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Moonmilk As A Human And Veterinary Medicine: Evidence Of Past Artisan Mining In Caves Of The Austrian Alps, Christoph Spötl
Moonmilk As A Human And Veterinary Medicine: Evidence Of Past Artisan Mining In Caves Of The Austrian Alps, Christoph Spötl
International Journal of Speleology
The use of moonmilk for medical and other purposes in the Alps is documented since the 16th century. This article reviews speleological reports and sparse historical accounts about the extraction of moonmilk from 18 caves in the Eastern Alps of Austria in an artisan mining style. One such example from a cave in Tyrol is documented in detail, where moonmilk was mined until the beginning of the 20th century and which, due to its remote location, uniquely preserved traces of both the mining and processing style.