Google Searching something related to vampires.
This led me, perhaps naturally, perhaps not, to bloodletting. Most people know what this is-- A sharp, hooked little thing was held against the tender skin at the crook of the elbow, and tapped with a rod to puncture the flesh, open a vein, and release as much as 4 quarts of blood per sitting. This is what they looked like. http://www.asylumeclectica.com/asylum/sightseer/us/mo/glore/glore5.jpg. Yeah.
Bleeding was one of the most popular and enduring practices in medical history, up until the 19th century. It originated with the ancient Greeks, and they used it for, well, basically everything. If you were feeling under the weather back in the day, there was a pretty good chance you just had too damn much blood. This was related to the theory of the four humours (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, black bile), and the idea that any imbalance of these caused all illness.
If you're wondering whether or not it works, the next time you're dying of the flu, take a little drive downtown to give anywhere up to 4 quarts of blood. That's bloodletting for you, except the blood doesn't go to help people and you don't get orange juice and oreos after. Of course, there is a chance you will feel better as you take a delirious blood-loss inspired trip through the clouds on the back of a golden unicorn, but it won't have cured your flu.
The vampires come into it when you find that some people started rather wondering where all that blood went, and the rest is fairly obvious.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I hadn't heard of the blood letting before. It was... Very intresting to say the least. I'm intrigued and I may go google it myself. Ew people drinking other people's blood just becasue there's nothing good to do with it after it's been let out? And doesn't the body only have about 6-8 quarts of blood to begin with? Well anyways very intresting.
ReplyDelete