Well, it may not be good to ingest, but perhaps there are some other beneficial uses for milk. This article appeared in a recent NEWSpot issue and I thought it might be of interest to the No-Milk group. George Kontos NEWSpot July 30, 1997 Updated 4:00 a.m. EDT http://www.merc.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=4178286-1e1 11:10 AM ET 07/29/97 Australian scientists see healing power of milk SYDNEY, Australia (Reuter) - A special powder extracted from cows' milk could heal wounds and smooth wrinkles, a discovery potentially worth up to $15 billion worldwide, Australian researchers said Tuesday. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) project leader David Belford said laboratory testing of the extract of whey, a waste product in cheese making, had almost doubled the healing rate of wounds in rats. ``If we can reproduce even a fraction of (that) kind of activity ... in the human population, we would be very pleased,'' Belford told Reuters. Positive clinical tests on humans could result in the unique extract's use as a healing agent in dressings for minor wounds and as an application for leg and diabetic ulcers, pressure sores and even as a wrinkle remover in cosmetics, he said. There was also veterinary potential in healing wounds in race horses and domestic pets, he said. Belford, from the government-backed CSIRO human nutrition division, said the extract was unlikely to be available commercially before the turn of the century. ``All the dressings at the moment really just provide an environment which facilitates optimal wound repair,'' he said. ``If you can actually produce a product that stimulates wound repair, that would attract a fair percentage of market share.'' Belford said the extract was a mixture of different ``growth factors,'' proteins that promote cell growth and division as well as the production of supporting structures like collagen. The extraction process has already been patented and manufacturing rights has been awarded, while marketing negotiations were underway with a number of major international cosmetics and wound care companies, he said. Belford said the first clinical trials, expected to be held next year, would be conducted on people with chronic peripheral ulcers caused by circulatory problems. A pilot plant capable of processing 440 gallons of whey a day -- which would yield about two ounces of the powder -- had been commissioned, Belford said.