aka. Bloodletting

History 1.04

Bleeding, aka. Bloodletting

For those of you who prefer, “The Good Ol Days.”

I usually write humor but apparently not always as witnessed by today’s offering. I’ve read the information over and over and found little humor in it. I will go forward however for History’s sake. The sad truth is, it’s true .

A macabre medical practice that makes me glad I was not living during “Those Days,” that involved cutting the patient and allowing blood to ooze out taking with it whatever was causing discomfort.
Quite often the patient fell asleep during the procedure and woke up dead.

Considered one of medicine's oldest practices, Bloodletting is thought to have originated in ancient Egypt. It then spread to Greece, where physicians such as Erasistratus, who lived in the third century B.C., believed that all illnesses stemmed from an overabundance of blood.

Bloodletting was thought to be beneficial in healing nearly every disease, from acne and asthma, to cancer and smallpox. Even the loss of blood from a wound was treated by… removing more blood! Bloodletting the already-wounded was thought to reduce inflammation (which is why it was employed prior to surgery as well).

I found humor difficult with these passages?

Bloodletting, whether by a physician or by leeches, was based on an ancient system of medicine in which blood and other bodily fluids were regarded as "humours" that had to remain in proper balance to maintain health.

Eureka! I found humor, or “humours.”

The Greeks believed that the body was made up of four main components or Four Humours. These Four Humours needed to remain balanced in order for people to remain healthy. The Four Humours were liquids within the body- blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile.

Disregard the reference to humor.

What about George Washington?
Learn the gruesome details of President George Washington's final hours. The retired commander-in-chief woke up at 2 a.m. on Dec. 14, 1799, with a sore throat. After a series of medical procedures, including the draining of nearly 40 percent of his blood, he died.

I don’t want those doctors treating me!

Bad News first… Bloodletting is still used today.

Good News…Only in the treatment of a few diseases, including hemochromatosis and polycythemia. If you have those you’re gonna be bled.

Generally today bleeding is confined to your bank account.

Penwose Out,
By George
NoPo8