John G Bourke

Human Ordure and Human Urine John G Bourke

This present work is an extremely interesting and dense collection of folklore and ethnology related to the use and consumption of urine, feces, decomposed material, dirt, and other such waste by humans, as part of religious or cultural rituals. Compiled in part by the US Army at the end of the 19th century, it treats a broad number of cultures ranging from French peasantry to Hindus, from both ancient and then-modern sources. Some of the material is bizarre, and it is often intertwined with studies of phallicism, and compared with generative forces in religious ritual. The entire work is heavily fleshed out with sources ranging from Torquemada to the Surgeon General of the United States.