How did ancient people test pregnancy?

According toMentalfloss, pregnancy tests are based on the mechanism of detecting traces of hooadotropin (HCG) in urine. This substance appears 6 to 12 days after the egg is fertilized and is secreted by cells that begin to form the placenta. Home pregnancy tests have become popular since 1978, with results up to 80% accurate. Today, people can quickly know whether they are pregnant or not through a pregnancy test.

So before the invention of the pregnancy test, how did people determine if they were pregnant? The ancients had some strange but interesting ways.

Wheat and barley testing

This method was used by the ancient Egyptians. In 1350 BC, women urinated on wheat and barley seeds. A few days later, if the wheat seeds sprouted, it meant they were pregnant with a girl, and if the barley seeds sprouted, it meant they were pregnant with a boy. If the seeds did not sprout, they were not pregnant.

In 1963, scientists tested this method in a laboratory. The results showed that 70% of urine samples from pregnant women caused seeds to germinate, while urine from non-pregnant women did not cause wheat or barley seeds to germinate. The conclusion of modern scientists: "The inventions of the ancient Egyptians are truly amazing."

Testing through onions and other vegetables

While the ancient Egyptians tested for pregnancy using wheat and barley, the Greeks used onions. Ancient Greek women inserted an onion or another pungent root into their vaginas and left it overnight. If the woman’s breath smelled of onions the next morning, it meant she was not pregnant. The ancient Greeks believed that if she was not pregnant, the uterus would be open, so the smell of onions could travel up to her mouth by inhaling the onion smell. If a woman was pregnant, the uterus would be closed, so her breath would not smell of onions.

Urine color

This was a popular pregnancy test in Europe in the 16th century. The urine of pregnant women is pale yellow to milky white. Some places mix urine with wine and observe the results. The wine reacts with proteins in the urine, indicating whether or not there is pregnancy. However, this test is not accurate if the woman has certain diseases such as diabetes, depression or eats foods such as carrots and strawberries that change the color of the urine.

Pee on the rabbit

In 1920, two German scientists, Selmar Aschheim and Bernhard Zondek, took urine samples from pregnant women and injected them into mice and rabbits for about 5 days. On the 5th day, the mice and rabbits were killed for autopsy and ovarian examination. If their ovaries developed, it meant that the woman was pregnant.

This method of pregnancy testing resulted in the killing of many rabbits. In fact, the phrase “dead rabbit” was used to mean that the woman was pregnant. Fortunately, women can now easily test for pregnancy with a pregnancy test without having to kill so many animals.

Frog test

The frog test is similar to the rabbit test, but this method is a little better because it does not require killing the animals. In 1940, scientists tested injecting urine from pregnant women into live frogs. The amphibians produced eggs within 24 hours of injection, without having to wait any longer.