Quirky quencher

A bizarre drinking practice of Oxford University academics in the United Kingdom is exposed in the forthcoming book by its museum curator.

“Every Monument Will Fall,” authored by Prof. Dan Hicks, tells the “violent colonial history of looted human remains,” highlighting the chalice used regularly at formal dinners at the institution’s Worcester College, The Guardian (TG) reports.

The chalice is actually a cup fashioned from a sawn-off and polished skull, the part that encased the brain. It is adorned with a silver rim and a stand, according to TG. It was also used to serve chocolates, until the college archived it and banned access to it since 2015 for ethical reasons.

In his book, Hicks could not identify the person to whom the 225-year-old skull belonged but says it was donated in 1946 by former student George Pitt-Rivers, whose name is inscribed on its silver rim, TG reports.

Meanwhile, a former model and author from Scottsdale, Arizona, USA has an even more grotesque drinking habit.

Troy Casey says his quirky drink is part of a wellness regimen, touting its rich content of stem cells, amino acids and antibodies.

The morning drink was inspired 20 years ago by a breathwork coach who claimed it had healed him of testicular cancer, New York Post (NYP) quotes Casey as saying.

Doctors, however, warned against copying Casey, with board-certified Internal Medicine physician Michael Aziz saying that drinking urine can be hazardous because it’s both dehydrating and contaminating, according to NYP.

“Urine is mostly water and salt, which dehydrates you. Your kidneys are trying to get rid of the toxins, and if you drink urine you’re putting the toxins back into the body,” Aziz told NYP, adding that “people can get seriously sick from drinking urine.”

Nevertheless, Casey insists on drinking his own pee, even applying it to his skin before sunbathing.

“Just sticking it on your skin is really powerful. It’s good for breathing. It gets rid of aches and pains. It energizes me, and it lifts my mood,” he said, according to NYP.