A friend of mine who grew up in rural Ireland in the early 20th century said pee was a well-known cure for a lot of things in those days. The nearest village was a fair distance away and they had no car, so it often came in handy around the farm as a disinfectant.

When you hear those lovely Scottish waulking songs, you can brighten up your day by remembering that the cloth was waulked in urine.