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Relieves thirst.
People nowadays do not consume it much, likely due to its scarcity.
[Commentary] Horse milk and donkey milk share the same cold and purgative nature; they relieve thirst and treat heat syndromes. When horse milk is made into *ru* (fermented dairy product), it becomes extremely cold. Since there are no horses in the Jiangnan region, Tao Hongjing dared not speak of it. Donkey milk treats mild feverish jaundice, pediatric heat-induced convulsions, and pathogenic factors; consuming it also has a purgative effect. Hu people claim that horse *ru* has a warm nature and drinking it helps digest meat accumulation. One should view this through the principle of mutual control among substances, without being confined to considerations of cold or hot nature.

Slightly cold. Tonifies deficiency and emaciation, relieves thirst, directs Qi downward.
Cow's milk is the best; avoid milk from cows that have just been milked.
[Commentary] Buffalo milk is said to be necessary for making rock sugar; it produces a rich and flavorful *ru*, superior to cow's milk.
Cow's milk has a neutral nature. Drinking it raw causes diarrhea, while drinking it cooked causes dry mouth, indicating it is slightly warm.

Warm. Tonifies deficiency and fatigue caused by cold.
Cow's milk and sheep's milk are indeed tonifying and moistening; thus, northerners tend to be robust and healthy.
[Commentary] Northerners are robust and healthy not because they abstain from salty and fishy foods, but due to their local environment; what does this have to do with diet?

Slightly cold. Tonifies the five Zang organs, promotes bowel movement, primarily treats mouth ulcers.
Ghee (*Su*) comes from foreign lands and also from Yizhou. It is originally made from cow or sheep milk, following specific methods. Buddhist scriptures state that milk turns into *ru*, *ru* turns into ghee, and ghee turns into clarified butter (*Tihu*). Clarified butter is yellowish-white, very sweet and rich when made into cakes, and occasionally reaches Jiangnan.
[Commentary] Ghee is extracted from *ru*; its nature differs from *ru*. Claiming they have identical effects now suggests Tao Hongjing did not fully understand this. There are cow ghee and sheep ghee; cow ghee is superior to sheep ghee, and wild cow ghee is superior to domestic cow ghee.

Sweet in taste, slightly cold and slightly warm, non-toxic. Primarily treats wind-bi syndrome with numbness, tendon stiffness, accumulations in the five Zang organs and abdomen, alternating cold and heat, emaciation, head sores and alopecia, facial hyperpigmentation, and vomiting after eating or drinking. Long-term consumption strengthens willpower, prevents hunger, lightens the body, and prolongs life. Produced in the mountains of Yongzhou, collected in the eleventh month.
This fat is known as "Xiong Bai" (Bear White), which is the fat on the back. It appears in winter months and disappears in summer. The fat in the abdomen and the grease throughout the body can be rendered for medicinal use but are not suitable for consumption. They are now found in forests in both eastern and western regions; they are no longer easy to obtain. Patients with chronic diseases should not eat bear meat, as it may lead to lifelong incurability.
[Commentary] Toxic. Treats epidemic febrile diseases where intense heat transforms into jaundice, prolonged dysentery during summer heat, infantile malnutrition (*Gan*), heart pain, and hiccups. Brain treats various types of deafness. Blood treats pediatric fright (*Ke Wu*). Fat darkens hair, beautifies the complexion; taken after refining with wine, it cures wind-bi. The term "Gao" (Ointment/Fat) refers to the substance after the melting of pure fat; the back portion should not be called "Gao". The commentary on the *Zuo Zhuan* states that "Gaohuang" (epicardium and diaphragm) is a textual error for "Gemang"; Tao Hongjing's reference to back fat aligns with older theories.