Breast milk remedy relieves Chinese soldier stuck in itchy predicament

A soldier stationed in Southwest China’s Tibet found relief from an itchy rash with the help of some local breast milk.

Chen Shugen, a frontier soldier based in Tibet Autonomous Region, said he developed a persistent rash after a run in with a poisonous plant, according to local government department’s article posted Tuesday to WeChat.

Desperate for relief and lacking medicine, soldiers consulted Yongqi, an elder of nearby Gelin village, who quickly identified the rash as from a Chinese lacquer tree.

Its oils, traditionally used in making lacquerware, also contain the same toxins as poison ivy.

Yongqi also suggested a folk cure – breast milk.

“I used to get poisoned by lacquer trees when I was child and it was cured by applying breast milk,” Yongqi said.

After hearing the news, three nursing mothers, all members of the Moinba nationality, decided to volunteer their milk.

They eventually provided Chen with a 16-day supply until the rash fully cleared, the article read.

Breast milk is a known folk remedy for itchiness caused by insect bites and illnesses such as chicken pox.

However, proper diagnosis is required. Yeast infections, such as diaper rash, can worsen as they can feed off the sugars found in breast milk.