Blood transfusion: A historical review
1990; American Veterinary Medical Association; Volume: 197; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2460/javma.1990.197.08.998
ISSN1943-569X
Autores Tópico(s)Medical History and Innovations
ResumoBlood transfusion: A historical reviewB lood was once thought to possess mystical properties and be the source of life.In Greek mythology, Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, gave Athena, the goddess of wisdom, Gorgon 's blood.The belief that blood could influence the mental and physical status of the person was exemplified by the ancient Romans, who drank the blood of slain gladiators to acquire their strength and vigor.This practice continued into the 1400s.In 1492, an ailing Pope Innocent VIII drank the blood of three young boys; however, he died soon after. Theory of Blood CirculationWilliam Harvey (1578-1657) of England proposed the theory of blood circulation in 1616, but it was n ot published until 1628 .Before this time, documentation of blood transfusions was scant, and the practice was apparently poorly accepted until the idea of circulation became familiar.In 1615, Andreas Libavius, a chemist, suggested a method for direct blood transfusion, although it is unknown whether he implemented this work.Francis Potter (1594-1678) , an English theologist ignorant of Libavius' work, may have first introduced the concept of blood transfusion in 1639.He conducted many transfusion experiments between animals and human beings until the 1650s.
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