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The Water of Life: A Treatise on Urine Therapy
In this revolutionary treatise, J.W. Armstrong puts the compelling case that all diseases (except those caused by traumatism or structural disorders) can be cured by one simple means. The therapy is an entirely drugless system of healing that treats the body as a whole. Moreover, the only ingredient needed is a substance manufactured in the body itself, rich in mineral salts, hormones and other vital substances, namely human urine. It may seem strange to take back into the body something that the body is apparently discarding. Yet the theory is similar to the natural practice of organic composting. Fallen leaves, when dug back into the soil, provide valuable mineral salts to nourish new plant life. The same principle holds true for the human body.
- GenresHealth
136 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 27, 2015
Unlike his successors in the urine therapy industry, J.W. Armstrong at least champions the “science” of what he believes – and what great breakthrough to the scientific mainstream wasn't lengthily pissed on by the straights before finally winning acceptance?
Judging by the table of contents, most of The Water of Life consists of case histories in which Armstrong’s Secret Ingredient is put to work on everything from gangrene to cancer. The impression that comes across in the Foreword is of a 1940s version of Deepak Chopra – erudite, engaging, well-meaning, perhaps genuinely not seeking to profit from an over-eager flock...
...but when you get down to brass tacks, he still thinks drinking pee is a good idea.
Read the full ebook Sample Reader review here.
Judging by the table of contents, most of The Water of Life consists of case histories in which Armstrong’s Secret Ingredient is put to work on everything from gangrene to cancer. The impression that comes across in the Foreword is of a 1940s version of Deepak Chopra – erudite, engaging, well-meaning, perhaps genuinely not seeking to profit from an over-eager flock...
...but when you get down to brass tacks, he still thinks drinking pee is a good idea.
Read the full ebook Sample Reader review here.
July 26, 2012
true, genuine and powerful medicine. not for the silly or squeamish
December 16, 2021
Interesting concept - drinking your own urine to heal - but the flaw I see with this treatise on using urine therapy is that the author never tests his theory apart from fasting, but always together. Fasting is the time-tested and age-old undisputed healer of ailments, so I'm unconvinced, even inclined to believe that the real healing catalyst was the fasting rather than the consumption of urine. But, there may be something to it.
May 23, 2024
A BRITISH NATUROPATH EXPLAINS THIS KIND OF ‘THERAPY’
John W. Armstrong wrote in the Foreword to this 1944 book, “By those many people who have derived and are still deriving benefit from Urine Therapy, I have repeatedly been asked to write a book but hitherto I have demurred. First, because the necessary leisure has been lacking, and secondly, because I am averse to any form of self-advertisement. However… I have finally decided to yield to persuasions, and this treatise is largely compiled from notes, case-sheets, and letters… the following must be emphasized: (1) A law having been passed making it now illegal for any but a qualified medical practitioner to declare he can cure certain specific diseases---cancer being one---it should be noted that all case histories relative to such diseases mentioned in this book are those of patients treated prior to the passing of the law in question… (2) As the therapy to be outlined in this book is an entirely drugless system of healing and is a specific for health and not for any given disease, diagnosis plays no practical part in the treatment.”
He wrote in the first chapter, “naturopathy as it is usually practiced does not go far enough, for although it can cleanse the body of its toxins, it cannot replace wasted tissues incidental to such grievous ills as consumption or other diseases of equal gravity. This can only be accomplished by an elaboration of an ancient therapy, the details of which I propose to put forward in this book, and which I have practiced on myself and some thousands of others with signal success, although many of them were said to be suffering from incurable diseases.” (Pg. 11)
He explains, “Last century, between the eighteen-sixties to seventies, the drinking of one’s own urine was a well-known cure for jaundice, and some doctors had the courage to prescribe it… Among gypsies, the health-giving properties of urine have been known for centuries. Cow’s urine has been taken in large quantities for the cure of Bright’s disease, dropsy and other afflictions… The wiser of the ancient Greeks used nothing but urine for the treatment of wounds. The Eskimos even to this day adopt the same measures.” (Pg. 17)
He states, “One of the features of urine therapy is the rubbing of the patient’s whole body with urine at given intervals for two hours as a stretch; that is, provided the patient is not too weak and emaciated to stand it.” (Pg. 54)
He recounts a person coming to him for treatment: “The first thing I urged him to do was to drink the urine her passed. As I expected, this proved to be very odorous and turgid at first, but soon cleared up. I instructed Mr. P. how to rub his body with urine, and then rubbed him for about two hours with my own… the most important parts of the body to rub are the face, neck and feet… After one month of treatment, he was so far improved that he was able to return to business.” (Pg. 63-64)
He notes, “As we all know, friction produces heat, and heat opens up the pores of the skin because they likewise generate heat. That is why it is so important what the compresses contain. Compresses merely draw out and put nothing back can prove seriously strength-sapping; a matter which has bene brought to my notice in many cases. Thus the compress par excellence is a urine compress, and rubbing with urine is far superior to any other form of friction. For the latter purpose old urine alone, or old mixed with fresh, and warmed up (it must never be boiled) is the most efficacious.” (Pg. 106-107)
He concludes, “That I shall be labelled a crank is of course fully to be expected, and if the Medical Profession condescends to pay any attention to this exposition of urine-therapy at all, it will probably be to bring all kinds of purely theoretical condemnations by saying truthfully that he has tried the method over a long period of years if at all, and has found it wanting? I think not one; for I have ceased to be the only practitioner of urine-therapy according to the method here described, and other practitioners declare they find it as efficacious as I myself have done.” (Pg. 136)
I am definitely NOT an advocate of Urine Therapy; but this book will interest anyone wanting to know more about the practice.
John W. Armstrong wrote in the Foreword to this 1944 book, “By those many people who have derived and are still deriving benefit from Urine Therapy, I have repeatedly been asked to write a book but hitherto I have demurred. First, because the necessary leisure has been lacking, and secondly, because I am averse to any form of self-advertisement. However… I have finally decided to yield to persuasions, and this treatise is largely compiled from notes, case-sheets, and letters… the following must be emphasized: (1) A law having been passed making it now illegal for any but a qualified medical practitioner to declare he can cure certain specific diseases---cancer being one---it should be noted that all case histories relative to such diseases mentioned in this book are those of patients treated prior to the passing of the law in question… (2) As the therapy to be outlined in this book is an entirely drugless system of healing and is a specific for health and not for any given disease, diagnosis plays no practical part in the treatment.”
He wrote in the first chapter, “naturopathy as it is usually practiced does not go far enough, for although it can cleanse the body of its toxins, it cannot replace wasted tissues incidental to such grievous ills as consumption or other diseases of equal gravity. This can only be accomplished by an elaboration of an ancient therapy, the details of which I propose to put forward in this book, and which I have practiced on myself and some thousands of others with signal success, although many of them were said to be suffering from incurable diseases.” (Pg. 11)
He explains, “Last century, between the eighteen-sixties to seventies, the drinking of one’s own urine was a well-known cure for jaundice, and some doctors had the courage to prescribe it… Among gypsies, the health-giving properties of urine have been known for centuries. Cow’s urine has been taken in large quantities for the cure of Bright’s disease, dropsy and other afflictions… The wiser of the ancient Greeks used nothing but urine for the treatment of wounds. The Eskimos even to this day adopt the same measures.” (Pg. 17)
He states, “One of the features of urine therapy is the rubbing of the patient’s whole body with urine at given intervals for two hours as a stretch; that is, provided the patient is not too weak and emaciated to stand it.” (Pg. 54)
He recounts a person coming to him for treatment: “The first thing I urged him to do was to drink the urine her passed. As I expected, this proved to be very odorous and turgid at first, but soon cleared up. I instructed Mr. P. how to rub his body with urine, and then rubbed him for about two hours with my own… the most important parts of the body to rub are the face, neck and feet… After one month of treatment, he was so far improved that he was able to return to business.” (Pg. 63-64)
He notes, “As we all know, friction produces heat, and heat opens up the pores of the skin because they likewise generate heat. That is why it is so important what the compresses contain. Compresses merely draw out and put nothing back can prove seriously strength-sapping; a matter which has bene brought to my notice in many cases. Thus the compress par excellence is a urine compress, and rubbing with urine is far superior to any other form of friction. For the latter purpose old urine alone, or old mixed with fresh, and warmed up (it must never be boiled) is the most efficacious.” (Pg. 106-107)
He concludes, “That I shall be labelled a crank is of course fully to be expected, and if the Medical Profession condescends to pay any attention to this exposition of urine-therapy at all, it will probably be to bring all kinds of purely theoretical condemnations by saying truthfully that he has tried the method over a long period of years if at all, and has found it wanting? I think not one; for I have ceased to be the only practitioner of urine-therapy according to the method here described, and other practitioners declare they find it as efficacious as I myself have done.” (Pg. 136)
I am definitely NOT an advocate of Urine Therapy; but this book will interest anyone wanting to know more about the practice.
June 1, 2020
You need a pretty wide open mind to be able to read this book.
The claims made in the book are pretty astonishing. I wish the science looks into this seriously rather than just dismissing it because a closed mind could be as deadly as any disease.
The claims made in the book are pretty astonishing. I wish the science looks into this seriously rather than just dismissing it because a closed mind could be as deadly as any disease.
May 2, 2016
The book is strictly informational. With that said, it's hard to really rate a book such as this. The info is straight to the point providing numerous examples of the therapy. It clear, concise, and easy to understand. The only thing is to question whether or not the therapy actually works. The truth is that it seems very logical. I listened to it as an audiobook. Based on my enjoyment of it, I rate it about a 2 out of 5, although some of the cases presented caught my interest, especially toward the end of the book. However, based on content and information, I would rate it somewhere between 4 and 5 stars because the information is important to know and share. So with that, I give it a 4 out of 5.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews