Cow Dung

Ahta al-baqar (Unani)
Niu fen (TCM)
Picture Dioscorides Materia Medica, Mathias, 1563

Picture Dried Cow Dung for sale in Kolkata, India (Adam, 2019)

Zoological name:
Bos taurus and related species

Parts used:


Dung, dry or fresh

Temperature & Taste:


Neutral/Cool, dry.

Uses:


1. Benefits Stomach, Moves Qi, Opens Obstructions:
-obstruction of the Stomach
-Colic, Griping (internally and topically)

2. Clears Heat, Stops Cough:
-Cough, Cold, Bronchitis (Salmon)
-Wheezing, Asthma
-Consumption (Avicenna)

3. Promotes Urine:
-Edema, urinary obstruction
-Gravel, Stones
-The Salts of Cow Dung is excellent for Dropsy. (Salmon)
-Strangury

4. Clears Heat, Resolves Inflammations:
-given in infusion or as a Distilled Water for Fevers (Salmon, Schroder)
-the distilled water was commended for all Inflammations
-heat-type joint pain, Arthritis, Sciatica (Avicenna)
-Paralysis (All-Flower water) (Salmon)
-ashes or Salts were given for Epilepsy in children

5. Externally:
-‘Discusses, and Abates pain’ (Schroder)
-aches, pain, strains, sprains, bruises (distilled water applied warm, or fresh cow dung applied)
-burns and inflammations.
-good application to gout and joint pain;
-boils and abscesses (often with vinegar). (Avicenna, Salmon)
-ashes of Cow dung is used in Ayurveda as a dust over Small Pox eruptions.
-Tumors and swellings of the Breast and Testicles (Wirtzung)
-hardness of the Spleen (Wirtzung)
-Cancer (Salmon)
-applied to Conjunctivitis (West)
-applied to Alopecia, and to prevent the hair from falling out.
-applied to Bee stings
-fumes of the burning dung hastens birth (Magic of Kirani).
-fumes ‘help the Womb fallen’. (Schroder)


Dose:


Commonly extracted with Spring Water, White Wine, Brandy, or a Lixivium of Quicklime
It was most often used as a Distilled Water in the West.
Tincture in Brandy (1 oz. in 1 lb.): 1–2 drams
Infusion in Spring Water (1 oz. in 1 lb.): half–2 oz.
Distilled Water: 1–3 oz.

Comment:


1. Cow Dung is famously used for many purposes, both medicinal and otherwise, in Indian tradition. It was formerly used medicinally in Europe too.
2. There is a well known story told in many European medical texts of the 17th and 18th centuries. An old lady became famous for curing many obstinate diseases which were not helped by leading physicians. Eventually, she treated and cured the family member of a wealthy nobleman. So impressed was he that he offered to pay £20,000 for her recipe. She revealed it to be none other than an infusion of Cow Dung. This was her secret nostrum which she used freely for many different diseases and got great results in many chronic and severe cases.
3. Dried Cow Dung is commonly used in various parts of the world as a fuel source. The dried Dung patties are also used as a heat source to prepare minerals and metals in Ayurveda.

Main Combinations:


1. Heat-type Pain and Inflammation, including Gout, Cow Dung and Frog Spawn are distilled together. (John French, The Art of Distillation)
2. Gout, Muscular pain, Dragonwort (Arum spp.) is applied with Cow Dung. (Avicenna)
3. Tumors and Swellings of the Breast: Olive Oil, Cow Dung (equal parts), mix and strain through cloth, add Fenugreek meal and make a plaster (Wirtzung)
4. Stones: distilled Cow Dung water (1 part), Wine infusion of fresh Radish (2 parts)
5. Swellings of the Testicles, form a plaster with Cow Dung, Black Nightshade, Bean meal
6. Hardness of the Spleen, Cow Dung made into a plaster with Gum Ammoniac, Bdellium, White Mustard seed, Sulphur, Garlic with mucilage of Fenugreek and Linseed. (Wirtzung)
7. Soft Tumors, Cow Dung, Sulphur, Fenugreek meal (equal parts), mix with vinegar into a plaster and apply. (The Dispensatory of Ibn at Tilmid, Kahl, 2007)
8. Cancer, Fistula, fresh Cow Dung, Herb Robert, Plantain, Henbane, Purslane, Endive, Crabs, distilled together. It is applied topically. (Consultationes ac responsiones medicae, Thomas Mermann, Franz Ignaz Thiermairo, 1675)
9. Cataplasm for Edema, Cow Dung, Barley meal, Cyperus, Borax, Armenian (Red) Earth (equal parts). Mix with vinegar and apply to the skin. (The Dispensatory of Ibn at Tilmid, Kahl, 2007)
10. Colic, boil Cow Dung in Vinegar and apply to the abdomen. (West)
11. Prolapse of the Uterus, Bitumen (2 parts), dried Cow Dung (1 part). Burn and use as a fumigation topically. (The Secrets of Alexis, 1615)

Major Formulas:



Cautions:


None noted.
If used today, a sterile preparation such as a Tincture in Brandy or the Distilled Water would be preferable.

Main Preparations used:


Tincture, Distilled Water (All-Flower Water)

Infusion of Cow Dung:
i. Fresh Cow Dung (3 lbs.), Spring Water (9 lbs.); digest 24 hours, then decant the clear water. This is not a distilled water, but rather an infusion.
ii. Another:
  Fresh Cow Dung                 3 lbs.
  Lye water (Lixivium
    of Quicklime)                     9 lbs.
Digest for 24 hours, strain, decant and keep for use. (London Pharmacopoeia, 1696):
  This was said to have all the virtues of Tincture of Cow Dung, ‘sweetening’ the Blood and removing all acidity.

All=Flower Water (Distilled Water of Cow Dung):
This was typically prepared in Spring when flowers covered the meadows upon which Cows fed, thus it was called ‘All-Flower Water’. It was said to have a sweet, aromatic scent resembling Ambergris.
i. Take fresh Cow Dung in May (Spring), add one-third of White Wine, then distill.
ii. Take fresh Cow Dung and Snails bruised with their shell, equal parts; mix and distill.
Dose: 4–6 oz.