The history of phlebotomy began as a simple “bloodletting” procedure that was thought to cure disease. Oddly enough, it is still practiced in some cultures today, and is used in a more sophisticated form in western medicine for certain blood anomalies.
The Egyptians, Mayans, Aztecs, and Mesopotamians used bloodletting for medical as well as religious purposes. Bloodletting was an accepted medical procedure in 5th century Greece. It was believed that toxins built up in the blood to make a person ill, so releasing some of their blood would decrease the toxins. Many died from this procedure, even our own George Washington.
During the 16th century bloodletting was used to relieve every disease known. The patient was allowed to bleed until they felt faint. In the 18th century any barber on the corner was considered a surgeon. They made the cuts for bloodletting while the patient got a haircut and shave. There were high tech instruments for the procedure by this time, from spring loaded puncture needles to spring loaded scalpels that made a dozen cuts at one time.
One ingenious invention for this time period was a special glass, that when placed over the puncture or cut, would “vacuum” the blood out as the glass was heated and cooled.
In the late 19th century, with the discovery that germs caused disease, bloodletting began to decline in popularity. As more discoveries were made about how the body actually worked, bloodletting became looked upon as quackery.
India is one country that still practices bloodletting the old way in modern times. Many patients proclaim that the bloodletting cures what ails them. Bloodletting could theoretically make a person feel better temporarily if they have certain conditions like high blood pressure or hemochromatosis.
We still take blood as a treatment for patients that have rare diseases such as Polycythemia. This is a disorder which causes too many red blood cells to be produced, and blood must be taken in measured amounts by a phlebotomist or other trained medical personnel.
Phlebotomists now take blood in small amounts to check for diseases, disorders, or just to make sure a patient is healthy. Science has found that looking at the blood components microscopically can determine a patients overall health and pinpoint an accurate diagnosis that would be impossible to confirm without the advances in blood work and microscopic technology.
The history of phlebotomy spans thousands of years, and has been in the minds and writings of such great men as Hippocrates and Galen. As with many of our modern miracles, we would not have advanced so far if it had not been for the trials and errors of early thinkers.
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