY’S® donkey milk and donkey milk powder are foods. They are not intended to prevent, treat or cure any disease and do not replace medical advice.
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