MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF ANIMAL’S URINE
Compiled & Shared by- Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)
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It may sound strange but urine’s medicinal properties were discovered by our ancient sages. Charak samhita has described the role of urine in anointing, pasting, enema, purgatives, fomentation and abdominal distension. Urine is used in poisoning also. Urine endowed with properties of being sharp, pungent, saline and non unctuous is useful in diseases like piles, skin disorders, white patches on skin, abdominal diseases. Urine promotes appetites and digestion. Urine acts as anti poison and kills worms in the body. Urine gives appreciable results in anemia. Ayurvedic texts have described properties of eight types of urine. Urine is used in the form of internal application by drinking and through its external application by mixing it with some powdered drugs.
Urine is composed mainly of water with little quantities of urea, uric acid, salts (phosphates, oxalates of sodium, calcium etc.) and some hormones in varying proportion. It is although a waste product of the body, none the less it has many medicinal properties, which had been recognised by the ancient medical practitioners, and as such used both internally and externally as medicine. Apart from cow’s urine which was used more commonly because of the special sanctity attached to the cow in India, the urines of the other animals such as goat, sheep, buffalo, elephant, horse, camel, donkey etc. were also very much in use as remedies for the treatment of worms, dropsy, abdominal enlargements, flatulence, colic, anaemia, abdominal tumor, loss of appetite, tuberculosis, poison, haemorrhoids, amenorrhoea, leucoderma, leprosy, aggravation of kapha and va to and in several other mental diseases
What is urine therapy? How does it work?
“Urine therapy has been practised for thousands of years and has merely fallen a bit into obscurity in the last century. However, urine therapy may seem to be unorthodox and perhaps revolutionary, it does not introduce anything new or original. It has been known throughout the centuries both in the West and in the East. Dr. Evagelos Danopouolos of Greece reported that urea found in urine has anti-cancerous properties. The urea seems to disrupt the ability of cancer cells to group together and kills them by upsetting some of their normal metabolic activities. Urine therapy has been used to treat cancers of the skin, cervix, lungs, eyes, breast, and liver. The first question that probably comes to mind is whether urine is not a toxic substance and how a toxic waste product could ever be of any benefit for your health. Well, urine is NOT a toxic waste product and this has been scientifically proven. 95% of urine is water, 2.5% consists of urea and the remaining 2.5% is a mixture of minerals, salt, hormones and enzymes. Toxic substances are being removed from the body through the liver and intestines, through the skin and through the outbreath
a detailed survey of the usage of different types of animal urines as medicine in the ancient Indian medical system has been attempted in this article.The specific animals about which references are available in the ancient treatises have been placed in an alphabetical order :
- Ass (Sanskrit : Khara; Latin : Asinus equidae)
The urine of Ass has been mentioned useful as destroyer of epilepsy (apasmd ra), insanity (unmdda) and in seizures . The mode of its use has been mentioned as internal as drink.9 Apart from the above mentioned diseases, the urine of Ass has also been prescribed to cure diabetes and various diseases caused by worms.w HORSE’S URINE
Horse’s urine is bitter pungent, and destroys skin diseases, wounds and neutralizes the effect of poisons.
The estrogen-replacement drug Premarin, prescribed to menopausal women, is made from horse urine; in fact, the drug’s name is short for PREgnant MARes’ urINe. About 750,000 mares are impregnated each year for the sole purpose of collecting their estrogen-rich urine.. In order to make the urine more concentrated, their water intake is restricted
One of the inevitable aspects of the aging process in women is the decreased production of the hormones estrogen and progestin. A 40% to 60% drop-off in estrogen production generally occurs with the onset of menopause (or after some types of hysterectomies). Unfortunately, for many women these changes often
are accompanied by uncomfortable symptoms (such as hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness), and
estrogen loss is also linked to a significant increase in the incidence of heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis.
Premarin (and Premarin-containing products such as Prempro, Premphase, and Prempac) is a drug used in hormone replace therapy HRT regimens prescribed for women to help lessen the symptoms of menopause and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis. Premarin is available in several forms (pills, creams, injections, patches) and, as the name (a shortening of the phrase “pregnant mares’ urine”) suggests, contains conjugated estrogens obtained from the urine of pregnant mares.
Premarin is not unique as an animal-derived drug, of course, as generations of diabetics have been kept alive through injections of purified insulin obtained from the pancreases of cattle and pigs.
No real alternative to animal insulin was available until 1982, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first synthetic insulin, Humulin.
The development of generic alternatives (such as Estrace, Estraderm, Ogen, OrthoEst, Estratab, Menest, Estinyl, Estrovirus, and OrthoDienestrol) and synthetic estrogens (such as Cenestin) has been cited as an advancement that eliminates the need for animal-derived estrogens such as Premarin for most women.
- Buffalo (Skt. : Mahisa ; Lat. : Bos bubalus)
The urine of the she-buffalo has been prescribed to be taken internally for the treatment of piles, oedema, and several abdominal diseases.” This urine (of she-buffalo) has extensively been prescribed as an ingredient of a concoction for alleviating the loss of appetite. 12,13 - Cat (Skt.: Marjara or Vida/a; Lat. : Felis domesticus)
The therapeutic value of the urine of Cat has been indicated in the ancient ayurveda as to cure the condition of insanity and also for epilepsy. The administration of the Cat urine was primarily external as an ingredient of eyeointment or the inhalation of the fumes of the urine for the treatment. However, for both insanity and epilepsy, a nasal medication of the Cat’s urine has been indicated 14 to bring the patient under control. - Camel (Skt.: Ustra; Lat : Camelus dromedarius).
In the Caraka-Samhita, the urine of Camel has been mentioned to be slightly bitter and has been indicated for the remedy of hiccups, cough and in the complaints of piles.” However, in Yogacandrika, the urine of Camel is referred to having remedial effect in various abdominal ailments. 16
Furthermore, the urine of Camel has been prescribed to alleviate the condition of inflammation/edema as per Kas’yapa Sainhita.” - Cow (Skt.: Dhenu, Gau; Lat. : Bas tauras)
Having a special place in the Hindu culture and mythology, Cow is not only considered under favourable auspices, in general, but she has been stated to be akin to mother (mato, gaumata) in the Indian tradition. Cow’s urine as such has also been the most widely referred, used and venerated animal urine owing to its immense therapeutical speciality. - Dog (Skt.: Svan; Lat. : Canis familaris)
In the Caraka Samhita, for the treatment of epilepsy, the dog’s urine as snuff used to be recommended by the physicians.” Possibly in absence of any scientific and biological evidences or without any confirmation regarding the origin and cause of epilepsy, the disease was considered to be a manifestation of bad grahas (or spirit) on the individual concerned. Consequently, in order to eradicate the evil spirit, fumigation of the patient with the urine of dog alongwith other materials used to be advised by the medical practitioners. - She-elephant (Skt.: Gaja, Kunjara; Lat.: Elephus indicus)
The use of the urine of she-elephant (hastini-mfitra) was recommended for alleviating the skin disease like leucoderma in lotion form.” Internally also, it was prescribed in drink form to the patients suffering from worms like helminthiasis and dermatosis.36 It was also recommended in the treatment of complaints for retention of urine, faeces, poisons and in the disorders of kapha and piles. - Goat (Skt.: Aja, Basta, Chaga; Lat.: Capra hircus)
After the urine of cow, the urine of goat is referred with great importance in the ancient medical treatises. Goat urine is said to be astringent-sweet, beneficial for channels (?) and alleviates all dosas.” Interestingly the urine of male and female goat is referred to have different effects in curing disease and
as such urines of he-goat and she-goat used to be prescribed separately for alleviating different diseases. - Jackal (Skt.: Siga/a, Lat.: Canis aurcus)
There are various references to the therapeutic value of the urine of Jackal in treatment of insanity 46 and epilepsy 47 in the ancient medical texts. The mode of application are either sprinkling, blowing, snuffing and smoking or in preparation of collyrium from the urine. - Lion (Skt.: Simha, Lat.: Felis leo)
The urine of lion has been prescribed as having the medicinal properties for curing epilepsy. The application of this medication is external as snuff.” - Osprey (Skt.: Kurara; Lat.: Pandion heliactus)
The urine of this bird has been mentioned to be beneficial in piles. The usage of the urine are both external i.e. as an ingredient of ointment as well as internal i.e. inhalation of the fumes of the urine when burnt. - Owl ( Skt.: UZIAka; Lat.: Bubo bengalensis)
The urine of owl has been prescribed as an effective medicine in the cases of insanity.” The application was both internal and external. The fumes of the urine was to be taken internally when urine is burnt. Externally, the urine had to be applied locally, i.e. on and around the head region for effecting cure from the disease. - Porcupine (Skt.: Sallaka; Lat.: Acanthion leucura)
The urine of porcupine has been referred to be useful for epilepsy and in insanity. For epileptic patient, the use of urine as ingredient of ointment has been recommended while in insanity, the inhalation of the fumes, when the urine was subjected to very high degree of heat (as if to burnt it) was said to be beneficial.” - Sheep (Skt.: Avi, Mesa; Lat.: Ovis vignei)
Considered to be one of the eight prominent urines as per scripture of A treya,” sheep urine is said to be slightly bitter, unctuous and non-antagonist of pitta”. The efficacy of sheep urine has also been indicated in the complaints of epilepsy, leucoderma, insanity and intermittent fever etc.”‘ The YogacandrilCa further mentions that sheep urine helps in destroying stone of urinary bladder (asmari). Interestingly, sheep urine has been mentioned as an ingredient for a powder for blackening of hair also. - Wolf (Skt.: Vrka, Lat.: Canis lupus)
In the ancient Indian medical treatises the urine of wolf is mentioned to have medicinal properties and used to be prescribed for curing insanity”. Inhalation of fumes of the urine and as ingredient in preparation for local application were the two important ways of use for the treatment of the disease.
Although Urine is commonly believed to be ‘dirty’, this is not actually the case. Urine is virtually sterile and nearly odourless when it leaves the body. However, afterward, the bacteria contaminate the urine converting it into smelling chemicals that are responsible for the distinctive smell of stale urine, in particular ammonia which is produced from Urea.
Reference-On Request.
