Ox Gallstones Archipelago

A recent VICE story about charges being laid against an abattoir employee over the theft of gallstones has ignited a global conversation. Known as “Niuhuang” in Chinese, cattle biles are used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for a wide range of ailments and are often the focus of herbal preparations[3,4,63].

Ox gallstones, particularly those containing calcium bilirubinate, have been prized for centuries. They’re also a lucrative byproduct for slaughterhouses, whose head-to-tail business model turns almost every animal byproduct into profit.

Origins

The origins of the Ox Gallstones Archipelago are a little murky, but it’s clear that gallstones have become a lucrative trade item for meat workers and abattoirs across the globe. Often viewed as a waste product of the abattoir process, these precious rocks are now a hot commodity.

Gallstones are a naturally occurring calcification of the gall bladder in cattle, typically retrieved during the bile extraction process on an eviscera table. They can form a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. Amongst the most valuable are rounded, pyramid-shaped rocks with an eye-catching colour.

Traditionally, gallstones are dried and sanitised after being removed from the gut. They are sprayed with cold water to remove blood clots, and then stored in a dark and well ventilated room at 20degC for two to three weeks to dry. After drying, they are vacuum packed and sealed in hermetically-sealed bags.

A number of small Chinese firms have set up in Australia, raking in a profit by supplying ox gallstones to the country’s slaughterhouses. Sunshine Trading, based in Brisbane, has established a nationwide monopoly on the supply of gallstones and now deals with more than 50 abattoirs across the country.

Gerard, the company’s CEO, tells VICE that he’s seen this phenomenon grow over the years. He says that as long as there is interest in bilirubin-based medicines in China, the demand for gallstones will increase.

As a result, the price of gallstones is now among the most expensive animal byproducts on the market. According to one gallstone broker, who has been in the business for a decade, average quality stones can fetch upwards of $57 USD per gram.

The high value of gallstones has made them an attractive option for buyers in the Chinese market, where they can be sold as a Chinese herbal medicine or combined with other ingredients to make a proprietary formula. They are also a lucrative investment for beef processing plants.

The market is expected to expand rapidly in coming years, as the Chinese government’s nationalistic push continues. As such, the gallstones market is likely to continue to be a hot commodity for butchers, farmers and other animal industry professionals.

Uses

The Ox Gallstones Archipelago is a global network of individuals who are seeking to trade in cattle gallstones. These stones are highly valued by the Chinese community as precious Chinese herbal medicines. They are usually sold as natural gallstones or combined with other ingredients as proprietary Chinese medicines.

Originally, gallstones were used as a medicine for many different ailments. They were able to clear a person’s heart, rejuvenate their spirit, remove phlegm, delirium or coma, and also put a stop to spasms and convulsions. They were believed to also remove the evil spirits that had entered a person’s life and protect them from poison.

They were also believed to be a powerful anti-pyretic, anticonvulsive, and bacterial growth inhibitor, as well as having antioxidant properties. They can also help stimulate the immune system and activate certain pathways in the liver, which can help fight off disease.

The Chinese have been using ox gallstones to treat illness for centuries. According to Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic, they can clear the heart and liver, as well as rejuvenate the spirit. They are also considered a strong remedy for phlegm, delirium and coma, and have been prescribed to treat infant convulsions since the eighth century AD in Arabia.

Traditional Chinese medicine has also incorporated the use of bezoars and ox gallstones for treating fever, hepatitis, lumbago, high blood pressure, and eczema. They are also recommended for patients who are infected with COVID-19, a virus that causes inflammation and swelling of the blood vessels.

Some believe that bezoars are so powerful that they can cure cancer. This is because bezoars have been known to contain a special molecule called calcium bilirubinate, which has been found to have antipyretic, anticonvulsive, antibacterial growth inhibition and antihypertensive effects.

This molecule can also have an effect on the activation of NADPH oxidase in the body, which is important for defending against an attack by pathogenic organisms. It has also been shown to help activate nuclear receptors and signaling pathways in the liver cells.

The bezoar is a natural form of ox gallstone that has been harvested in China for thousands of years and has been known to be effective for many different conditions. They can be a very powerful treatment for some ailments and can be very expensive, especially in the Chinese market, where they can be purchased as a single tael or mixed with other ingredients as a Chinese herbal medicine.

Preparation

When you’re preparing ox gallstones for sale, you have to be careful. They’re delicate and can break if you do not take care of them properly. Moreover, they need to be dry and well-ventilated. If not, they will become moldy and useless.

To maximize your profits, you’ll need to buy the highest-quality ox gallstones possible. The size and cohesion of the gallstones will also play a role in their value. If you get small pieces of gallstones or if they are broken, you won’t be able to sell them for as much money as you could have.

The best way to get high-quality ox gallstones is to source them from local abattoirs. These places will know how to prepare the stones correctly and will be willing to sell them at a good price to you.

After slaughter, the gallbladder is opened and the ox’s gallstones are separated from other waste products. They are then washed with cold water to remove blood and other impurities. After that, they are dried in a dark room at 20 degC for two to three weeks.

They’re then vacuum packed and sealed. The buyer will weigh them and give you a cash price.

You can make a significant profit by selling ox gallstones to pharmaceutical companies, Chinese medicine practitioners, and researchers. However, you’ll have to work hard to find the right buyers and build strong relationships with them.

To do this, you’ll need to keep tabs on the market rate for ox gallstones by the gram. This will help you determine a price that will leave you plenty of space to make a profit.

It’s also important to be aware of what other types of bovine gallstones are in demand, such as cows’ kidney and bile stones. These are often sold at a lower price and are not as valuable as ox gallstones.

You’ll have to take extra precautions when storing ox gallstones for sale, because they need to be kept in a cool and dry environment. They also need to be stored away from light, as bilirubin is photosensitive and can be destroyed by sunlight.

Storage

Gallstones are a common byproduct of slaughter, but they’re also a valuable source of income. They’re used in pharmaceuticals, Chinese medicine, and research, so there’s huge demand for them around the world. But, in order to make the most money from them, you’ll need to know how to store and sell them properly.

First, you need to find a reliable supplier who will sell you gallstones at a price that’s high enough to cover your expenses. This means building good relationships with local abattoirs and getting them to understand the value of gallstones in the marketplace.

Then, you’ll need to dry the stones properly and store them for long periods of time. The best place to store them is in a dark, cool room with plenty of ventilation. This will help them to dry faster and keep them from becoming moldy.

Once your gallstones are ready, you’ll need to package them carefully and ship them to buyers. This will take time, but it’s well worth the effort.

During the shipping process, your gallstones will be subject to a lot of movement, so you need to use special packaging that won’t make them fall apart or crack. You can also choose to have them shipped via air or sea freight, so you can get them to the right destination quickly and easily.

After the gallstones have been shipped, you’ll need to wait for a buyer to contact you. They’ll want to inspect your gallstones, weigh them, and provide you with a price. This can vary greatly, so you’ll need to do your homework and be prepared to accept a reasonable offer.

You’ll need to pay the cost of packing the stones, but that’s a small price to pay for an enormous opportunity. Once you’ve mastered this skill, you can start making a living selling these precious stones!

But you’ll need to be sure to buy only the highest quality gallstones. You don’t want to waste your time and money on bad quality products that won’t sell. Keeping track of the market rate for gallstones by the gram will give you an idea of what price you’ll need to pay to make a profit.

Ox Gallstones Archipelago