ABSTRACT
Bloodletting was used to cure headaches, fevers, measles, mumps, rashes, stomach problems, smallpox, cancer, acne, scurvy, gangrene, and pneumonia. It was the first defense against any type of sickness and was even used to treat most forms of bleeding disorders and amputations. The blood was drained into a bowl and measured. Some surgeons used blood-sucking worms called leeches. They laid the leeches on the person’s body and let the leeches suck blood until they were full and fell off the patient. There are a few diseases where doctors do remove blood from the body, such as hemochromatosis and polycythemia, but both conditions are rare. Bloodletting was popular until the 1800s, when doctors like Pierre Louis began doing scientific studies on pneumonia patients. Medical professionals know that too little blood causes hypotension and shock and often add blood through transfusions.
