Uroscopy

Uroscopy is the historical medical practice of visually examining a patient's urine to diagnose diseases or medical conditions. It is an ancient technique that involves the analyzing the color, odor, and sometimes composition of urine. It was widely used by physicians to assess a patient's health, with different colors or characteristics of urine thought to correspond to specific illnesses.

The first records of uroscopy as a method for determining symptoms of an illness date back to the 4th millennium BC, and became common practice in Classical Greece. After reaching medical predominance during the Byzantine Era & High Middle Ages, the practice eventually was replaced with more accurate methods during the Early Modern Period, with uroscopy being considered inadequate due to the lack of empirical evidence and higher standards of post-Renaissance medicine.

In modern medicine, visual examination of a patient's urine may provide preliminary evidence for a diagnosis, but is generally limited to conditions that specifically affect the urinary system such as urinary tract infections, kidney and bladder issues, and liver failure.