DRAWING OF BLOOD

 DRAWING OF BLOOD

Working on the basis that fire,

water, earth and air controlled

the humours, physicians

believed the body would be

‘balanced’ by removing ‘bad

blood’ (they thought blood

was static and stagnated in

certain parts of the body).

Ailments were therefore

treated by clamping leeches to

the patient’s skin (sometimes

to the eyes). Over time,

physicians themselves were

nicknamed leeches.