The medical practice of opening a vein to remove blood, historically used to treat various illnesses.
From Latin 'flebotomia,' combining Greek 'phlebos' (vein) + 'tome' (cutting). The practice was central to ancient and medieval medicine based on humoral theory.
Bloodletting was considered cutting-edge medicine for over 2,000 years—doctors believed most illnesses came from imbalanced bodily fluids, so removing blood seemed logical, even though it often harmed patients.
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