Milk As A Cosmetic

Ihc use oí cosmetica is common to all agos and to all climes. Jewish ladies, in thc time o' Solomon, and Christian ladies in the reign oí' Victoria, huve not been unmindful oí' adding to their charms by applying different ingredients to their skin for the purpose of preserving its dolicacy and beautifying its appearance. Mme. Rachel was neither the iirst nor the last artist in skin dcuoration, altliough she eertairily was one of tlio EQOSt expunsive to dual with. Krom thi; paintod wile of tlio Indiun chief of the backwoods or desert, to the powdered and rouged dowager who drives along our parks, the gentío sex ure skilled in the secret arts oí' making themselves " beautitul forever." We bear little, however, in tiie present day, of the use of rnilk as a, beautiuer oí tiie skin. In the country we have seen milk apjjlied to the body in various ways. lJure creain, as cold as could be ootaincd, is u: ed to chapped lips and to scalds. -'sSkyblue," made lukewarm is not uneonimonly us';d as a lomen tatioii, a.id rustic maids who have h.id their liauds and face scorched by the sun ia the harvest-tield, atternpt to cooí their skin and restore its color by washing it with buttermük. We have never known in this country any preferenco givon for one milk over another for such purposes, il we except a supposed remedy ior any sorenoss of the eye, viz., that of torcing milk from the human broast into it, a quaek praetice followed by the pnasantry of soTae distriets, and said by thc.m to be of peculiar benefit. For medicinal and dietetic purposes the ditference between the milks of vaiious domestic animáis has not been unknown to us. We have seen cMldreri reared on goat's milk in preference to that of cow's, than whieh it was supposed to contain more nutritious and digestible eleiuents for the löfaat stomach. Mare's milk fermented and made into Koumiss has for ages been prized by the Tártara íor its health-restoring qualities, and is now beooming widely known in England for its valuable pioperties since its introduction by Dr. Jugielski. But ass' milk, we are told, was the great favorito with Eoinan ladies ! The imperial wves of the voluptuous C;e.sars revelled in it. A Koman lady in thosu times went to bed wth a court piaster of breid ,ml as#! uulk appliea io her face. ïhe ipplication of this novel eosmetic, or rather poultiee, gave her, on awdkening, a v(:iy craeked appea ranee, but when it was removed by further washing in ass' milk, her skin was considered to be sufficiently perfect as a groundwork for the red and white pigments witti which the slavcs decorated lier faofe. Sonie line ladies of that olden time took a batn of ass' milk a often as 70 times a. day ; and whenever Poppea, Nero's favorito wife, traveled with her gay retinue, she took along with her herds of asses, so that she mfght take hor usual bath whenever she pleasud. It must have been a luxury which tho wealthy only could enioy to such perfection. ÍShould the popular Roman custom revive umoug Ênglish ladies we assure them also that their ablution after !ie Roman fashion will not be inexpr nive. We have just purchased of Mr. )everson, of Edgeware-road, a sample of ass' milk, which he rotails at five shillings er quart. A sufficient quantity for a noderate-sized lady would considerably add to the expenses of the expenses of the xousehold. Of couise, where there was a ,endency to emixmptXMt among members 3Ï the family, it would be still greater, as ;he displacement of the fluid, milk, would Bear the same proportion to the foreign )ody immersed as happened with water wlit'n the Greek philosophèr shoutod the nemorable word "Eureka!"