The presence of stones in the urinary tract is a condition that has accompanied humans since ancient times. In colonial times, this condition was known as "stone pain" and its non-surgical management was based on the use of medicines derived from plants, animals and minerals.
To contextualize a medical prescription used to modulate stone pain in the 18th century in the New Kingdom of Granada. Additionally, to analyze its components and evaluate the basis of its possible phytotherapeutic effects on the disease and pain.
Document search in the Cipriano Rodríguez Santamaría Historical Archive of the Octavio Arizmendi Posada Library at Universidad de La Sabana. The document entitled "Prescription for bladder or kidney stone pain" was analyzed, and a complementary review of current scientific literature and original texts was performed with no time limits, in order to compare this prescription to related findings in the history of medicine.
The transcription of the source document revealed several phytotherapeutic agents such as chamomile (Matricaria recutita), lilies (Lilium lancifolium), clover (Trifolium pratense), and mallow roots (Malva sylvestris), accompanied by a large amounts of water.
There is scientific evidence that could explain the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of all plant-derived medicines used in this prescription. Abundant water intake to increase urine volume was an essential part of treatment. However, the lack of more precise data related to the prescription and the evolution of the patients makes it difficult to analyze its therapeutic efficacy.
Actas urologicas espanolas. 2021 Jul 27 [Epub ahead of print]
E Tuta-Quintero, J C Martínez-Lozano, I Briceño-Balcázar, G Guerron-Gómez, A Gómez-Gutiérrez
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía, Colombia; Grupo Genética Humana, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía, Colombia., Grupo Genética Humana, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía, Colombia. Electronic address: ., Grupo Genética Humana, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía, Colombia., Instituto de Genética Humana, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.