Ox Gallstones Yemen

Since Monday’s report about gallstone theft at an east Queensland abattoir, there has been a lot of interest in these precious stones. Some people believe that processors are making a fortune from them at beef producers’ expense.

The reality is that ox gallstones are a rare commodity. There is a short supply and a high demand for them in China as a valuable herbal medicine.

Supply and Demand

Yemen’s long-running war has seen the country destabilized and become one of the world’s poorest. Its health crisis has worsened since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2021, and diseases like cholera, diarrhoea, and respiratory tract infections continue to plague the population.

There are a number of factors that have contributed to the situation in Yemen, including a growing food shortage, water scarcity and the country’s increasingly unreliable government services. However, one of the most pressing problems remains the breakdown of the nation’s tribal system, which provided a framework for stability until 1994.

This is especially true in Hudaydah, which lies east of Sana’a-Ma’rib and has been a focal point of a number of tribal disputes over the past few years. While the area’s senior sheiks are still respected, their power has been significantly diminished over time as a result of corruption and the country’s changing political landscape.

Aside from the long-running armed conflict, other factors have led to the country’s economic collapse. Almost three-quarters of the population live in poverty, and the country’s water supply is threatened by the ongoing cholera outbreak.

For the country’s farmers, qat is one of the few sources of income. The crop is a popular choice among families and communities, and it provides a good source of protein that keeps rural communities in the countryside.

But, as a country’s economy begins to crumble, many people are looking for alternative means of livelihoods. And one of these alternatives is ox gallstones, an incredibly rare and lucrative commodity that’s been around for centuries.

These stones are a precious Chinese herbal medicine that’s been used as a traditional cure for fever and sore throats, and for a host of other ailments. They contain a natural bile duct extract that can be a powerful antioxidant and have the potential to treat cancer, heart disease, hepatitis and lung cancer.

They’re also said to have anti-inflammatory properties and have been used to treat headaches and migraines. But the biggest driver for their popularity is the fact that they’re believed to have a high level of bilirubin, which can help prevent and treat a wide range of diseases.

Medicinal Value

MONDAY’s news of a Queensland abattoir employee stealing gallstones to sell on the black market to Asia has generated a fair amount of interest. A number of beef industry stakeholders, including cattle processors, have taken to social media to claim the stones can fetch up to $20k per kilogram.

While it may seem gross to most people, these yellowish-orange rocks can have a number of health benefits, especially when used as part of an effective herbal therapy. This includes the ability to stimulate the release of bile and other important nutrients, which can benefit the heart, liver, lungs and kidneys. It can also protect the body from infection, reduce inflammation, and aid in reducing the symptoms of aging.

In ancient times, these ox gallstones were known as bezoars, and they were considered one of the most powerful medicinal substances ever discovered. They were said to have the ability to clear the heart, rejuvenate a person’s spirit, remove phlegm and delirium, and put an end to tremors and convulsions.

They were also claimed to have the ability to cure snake bites, scorpion stings and poisons. They were even said to make a man virile and improve a woman’s fertility.

To extract the gallstones, the cattle are slaughtered and the intestines removed. The gallstones are then sucked from the intestines and washed with water to remove blood clots, impurities and dirt. The stones are then dried and packed in hermetically sealed bags. This process can take up to two weeks. The resulting product, known as gallstone powder or pellets, is sold in the Chinese market for high prices.

Availability and Supply

MONDAY’s news that meat processing plants are stealing gallstones from slaughter cattle to sell in Asia for a tidy sum, prompted some razzle dazzle on social media. But the rumour that these mysterious objects are worth as much as $20,000 per kilogram of the stuff, compared to the average price of beef at the local butcher, is a little far-fetched.

To begin with, these little guys aren’t easy to come by, even if you live on a plant like Lakes Creek in Rockhampton, Queensland, the world’s largest weekly cow kill. A recent report by Beef Central showed that only a fraction of the 40,000 head of cattle killed each week at the plant produce the ‘biggest’ gallstone, and those found are in small quantities.

The process is fairly simple: ox gallstones are extracted from the intestines of cows and bulls during the bile extraction process at the abattoir. After being washed, they are placed in a dark and well ventilated room at 20 degrees Celsius for a couple of weeks to dry. During the drying process, the stones are moved around regularly to ensure that they don’t stick together.

As for the quality, it depends on a number of factors. Golden coloured gallstones are prized, as is any stone with a smooth finish and lustrous appearance. Other factors include the size, shape and texture of the item, and whether or not it is whole.

The most impressive fact about gallstones is their medicinal value, which is reflected in the high retail price of this natural product. The Chinese pharmaceutical industry requires about 100 metric tons of this precious material each year to make a variety of propriety Chinese medicines, but the domestic supply is scarce and limited to just one MT per year. This has led to the development of synthetic gallstones, which mimic the medicinal properties of the naturally occurring product.

Price

During the past 15 years, slaughterhouses have cottoned on to the rising market value of cattle gallstones. It’s a small slice of the profit pie for each head of cattle slaughtered; yet for gutties who’re lucky enough to find one, it can be a lucrative source of extra income.

The price of ox gallstones Yemen depends on their shape, size and colour; whether they’re smooth, lustrous, golden or pitted. Whole, golden stones – especially those that are pyramid-shaped – command the highest prices. Dark and pitted rocks are worth less, as is bilirubin-filled calcite: which swells with oxygen.

A hefty percentage of gallstones sold overseas are sourced from China, where Chinese medicine specialists believe they have healing properties, particularly based on their bilirubin content. And the demand for bilirubin-based medicines is increasing in Asia, which means gallstone dealers are snapping up every piece of stock that comes down the line.

These imported gallstones are often dried to remove moisture before being shipped to buyers in the U.S. and elsewhere. The dryness is crucial, as bilirubin is photosensitive and degenerates in light. It’s also important that the stones are unaffected by any bile or other impurities.

According to Gerard Murtagh, Director of International Sales at Sunshine Trading, gallstones are a booming business in Australia: and it’s the reason nearly every abattoir has a lockbox in place for collecting the precious stones. This padlocked box is a waist-high stainless steel vault that locks gallstones inside; keeping the gutties from sticking their fingers in them or pilfering them for their own profit.

This makes it easier to spot a rock’s true value, since the buyer can easily assess its size, shape and texture; and then compare it to the competition. A smooth, lustrous, golden stone is considered the best, followed by those that are darker or have been chipped or broken into pieces.

The gallstones are dried and then packed in hermetically sealed bags for transport to their new homes. This process is time consuming and labour intensive, but it pays off in a big way. A kilo of dried gallstones can fetch up to $50,000 USD on darknet markets and private Facebook groups.

Ox Gallstones Yemen