Stones
Urinary Stones
Various Urinary Calculi
Diseases of the Kidneys, Ureters and Bladder, Burnam, 1914
Urinary Stones include Gravel and Stones of the Bladder and Kidneys. In all systems it was generally agreed that a sticky or thick part of the urine would be dried to form stones, this drying effect coming from Wind. So Wind and Phlegm (or Damp) are the primary Humoral causes of Gravel and Stones. Excess Heat, especially with dehydration can also thicken the urine to allow for the breeding of Stones.
In practice, the diseases is divided into Hot (Damp-Heat) and Cold (Damp-Cold) types:
- Stones from Heat: reddish-yellow urine with much sand in it when left to settle. The sand is reddish and hard when touched. Tongue is red with yellow coating and a full or fast pulse.
- Stones from Cold: clear or pale yellow urine, white gravel in the urine, pale face and tongue, low or slow pulse.
Western Tradition
Simples
Parsley
Ammi visnaga
Madder
Gromwell
Solanum xanthocarpum
Peach kernel
Earthworm
Egg shells
Amber
Nettle
Nigella
Southernwood
Saxifrage
Poley Montane
Broom
Scorpion ashes
Dried Goats blood
‘Jew’s Stone’
Simple Remedies
1. Lemon juice in water every morning can help. Whe.n the patients feels pain, take Lemon juice (1 oz.), Malmsey Wine (3 oz.), mix and take as a dose.
2. Madder powder in doses of 1–3 grams twice daily has been proven to be very effective.
3. Take 3 drams of Cassia Fistula daily before dinner ‘he shall never have the Gravel’. (The Secrets of Alexis, 1615)
4. When there is pain from Stones, mix 1 ounce of the juice of Green Lemons with 3 oz. of Malmsey wine and take in one dose. (The Secrets of Alexis, 1615)
5. Celery seed, Parsley seed (equal parts). Powder and take with wine.
6. Take Bean pods, burn to ashes and soak in water, then strain and drink. (Brunschwig, 1561)
7. Boil Horseradish root (1 kg) in water and use as a Sitz bath (bath to sit in). Also drink Horseradish water.
8. Take Radish roots, cut off the top, hollow them out, then sit them in soil with the top replaced. A water will collect inside which is very effective for Strangury and Bladder Stones. (Brunschwig, 1561)
9. Ivy berries powdered in 1–2 dram doses taken with wine.
10. Take 10 spoonfuls of Rue water every morning for 15 days, it can be sweetened if needed.
11. Dried Goat Blood taken in a dose of 2 drams with wine before bed. It ‘breaks’ stones. Rabbit and Hare Blood was said to be equally effective.
12. Hare or Rabbit Kidney, dried and powdered in doses of 1 dram with Parsley water, Horseradish water, or wine. (Brunschwig, 1561)
13. A Rabbit or Hare burnt to ashes (1 ½ oz.), Honey (6 drams). Make an Electuary. Take as much as a Chestnut every morning.
Lapidem frangunt
Break Stones
Decoction for Stones
Dialacca Major (Mesue)
Dialacca Minor (Mesue)
Powder for Kidney Stones from Heat (Unani)
Powder for Stones
Stone–Breaking Powder (Lithontripticon) (Nicholas)
Powder of Three Peppers (Diatrionpipereon)
Troches of Winter Cherry (Trochisci Alkekengi) (Mes.)
Troches of Winter Cherry (Unani)
Pilulae Aggregative majores
Pills to Crumble Kidney Stones (Unani)
Confection of Ashes
Electuary for a Duke (Electuarium Ducis) (Nicholas)
The Queen of Colen’s Electuary
Electuary of Scorpion (Unani)
Electuary of Seeds
Electuary for Stones (Azaricon)
Diasulphur
Justinum Nicolai
Philantropos Nicolai
Nephrocatharticum Nicolai
Opopyra Magna Nicolai
Mithridate
Oil of Bitter Almond
Oil of Cherry kernels
Oil of Scorpions
For the Pain of Kidney Stones
TCM Classification
Note: In TCM, Lysmachia Jin Qian Cao is regarded as a specific for both urinary and gall stones. It is often used in large doses in decoctions for stones and may be added to various different formulas depending on the diagnosis.
Heat and Damp
Ba Zheng San
Niao Lu Pa Shi Tang
Special Formula
1. WATER FOR STONES
Pellitory of the wall
Saxifrage
Wild Thyme
Parsley 1 handful each
Radish roots sliced 4 or 5
Fennel seed 4 spoonfuls
Steep overnight in a gallon of Milk. Distil the next day. Take 4 spoonfuls of this water with 3 spoonfuls of white wine sweetened with a little sugar. Take for 3 days before the Full and New Moons. (Natura exenterata, Philiatros, 1655)
2. PAIN OF GRAVEL AND STONES
Amber
Cyperus rotundus
Black Pepper equal parts
Powder, boil and take in spoonful doses (Secrets of Alexis)
3. DECOCTION FOR GRAVEL
Asparagus root
Saxifrage
Burdock
Celery root
Ebulus
Willow leaf
Parsley 1 handful ea.
Garlic Heads 3
Decoct and take for 3 mornings with wine.
Research
–Dietary Plants for the Prevention and Management of Kidney Stones: Preclinical and Clinical Evidence and Molecular Mechanisms
–Anti-urolithiatic unani drugs–A review
–Bio-active compounds from unani medicinal plants and their application in urolithiasis
–Unani concept of nephrolithiasis (hisat-e-kulyah) and its management: An overview
–The Successful Management of Mutrashmari (Urolithiasis) Using Proprietary Ayurvedic Medicines: A Case Series
–Identification of medicinal plants for the treatment of kidney and urinary stones
–A randomized open label clinical trial of Khar-E-Khasak (Tribulus Terrestris Linn.) in the management of Hisat-Ul-Kuliyah (Nephrolithiasis)
–Medicine and Nephro-urology in Ancient Iran: Part III: Rhazes and His Recommendations for Nephrolithiasis
