Donkey milk knowledge archive · Historical source

Paul of Aegina: freshly milked donkey milk with honey after the bath

In the 7th century the Byzantine physician Paul of Aegina summarised the medical knowledge of antiquity in seven books. For severe “drying out” of the body he prescribes freshly milked donkey milk with lukewarm honey immediately after the bath.

Historical account: The information reproduced here reflects the knowledge of its time. It is not scientifically substantiated, is not a recommendation and cannot be applied to today. Donkey milk is a food, not a remedy.
7th centuryByzantine Empire (Alexandria)Medical compendium
Author
Paul of Aegina (Paulus Aegineta, 7th century)
Work
Epitome medicae libri septem, Corpus Medicorum Graecorum IX 1, ed. J. L. Heiberg, Leipzig/Berlin 1921
Passage
Book I, ch. 72 (p. 50, lines 3–5) and Book III, ch. 26.11 (p. 200, lines 21–22)
Time & place
c. AD 640 (7th century) · Byzantine Empire (Alexandria)
Type of source
Medical compendium

In the original words

What the original says

μετὰ δὲ τὸ λουτρὸν εὐθέως γάλα διδόναι ὄνειον νεόβδαλτον· δεῖ δὲ καὶ μέλιτος ὀλίγον χλιαροῦ μιγνύειν τῷ γάλακτι·

After the bath one should immediately give freshly milked donkey milk; a little lukewarm honey should also be mixed into the milk.

Ancient GreekPaulos von Aigina, Epitome I 72 (CMG IX 1, ed. Heiberg 1921, S. 50, Z. 3–5)

διακλυζόμενα δὲ τὰς τῶν οὔλων ἀναβρώσεις καὶ πλάδους ἰᾶται γάλα ὄνειον, ἐλαίας …

As rinses, the following treat eroded and spongy gums: donkey milk, olive[…] …

Ancient GreekPaulos von Aigina, Epitome III 26,11 (CMG IX 1, ed. Heiberg 1921, S. 200, Z. 21–22)

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

Paul of Aegina worked in the 7th century, probably in Alexandria, around the time of the Arab conquest of the city (641). His compendium in seven books is regarded as the last great summary of Greek medicine. Paul draws explicitly on older works, above all Galen and Oribasius; his own contributions are found mainly in the surgery of Book VI. The work was translated into Arabic at an early date.

We quote the critical edition by Johan Ludvig Heiberg in the Corpus Medicorum Graecorum (1921). In the apparatus of each chapter Heiberg records the models: for ch. I 72 he names Oribasius, Synopsis V 53. This makes the source particularly valuable, because the chain of transmission of ancient dietetics from Galen via Oribasius to Paul can be traced directly. Heiberg’s text is based on a comparison of numerous manuscripts.

Content

What the source reports about donkey milk

Chapter I 72 deals with the “dry dyscrasias”, i.e. a morbid drying out of the body according to humoral theory. For the most severe degree Paul describes a precise sequence: a temperate bath with a longer stay in the water, then immediately freshly milked donkey milk with a little lukewarm honey, followed by rest until the second bath.

The physician should judge from belching and distension of the belly whether the milk has been properly digested. Four to five hours should pass between the first and second bath. If the patient likes the milk, he receives more after the second bath; otherwise a well-cooked barley gruel.

In Book III, among the remedies for teeth and mouth, donkey milk appears in a list of rinses against “eroded” and spongy gums. The list continues on the following page; we quote only its beginning.

At a glance

Figures & facts from the source

7books make up Paul’s Epitome
I 72chapter on dry dyscrasias with the milk regimen
4–5hours between the first and the second bath
III 26chapter on teeth and gums
1921critical edition in the Corpus Medicorum Graecorum

Critical assessment

How reliable is this source?

Source value

Greek text in a modern critical edition, verifiable page by page. Paul is a compiler: according to Heiberg he took the milk regimen from Oribasius, who in turn largely excerpted Galen. The passage therefore shows transmission rather than personal experience.

Level of detail

The details of the procedure are unusually concrete: freshly milked milk, added honey, intervals in hours, checking tolerance. This reflects the elaborate dietetics of late antiquity.

Today’s assessment

The concept of a “dry dyscrasia” belongs to ancient humoral theory. The passage does not substantiate any health effect of donkey milk and cannot be applied to today; donkey milk is a food.

Our assessment

Paul shows how donkey milk was embedded in late antiquity in a precisely regulated daily routine of bath, milk and rest. Remarkable is the importance he attaches to freshly milked milk – an idea that keeps reappearing in later sources.

References

Sources to check

More sources and studies in the research archive. Summarised by the DON DONKEY’S editorial team, as of November 2026.