Life of Pee
For example, in addition to being used to tan leather and provide saltpetre to produce gunpowder or preserve meat, it had an interesting role to play in the manufacture of Harris tweed. It softened the material and fixed the dye. Have you ever stood next to someone wearing damp, very old, tweed? Urine is no longer used in modern production, so damp new tweed will not have the same aroma.
In Ancient Rome, urine was used in laundering clothes, the ammonia in it being a natural cleaning agent.
It was also used as an antiseptic in treating wounds.
In 1969, four full urine storage bags were left on the moon, along with other bags of human waste. These were not part of an experiment, but a means of lightening the load in the spacecraft, for its return to Earth.
Modern science uses hormones extracted from urine in fertility treatment, and stem cells from urine have been ‘reprogrammed’ into neurons and used in medical research.
This waste product has been useful in so many ways and is now finding a purpose in medical science. Perhaps we should be doing even more with it!
Urine (especially the extra-strong, first pee of the morning type) can keep critters out of the garden beds. However, in the wild it can attract bears to a campsite.
ReplyDeleteI imagine morning urine might keep most creatures away! I wonder why it attracts bears? Strange!
DeleteIndigo! That is one reason I have been hesitant to dye indigo. My father in law used to drink pee- said it was gamey in the morning but as the day wore on became better...he was mad.
ReplyDeleteDrinking pee is quite fashionable is some 'celebrity' circles.
DeleteI only knew about the leather tanning. That wasn’t a nice thing to leave on the moon. Ah well. /AC
ReplyDeleteThere's no atmosphere on the moon so presumably it will remain in its original state forever.
DeleteWho knew about all these uses of our byproduct? Not me, for sure!
ReplyDeleteThe book is fascinating. I don't know what inspired the author to research such a subject.
DeleteI have been in bed for over 2 weeks now, and have to pee in a large bucket. So I feel very sad that the full urine storage bags and other human waste bags were left in the spacecraft and then on the moon. It must have been VERY difficult for the humans on board.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you're having such a difficult time. The difference between you and space travellers is that they know how they're going to have to deal with their waste and go ahead with their travel anyway.
DeleteI hope you soon recover.
There has to be some way that astronauts can bring back their waste, bad enough we pollute earth, we shouldn't be leaving sh*t on the moon too.
ReplyDeleteI read a novel about cave people where they learned to store the urine for several days and the resulting ammonia strong liquid was used to whiten leather being dried and softened for wearing.
Was that Clan of the Cave Bear or another of Jean M Auel's books, or something else entirely?
DeleteYes, one of Jean M Auel's Earth's Children series, Clan of The Cave Bear is the first of six books and I'm not sure which one had this information.
DeleteRiver is quite right. They polluted the pristine moon environment, never mind all the space junk orbiting in the skies.
ReplyDeleteApparently urine is good for healing blisters on your hands, and I might add, very easy to apply.
We have effectively ruined our planet and are well advanced in polluting the rest of the galaxy.
DeleteMy P uses his pee to add to his compost bins. The nitrogen content is meant to be good for it. Just don't open that bottle on the shelf in the garden shed.
ReplyDeleteI hope it's clearly labelled .🤣
DeleteJayCee said it - its a great compost accelerant.
ReplyDeleteYes. Some add it directly, cutting out the storage element.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that urine was used for so many things in our previous history. I didn't know that they left the trash on the moon and I certainly hope that's what made them land safely but I can't say that I approve
ReplyDeleteI can understand them wanting to lighten the load, but it seemed irresponsible, even though there's no chance of it decomposing.
DeleteNow I know about that old damp tweed smell it makes perfect sense, I always blamed it on the sheep!
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
Light dawns . . . 😂
DeleteSo many uses for this waste product :-)
ReplyDelete. . . and we don't use many of them these days.
DeleteBesides tweed, urine was used in the process of waulking the wool, Scottish method to finish the wool, make it softer, and more durable. Urine was also used by knights, well their squires, to polish the armor, and used in the process of preparing vellum for books.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing, isn't it?
DeleteI am fascinated by that book! I'm sure I would be fascinated by its research, too. (I almost said "contents".)
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that they left the waste on the moon, such a shame.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Humans are good at cluttering up places, even in space. Grrr!
DeleteThe EPA should do something with this. What awesome, interesting ways to Recycle, Reuse and... (ummm) Reduce? My husband did work at the U.S.E.P.A. in Chicago. :-)
ReplyDeleteWaste not, want not! 😄
DeleteInteresting idea.
ReplyDeleteThere are many possibilities for research.
DeleteInteresting. I think the smell would be a lot to handle though
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't smell until it begins to decompose, if that's any reassurance. 😎
DeleteFascinating stuff! xxx
ReplyDeleteI need to reread the book. 😁
DeleteAmazing facts really. Had no idea of most of these. As for drinking urine, I heard that if you are stranded on a desert, one way to keep oneself hydrated is to drink urine. I seriously doubt that I could do that. Ewwww.
ReplyDeleteSome 'celebrities' advocate drinking urine. It's never appealed to me! 🤢
DeleteSpeaks to literal human resourcefulness, doesn't it? Fascinating.
ReplyDeleteWe would do well to return to some older practices, perhaps.
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