Support medicine. A bhikkhu's basic medicinal support is puti-mutta-
bhesajja, which translates literally as "rancid urine medicine."
Strangely, none of the texts define the term. The commentaries to the
Khuddakapatha, Udana, and Sutta Nipata give an example of this sort
of medicine -- rancid urine with yellow myrobalan -- but without a
formal definition to indicate the full range of the term. The Sub-
commentary to the Vinaya defines rancid urine as any sort of urine at
all, citing as a parallel the Pali expression puti-kaya, decomposing
body, which refers to any human body, living or dead, "even one with
golden skin." However, it does not say whether rancid urine medicine
is the rancid urine itself or, as suggested by the example from the
commentaries, medicinal fruits pickled in urine.

Because the texts are vague about this term, various oral traditions
have developed around it. In Sri Lanka, rancid urine medicine is
usually interpreted as medicinal fruits pickled in cow's urine. In
Thailand, some Communities interpret it as one's own first urine in
the morning, following the ancient Indian tradition of using this
urine as a tonic. (Modern scientists have discovered that this urine
contains a high level of melatonin.) Given the silence of the texts,
the best policy here is to follow the traditions of one's own
Community.