Bloodletting: Ancient Cure or Medical Madness?

Bloodletting was once a main treatment for all manner of ailments.

The practice is thousands of years old, dating back to Ancient Egypt, involving the removal of blood from a patient in order to treat, cure, or prevent disease.

Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician and philosopher who you may recognize from the Hippocratic Oath, believed, like many at that time, that existence was represented by the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Humans were related to those through the four humors of blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile.

If someone was ill, it meant an imbalance of the four humors, so treatment involved restoring balance by removing some of the excessive humor.

During the 2nd century, Galen Pergamum believed blood was consumed by the body as nourishment, like food, and not circulated. Therefore, the removal of blood was not considered harmful or dangerous.

Physicians regularly performed bloodletting themselves using lancets and fleams, which were small, sharp blades doctors could carry in their pockets. Many ounces of blood could be removed at a time by a physician.

Bloodletting eventually fell out of favor. However, leech therapy is actually still used today, primarily in the area of microsurgery and reimplantation sur­gery.

💌 Sign up for my weekly newsletter - https://medschoolinsiders.com/newsletter
🌍 Website - https://medschoolinsiders.com

📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/medschoolinsiders
🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/medinsiders
🗣️ Facebook - https://facebook.com/medschoolinsiders

🎥 My Youtube Gear: https://kit.co/kevinjubbalmd/
👀 Hand-Picked Productivity Tools: https://www.amazon.com/shop/medschoolinsiders
🎵My Study Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/1231934998/playlist/5joGbr1aQAIbMcJ9bOvJlk?si=iOAxgKNTQt-rrp1L8g-YWQ

#medical #ancientmedicine #doctorsofyoutube #blood #ancientworld #medicalfacts #historyofmedicine #worldmysteries #bizarrehistory #medicaltrivia #leechtherapy #medicinereview #medicines #unbelievablehistory #medicine #ancienthealing #weirdhistory #medicalscience #historybuff #medshorts #viralshorts #viralvideos #medicalinformation
====================

Disclaimer: Content of this video is my opinion and does not constitute medical advice. The content and associated links provide general information for general educational purposes only. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. Kevin Jubbal, M.D. and Med School Insiders LLC will not assume any liability for direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of information contained in this video including but not limited to economic loss, injury, illness or death. May include affiliate links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through them (at no extra cost to you).

Видео Bloodletting: Ancient Cure or Medical Madness? канала Med School Insiders Shorts