Re: [Paddlewise] Drinking And Cleaning Wounds With Urine ?

Robert Livingston & Pam Martin gave some nice, clear answers to the
questions. I like that, no comments there. Actually, I was composing a
simular answer, but while writing it I had second thoughts that made me
delete the message instead of sending it. I'd like to share these
thoughts now:

> 
> >> Is it
> >> actually a viable survival technique?
> >
> > No. The kidneys use the urine to flush chemicals and salts out of the body.
> > Redrinking the urine simply forces the body to use additional water to
> > reexcrete the salts etc.

True, assuming that ALL ingredients of the urine will enter the
bloodstream again. I can imagine the filters in your digestion system
block them, so they end up in your shit, not in your pee. If that's the
case, you'd have a positive balance of water intake. I'd like to hear an
physician on this one.

> >
> >> Would urine be good
> >> for flushing out a wound?
> >
> > No. Water fresh and salt are fine for this. Urine has no particular advantage.
> >

True, if fresh or salt water is available. Urine from a healthy person
is sterile, which can't be said for a lot of the water we paddle on.

> >> Perhaps only if the urinator was
> >> in good health, or only for wounds on the same person the
> >> urine came from?
> >
> > Urine does not carry healthiness from one person to another.
> > Your own urine is unlikely to be better or worse than anyone else's.
> >

Sure, it can't carry healthiness, but can it carry infections?

> > Basically it is not a medicine and is just as well left out of the body, just
> > as the bladder suggested in the first place.
> 

The design of the human body is good, but not perfect, at least if you
believe in evolution. Speaking for myself, I am quite sure I am not
designed or evoluted to sit all week behind a computer (I am not a
chair), then go out on the water in the weekend on the sea (I am not a
seagull) singing negro spirituals (I am not a negro, nor a blackbird,
nor spiritual) smoking (I am not a forest fire) while smiling at the sea
and the sun, which are neither enemies I'd like to disarm or beautiful
girls I'd like to take home with me. Since my body was not designed for
this life, it is quite possible the natural processes within are not
adapted to the situation and are open for some intelligent alterations.
I not suggesting gene mutation here (I'll do that in my next message)
but drinking urine is not out of the question. Still, it is low of my
list of preferable beverages.

It is possible that I shouldn't be writing messages and should go to bed
instead.

Niels.


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