Bloodletting
(→Modern use) |
(→Modern use) |
||
| Line 29: | Line 29: | ||
Bloodletting nowadays is usually practiced as part of Unani, Ayurveda, or traditional Chinese Medicine. | Bloodletting nowadays is usually practiced as part of Unani, Ayurveda, or traditional Chinese Medicine. | ||
| − | Unani (also known as [[Islam]]ic medicine) is a form of humorism, which originated in the 9<small><sup>th</sup></small> century{{fact}} and came into being when Muslim populations came in contact with the original [[Greek]] system of heroic medicine.{{fact}} Unani is probably the only form of alternative medicine in which bloodletting is used according to humoristic principles. In Unani, bloodletting and leeching are used | + | Unani (also known as [[Islam]]ic medicine) is a form of humorism, which originated in the 9<small><sup>th</sup></small> century{{fact}} and came into being when Muslim populations came in contact with the original [[Greek]] system of heroic medicine.{{fact}} Unani is probably the only form of alternative medicine in which bloodletting is used according to humoristic principles. In Unani, bloodletting and leeching are used quite often, owing to the fact that there are supposedly many diseases resulting from excess blood. Unani is probably the closest living equivalent to the backwards, old-fashioned medicine people usually think of when they hear the word "bloodletting". |
| − | In Ayurveda, bloodletting is used more sparingly, as part of ''Panchakarma'', which | + | In Ayurveda, bloodletting is used more sparingly, as part of ''Panchakarma'', which to be used only about every season. Panchakarma is an Ayurvedic therapy which involves bloodletting, vomiting, purging, and inhaling herbal steam, in order to clear the body of [[toxin]]s and balance its [[Subtle energy|energy]]. |
| − | Traditional Chinese use of bloodletting is the least drastic; it is used in the context of [[acupuncture]] and only involves draining a few drops of blood. This is supposed to be good for headaches. The fact that the [[placebo effect]] makes the body release endorphins and other analgesic substances is not taken into account by practitioners. The pain relief ''must'' be due to some magic | + | Traditional Chinese use of bloodletting is the least drastic; it is used in the context of [[acupuncture]] and only involves draining a few drops of blood. This is supposed to be good for headaches. The fact that the [[placebo effect]] makes the body release endorphins and other analgesic substances is not taken into account by practitioners. The pain relief ''must'' be due to some magic energy manipulation. |
On the [[Internet]], there are http://thedelhiwalla.blogspot.ca/2009/01/city-secret-blood-letting-in-old-delhi.html testmonials<ref>[http://thedelhiwalla.blogspot.ca/2009/01/city-secret-blood-letting-in-old-delhi.html City Secret - Blood Letting in Old Delhi], The Delhi Walla, Wednesday, January 28, 2009. '''NSFW'''</ref> praising bloodletting's curative powers. | On the [[Internet]], there are http://thedelhiwalla.blogspot.ca/2009/01/city-secret-blood-letting-in-old-delhi.html testmonials<ref>[http://thedelhiwalla.blogspot.ca/2009/01/city-secret-blood-letting-in-old-delhi.html City Secret - Blood Letting in Old Delhi], The Delhi Walla, Wednesday, January 28, 2009. '''NSFW'''</ref> praising bloodletting's curative powers. | ||
Revision as of 20:39, 27 April 2013
| Against allopathy |
| Alternative articles |
“”"We all need someone we can bleed on
And if you want it, why don't you bleed on me?" |
| —Rolling Stones' Let it Bleed |
Bloodletting is a formerly widespread medical treatment usually used as part of the humoral system of medicine, which postulates that disease is caused by imbalance of the body's humors: black bile, yellow bile, blood, and phlegm. If a person has a disease which indicates too much blood, bloodletting is used to correct the problem. Bloodletting was even thought to be a cure for anaemia. Seriously.
Bloodletting and humorism have a long, venerable history of use in traditional and pre-scientific medicine as a panacea of sorts, and patients liked it so much, they had to be convinced not to be bled.[1] As such, it should come as no surprise that bloodletting is still used in alternative medicine as part of Unani, Ayurveda, and (to a lesser extent) traditional Chinese medicine.[2][3][4][5][6] Tellingly, the naturopathic Textbook of Natural Medicine lists all three of these systems as being acceptable bases for naturopathic practice.[citation needed][7]
Contents |
Definition
Bloodletting is not to be confused with lancing, a proper medical technique in which pus is drained from an abcess, boil, etc, nor with phlebotomy, which is a science-based technique used to draw blood for analysis or, in very limited situations, to reduce the number of red blood cells.
Bloodletting was also known as "bleeding" - unfortunately, this term is ambiguous as it also refers to unintentional blood loss.
History
Bloodletting has been used for about 3000 years. Initially, disease was thought to be caused by malevolent supernatural entities, and bloodletting and trepanation were used to expel these spirits from the patient's body. As time went on, however, physicians became more sympathetic to naturalistic explanations for disease, and this resulted in the Greek Theory of The Four Humors, in which imbalance of the four humors (black bile, yellow bile, blood, and phlegm) was considered the root cause of all diseases. Greek humorism spread, and gradually became the chief medical practice of Europe. (In Europe, at least, bloodletting was traditionally practiced by barbers (along with shaving - those dirty blades obviously came in handy for many things) The treatment also spread to Asia, and was adopted by Islamic cultures and adapted in the form of Unani (which is also known as Islamic medicine). Avicenna was a proponent of Unani.[8]
In the 19th century, with the advent of statistically based medicine, new evidence (such as Pierre Charles Alexandre Louis's work) showing that bloodletting was not beneficial was resisted, on the basis that "results obtained by analyses of large groups of patients were not universally applicable to the single individual presenting in their examining room."[9]
Pierre Charles Alexandre Louis
Pierre Charles Alexandre Louis (1787 – 1872) was a French physician considered "the father of medical statistics",[10] known for developing the "numerical method", a statistical method of evaluating medical treatments and a precursor to modern clinical trials.[8] He believed that real medicine must use statistics, saying: "without the aid of statistics nothing like real medicine is possible."[11]
While working at a French hospital, Louis started observing clinical cases and collecting information. He statistically analyzed the effects of bloodletting on pneumonia, using the cases he had seen, and concluded that it was ineffective.[12][11][13]
Modern use
Bloodletting nowadays is usually practiced as part of Unani, Ayurveda, or traditional Chinese Medicine.
Unani (also known as Islamic medicine) is a form of humorism, which originated in the 9th century[citation needed] and came into being when Muslim populations came in contact with the original Greek system of heroic medicine.[citation needed] Unani is probably the only form of alternative medicine in which bloodletting is used according to humoristic principles. In Unani, bloodletting and leeching are used quite often, owing to the fact that there are supposedly many diseases resulting from excess blood. Unani is probably the closest living equivalent to the backwards, old-fashioned medicine people usually think of when they hear the word "bloodletting".
In Ayurveda, bloodletting is used more sparingly, as part of Panchakarma, which to be used only about every season. Panchakarma is an Ayurvedic therapy which involves bloodletting, vomiting, purging, and inhaling herbal steam, in order to clear the body of toxins and balance its energy.
Traditional Chinese use of bloodletting is the least drastic; it is used in the context of acupuncture and only involves draining a few drops of blood. This is supposed to be good for headaches. The fact that the placebo effect makes the body release endorphins and other analgesic substances is not taken into account by practitioners. The pain relief must be due to some magic energy manipulation.
On the Internet, there are http://thedelhiwalla.blogspot.ca/2009/01/city-secret-blood-letting-in-old-delhi.html testmonials[14] praising bloodletting's curative powers.
Leeching
Leeching (also known as hirudotherapy) is a form of bloodletting that uses leeches to remove blood from a person instead of a knife and cup. Despite its reputation as a backwards, medieval treatment, it has, surprisingly, been found to be effective for a number of conditions,[15] and is used in modern medicine. (As with all such treatments, it should be done under proper medical supervision, as there can be issues with hygiene. Also use of leeches on certain parts of the body is not advisable. A leech's mouth contains anti-coagulants.)
Alternative medicine, on the other hand, uses it for completely inappropriate conditions. In Ayurveda and Unani, leeching is claimed to be good for (among other things) baldness.[16][17] Indeed,
"Leech" is also a Middle English word for a physician or surgeon.
Recreational bloodletting
Naturally some sick weirdos alternatively orientated folk like bloodletting for non-medical purposes. Here are three examples:
- Extreme sado-masochists - that's gotta hurt! Still, no pain, no gain, as they say.
- "Real" vampires - why be sucked off by someone when you can have someone sucking your blood? (Through a straw.)
- War mongering - bloodletting on an industrial scale and not much fun for most of the participants.
Some forms of self-harm may involve bloodletting too.
Footnotes
- ↑ Bloodletting: an early treatment used by barbers, surgeons, Cardiology Today.]
- ↑ Bleeding Peripheral Points: An Acupuncture Technique
- ↑ Treating Herpes Zoster (Shingles) with Bloodletting Therapy: Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine
- ↑ Chinese Blood Letting Therapy for Headaches
- ↑ Bloodletting, E-swastya.
- ↑ Unani System of Medicine Practice, Globinmed.com.
- ↑ Naturopathy Embraces the Four Humors, Jann Bellamy, Science-Based Medicine.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Bloodletting Over the Centuries, Gilbert R. Seigworth, M.D.
- ↑ Bloodletting and the management of localized prostate cancer, J. Curtis Nickel, Can Urol Assoc J. 2011 June; 5(3): 159–160. doi: 10.5489/cuaj.11076 PMCID: PMC3114022.
- ↑ Sicko Statistics: Michael Moore and L’École de Paris, Gerald Weissmann, doi: 10.1096/fj.09-0301ufm March 2009 The FASEB Journal vol. 23 no. 3 667-671.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Evidence-based medicine: old French wine with a new Canadian label?, P K Rangachari, J R Soc Med. 1997 May; 90(5): 280–284.
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ Pierre Charles Alexandre Louis: Master of the spirit of mathematical clinical science, Qual Saf Health Care 2005;14:462-464 doi:10.1136/qshc.2005.016816.
- ↑ City Secret - Blood Letting in Old Delhi, The Delhi Walla, Wednesday, January 28, 2009. NSFW
- ↑ Most commonly being the removal of blood from reconstructed body parts, as veins cannot be surgically reconstructed yet.
- ↑ Ayurveda for Alopecia, AltMD.
- ↑ Unani Therapy (Ilaj-bil-Tadbir) to Cure Diseases
| |
For those of you in the mood, RationalWiki has a fun article about Bloodletting. |
See also
External links
- Bloodletting works, Steven Novella.
- History of bloodletting by phlebotomy.
- LA Times article on Bloodletting
- Medical Antiques, includes photographs of some of the actual equipment used.
- The last Illness and Death of Lord Byron - His last Poem
- Cupping is a thing? Really? PZ Myers on bloodletting