this post was submitted on 22 Dec 2023
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Wait till you get a load of that Swiss alchemist who isolated sulphur in powder form, which was later used to quickly start fires, as in matches.
Looking for gold, he thought - what else has the color of gold? The answer struck him in a moment of inspiration - urine.
This crazy bastard boiled gallons and gallons of piss in his home workspace. One can only begin to imagine the stench during those alchemical sessions... and how he was perceived by the rest of the neighborhood. Not a very popular man, I would imagine.
EDIT: Now that I think about it, I think it was phosphorus. Even more apt, considering the atomic symbol is "P"!
Ammonia from fermented urine was commonly used for washing thousands of years ago. I can’t imagine he smelled much worse than anyone else processing the stuff.
But don't underestimate that added step of boiling it, until he was left with only a powder extract. Heat will amplify the smell and make the gases expand.
Toured a leather co-op in Morocco (Fes) where they process everything naturally. They collected pigeon droppings for similar reasons. Locals call it caca channel.