To Pee or Not To Pee ?
In recent years, pharmaceutical companies and cosmetic firms have incorporated urine into prescription medications and hygienic products in the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe. While most individuals are unaware of this ingredient in their prescribed drugs and moisturizers, urine therapy appears to be gradually making its way into mainstream medicine and everyday use. What I learned in researching this topic is how to present the subject of urine therapy – since it applies to anthropology, it’s the perfect soundboard for getting this type of information out to people so they’ll be more receptive to listen. It makes sense for people to be made aware that this ingredient is in a lot of common products widely used in most households today; people have a right to know what is in their products. So in choosing this topic, not only am I sharing how old this practice is and how it fits into Anthropology, but I’m also raising awareness of something most are unconscious of so they can check ingredients and make an informed decision to opt out of the “pee products” if they so choose. The intention of the sources used in this composition of information is to examine and analyze the cultures that have utilized this practice across the ages around the globe, and its origins within those cultures; how far the information goes back in ancient texts. This report contributes to our learning by informing and comparing how urine is used in each culture – for what purpose and what methods of application are used to treat various conditions by the utilization of urine. This study also focuses on the perspective which the United States FDA as far as whether or not urine will be used more extensively in medical practice.
What is Urine Therapy?
It is a practice that goes by many names: Urotherapy, Urine therapy, Uropathy, Amaroli, and Shivambu are a few examples. Urine therapy is the application of urine as a healing modality, either by drinking the urine, massaging it into the skin, swishing it in the mouth, irrigating the sinuses with it, using it in the form of a warm compress and various other applications.
What are the constituents of urine and how is it beneficial?
With the exception of any cases of kidney infection or bladder infection, a fresh collection of the middle stream urine is actually sterile. Urine is mostly water but also includes other ingredients such as hormones, potassium, minerals, proteins, and organic compounds. Urine is actually a derivative of the blood, which has gone through a waste removal process by kidney filtration. So it's not actually bodily waste as most Westerners believe it to be. It is anti-viral, antifungal, antiseptic, and antibacterial. In his article on Urine Therapy in the Heartland Healing Center website, Michael Braunstein mentions ". . .a major component of urine is urea. Urea is commonly recognized as an effective antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral agent. Its mechanism is simple. The presence of urea in the urine is the result of the body's chemical balancing of sodium chloride and water ratio. When used on a wound, urea causes an osmotic imbalance that kills bacteria and fungus. It is so effective it is used in many topical ointments and creams sold pharmaceutically, both prescription and over-the-counter." (Braunstein, 1999)
What does Urine therapy have to do with Anthropology?
With Anthropology being the study of humankind, one aspect of that study would include how groups of humans heal themselves when faced with disease. Urine therapy falls under the umbrella of Medical Anthropology, which is a subfield of Cultural Anthropology; it's aims are specific towards biological, linguistic, cultural, and social anthropology. In addition to Medical Anthropology, Urine therapy also overlaps into the fields of Biology, Chemistry, and Medicine. This subject is important in the discipline of anthropology because it an ancient practice that is cross-cultural; which is also how it falls into Cultural Anthropology. Where Medical Anthropology is concerned, how it falls under that is the way it is used by all of these cultures – for healing.
Which cultures used this urine as medicine?
During the 1400's Aztec physicians made a major impression on Spanish conquerors, with their healing techniques – some of which included the use of medicinal herbs that are currently implemented in provincial Mexico. Urine therapy was included in their medicinal practices. It was used for things such as dandruff, acne, tooth infections and even applied during surgical procedures. In his book Handbook to Life in the Aztec World, Manuel Aguilar-Moreno states:
"Head wounds also required extensive procedures. An initial cleansing with urine prepared the skull for an application of maguey sap. If the head wound became septic, chipuli leaves and eggs whites could dry and heal the festering wound. Bandages wrapped around the head kept the wound safe from infection. The average headache, though relatively easy to cure, could lead to intrusive surgery. The patient distressed by the headache inhaled green tobacco. If the headache continued, the patient inhaled a powdered form of the medicinal flower cocoyatic. If the headache still continued, the physician would cut and bleed the patient with an obsidian point" (Aguilar-Moreno, 2007).
In Meriwether Lewis' expedition journal, he writes about a nation of Chinook natives he encounters on his journey. "The natives who inhabit this valley are larger and reather[sic] better made than those of the coast. like[sic] those people they are fond of cold, hot, & vapor baths of which they make frequent uce[sic] both in sickness and in health and at all seasons of the year. They[sic] have also a very singular custom among them of baithing[sic] themselves allover with urine every morning" (Lewis & Clark, 1806).
Urine therapy mentioned in ancient texts
Evidence that ancient Egyptians practiced the application of urine as medicine still survives today in one of the earliest remaining records of a medical papyrus called Ebers, that date back to 1500 B.C. (Braunstein, 2010) J. Bhurani states in his website Urine Therapy – which is based out of India, "In the Ayurvedic tradition it is known as Amaroli and in the 5,000-year-old Vedic text the Damar Tantra, urine therapy is called Shivambu Kalpa" (Bhurani, 2016).
I found that even in the King James version of the Bible mentions that one should drink their own urine - "Drink waters out of thine own cistern . . ." (Proverbs 5:15 King James Version)
Medical documents from early Chinese medicine also speak to urine therapy. “The ancient Taoists called it Jin Suei (Golden Water or Sacred Water). Taoists regard urine as the drink of longevity and an agent in the spiritual transformation process of Internal Alchemy. Urine contains the essence of our organs. It starts from the brain and slowly drips down to gather in the bladder. This is the finest distillation of our body's liquid” (Winn, 2016)
Concept relation to Lecture, Research and Bias
In regards to how it applies to what we’re learning in anthropology, I would say the lecture on culture and the part where culture is a learned behavior. These people across cultures don’t have an instinct or innate knowing that tells them to heal themselves with pee or to only use the mid-stream urine; it’s a learned behavior that’s been passed down for centuries. When it comes to research methods, from what I’ve read nothing was stated beyond simple behavioral observation and research of ancient records that mention the subject of urine as a healing modality. On the subject of bias, the only bias I can say that I did come across would be from those sources which are promoting it; medicine is a business regardless of the ingredient used to do the healing. So these people want to not just educate but also invite others to be more open minded, put aside taboos and have a little courage to try something that might improve their health. The bias did not affect my comprehension of the topic because I’m well versed in it, since I’ve used it before many times in a pinch [usually when Western Medicine methods have failed me]. The other sources that did not come across as bias, communicated on the subject in a very neutral way; the word choice used was neither promoting nor discouraging urine therapy.
Could urine therapy be a cure for cancer and AIDS?
There are many claims, videos, and testimonials of this being the case for various individuals from a variety of sources however, there is no scientific data to validate these claims. What it really boils down to, is the U.S. Government doesn't want to fund laboratory testing of pee on cancer or any other diseases; to them, it would seem absurd since it is believed to be toxic [which shows how well regulated U.S. medicine is, with Urea being the primary ingredient in some topical prescription medications] – although with so much money to be made from these diseases continuing to thrive and give plenty of pocket money to shareholders of pharmaceutical
Which cultures used this urine as medicine?
During the 1400's Aztec physicians made a major impression on Spanish conquerors, with their healing techniques – some of which included the use of medicinal herbs that are currently implemented in provincial Mexico. Urine therapy was included in their medicinal practices. It was used for things such as dandruff, acne, tooth infections and even applied during surgical procedures. In his book Handbook to Life in the Aztec World, Manuel Aguilar-Moreno states:
"Head wounds also required extensive procedures. An initial cleansing with urine prepared the skull for an application of maguey sap. If the head wound became septic, chipuli leaves and eggs whites could dry and heal the festering wound. Bandages wrapped around the head kept the wound safe from infection. The average headache, though relatively easy to cure, could lead to intrusive surgery. The patient distressed by the headache inhaled green tobacco. If the headache continued, the patient inhaled a powdered form of the medicinal flower cocoyatic. If the headache still continued, the physician would cut and bleed the patient with an obsidian point" (Aguilar-Moreno, 2007).
In Meriwether Lewis' expedition journal, he writes about a nation of Chinook natives he encounters on his journey. "The natives who inhabit this valley are larger and reather[sic] better made than those of the coast. like[sic] those people they are fond of cold, hot, & vapor baths of which they make frequent uce[sic] both in sickness and in health and at all seasons of the year. They[sic] have also a very singular custom among them of baithing[sic] themselves allover with urine every morning" (Lewis & Clark, 1806).
Urine therapy mentioned in ancient texts
Evidence that ancient Egyptians practiced the application of urine as medicine still survives today in one of the earliest remaining records of a medical papyrus called Ebers, that date back to 1500 B.C. (Braunstein, 2010) J. Bhurani states in his website Urine Therapy – which is based out of India, "In the Ayurvedic tradition it is known as Amaroli and in the 5,000-year-old Vedic text the Damar Tantra, urine therapy is called Shivambu Kalpa" (Bhurani, 2016).
I found that even in the King James version of the Bible mentions that one should drink their own urine - "Drink waters out of thine own cistern . . ." (Proverbs 5:15 King James Version)
Medical documents from early Chinese medicine also speak to urine therapy. “The ancient Taoists called it Jin Suei (Golden Water or Sacred Water). Taoists regard urine as the drink of longevity and an agent in the spiritual transformation process of Internal Alchemy. Urine contains the essence of our organs. It starts from the brain and slowly drips down to gather in the bladder. This is the finest distillation of our body's liquid” (Winn, 2016)
Concept relation to Lecture, Research and Bias
In regards to how it applies to what we’re learning in anthropology, I would say the lecture on culture and the part where culture is a learned behavior. These people across cultures don’t have an instinct or innate knowing that tells them to heal themselves with pee or to only use the mid-stream urine; it’s a learned behavior that’s been passed down for centuries. When it comes to research methods, from what I’ve read nothing was stated beyond simple behavioral observation and research of ancient records that mention the subject of urine as a healing modality. On the subject of bias, the only bias I can say that I did come across would be from those sources which are promoting it; medicine is a business regardless of the ingredient used to do the healing. So these people want to not just educate but also invite others to be more open minded, put aside taboos and have a little courage to try something that might improve their health. The bias did not affect my comprehension of the topic because I’m well versed in it, since I’ve used it before many times in a pinch [usually when Western Medicine methods have failed me]. The other sources that did not come across as bias, communicated on the subject in a very neutral way; the word choice used was neither promoting nor discouraging urine therapy.
Could urine therapy be a cure for cancer and AIDS?
There are many claims, videos, and testimonials of this being the case for various individuals from a variety of sources however, there is no scientific data to validate these claims. What it really boils down to, is the U.S. Government doesn't want to fund laboratory testing of pee on cancer or any other diseases; to them, it would seem absurd since it is believed to be toxic [which shows how well regulated U.S. medicine is, with Urea being the primary ingredient in some topical prescription medications] – although with so much money to be made from these diseases continuing to thrive and give plenty of pocket money to shareholders of pharmaceutical
References
King James Bible. (1973). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible.
Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. (2016). March 30th 1806. Retrieved from http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/read/?_xmlsrc=1806-03-30.xml&_xslsrc=LCstyles.xsl
Healing Tao. (2016). Eight Immortal Breaths. Retrieved from http://www.healingdao.com/v70.html
Braunstein, M. (Ed.). (1999). Urine therapy - Omaha’s heartland healing center. Retrieved October 31, 2016, from http://www.heartlandhealing.com/pages/archive/urine_therapy/
Bhurani, J. (Ed.). (2016). Untitled page. Retrieved October 31, 2016, from http://www.urinetherapy.in/urinetherapy_ancient_practice.aspx
Aguilar-Moreno, M. (2007). Handbook to life in the Aztec world (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.