Uroscopy was the practice of diagnosing disease through the examination of urine and was one of the earliest methods used by "modern" physicians, taught as early as the 2nd century by Galen. The early image of a doctor examining urine, collected in a hand blown glass flask (1), signified medicine or "physic" in medical art from the earliest woodcuts (2) to art in the 18th century (3)

As in most superstitions and beliefs, there is some truth and so it is with the early practice of uroscopy. Indeed some diseases can be differentiated by gross examination of the urine. Uroscopy wheels (4) were employed to make diagnoses and physicians used color, consistentcy, smell, and sometimes taste to make a diagnosis -- indeed sweet tasting urine is a clue to the diagnosis of diabetes. Patients with liver disease (jaundice) will have brown urine and kidney disease patients may have foamy or red urine. Bloody urine can denote tumors of the urinary tract while white urine can signify infection. These changes were not overlooked by practicioners of medicine from the earliest times.

1) Uroscopy Flask

free blown glass, pontiled with a woven basket, probably from the 17-18th century.

2) Uroscopy Woodcut

A depiction of diagnosis by uroscopy in a German military surgical text. This book included the first depiction of an amputation. Feldtbuch der Wundtartzney by Hans Von Gersdorff, 1517.

3) The Village Doctor

A painting illustrating the practice of uroscopy in the 17th century by David Teniers the Younger. Found at the Musees Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels.

4) Uroscopy Wheel

This is taken from The Fasciculus Medicinae by Johannes De Ketham, 1491. This was a collection of medical treatises dealing with medicine and surgery dating back to the 13th century and included the first "modern" anatomic illustration.

1) Uroscopy Flask

2) Uroscopy Wood Cut

3) The Village Doctor

 
4) Uroscopy Wheel