Urine Before reading, the following should be noted. Urine is typically sterile unless the individual is ill. The waste product is 95% water, with the only major chemical present being urea, a nitrogen metabolite that needs to be eliminated by the body. - As a very primitive gas mask. When gas was first used some soldiers covered their mouths with socks or rags soaked in urine to help fight against its effects. After the first German chlorine gas attacks, Allied troops were supplied with masks of cotton pads that had been soaked in urine. It was found that the ammonia in the pad neutralised the chlorine. These pads were held over the face until the soldiers could escape from the poisonous fumes. Other soldiers preferred to use handkerchiefs, a sock or a flannel body-belt dampened with a solution of bicarbonate of soda, and tied across the mouth and nose until the gas passed over. - Several hand creams and lotions are available over the counter and by prescription contain urea as an active component. Thankfully, the urea is synthesized in a lab and not collected from dried samples of urine. The urea in these lotions actually softens the skin by dissolving the the intercellular matrix of the cells in the upper layers of the skin, allowing the skin cells to be shed. Theoretically, if one urinated on their hands consistently, they could rid their hands of calluses already present. One could not, however, prevent the future buildup of calluses by micturating on appendages. Prescription strength urea-containing lotions are used to treat psorias and eczema, as well as keratin abnormalities that lead to a buildup of the thick, upper layer of skin known as the stratum corneum. So this busts the myth. Urinating on your own hands will not harden them, in fact, the practice should make them considerably softer just like any store bought lotion, probably just a little less pungent. - In the same way that urine softens the hands. Tanners would often dip their leather in urine to soften hard and stale batches. Same goes for hard leather shoes. Urine would soften them again so that they would cooperate when being worn. Before scientists were able to synthesize chemicals in the lab, urine was a rich source of urea, a nitrogen-based compound that when set aside for long periods decays into ammonia. Ammonia acts as a weak base when in water, making it the perfect substance for the ancients to use when softening and tanning animal hides to make leather. Soaking the animal skins in urine also made the process of removing hair and bits of unwanted flesh from the skin. - Before whitening strips, ancient Romans used urine to brighten their pearly whites. The Roman poet Catullus wrote, Egnatius, because he has snow-white teeth, smiles all the time...in the country of Spain what each man pisses, he’s used to brushing his teeth and red gums with, every morning, so the fact that your teeth are so polished just shows youre the more full of piss. While its clear that Catullus was not a fan of the man he wrote about, he also revealed that people used urine to clean and whiten their teeth. - Next time you are cleaning, check the label of the cleaning product of your choice. Ammonia is a prominent ingredient in many household cleaners as it is is a powerful cleansing agent and helps fight dirt and grease. Ammonia is also found in urine and the early Europeans often preferred pee to soap when cleaning their homes. In ancient Rome, vessels were placed on streets as urine collectors. After the buckets were full from people passing by to relieve themselves, the vats were taken to a laundry and used to wash dirty clothes. - Apparently stale urine was popular with 16th century Brits. During the 1500s, families dedicated chamber pots to collecting their pee to be used in developing brighter colors when dying fabric. Urine was so important to the booming textile industry in England that an estimated amount equivalent to the urine steam of 1,000 people for an entire year were shipped across the country to Yorkshire to be used in dying fabric. -Charcoal and sulfur used in small quantities to make gunpowder are easily found. But the main ingredient, potassium nitrate was only made available on a large-scale in the early 1900s. Until then, gunpowder manufacturers used the nitrogen found in urine to make their product. -Princess Angus-
Posted on: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 13:05:05 +0000
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