bevérzések

Bévérzések is a Hungarian term that translates to "bloodletting" or "phlebotomy" in English. Historically, it referred to the practice of intentionally withdrawing blood from a patient's body as a medical treatment. This procedure was a cornerstone of humoral medicine, a theory that prevailed in Western medicine for centuries. The underlying belief was that illness was caused by an imbalance of the four humors: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. By removing excess or "bad" blood, physicians aimed to restore this balance and cure the patient.

The methods of bloodletting varied. Leeches were commonly used, particularly in earlier periods. Alternatively, a vein could be opened with a lancet or fleam, allowing blood to drain into a receptacle. The amount of blood removed was often determined by the patient's perceived condition, with larger quantities sometimes drawn for more severe ailments. This practice was widespread across various cultures and persisted well into the 19th century, despite growing skepticism and the development of more effective medical treatments.

While largely abandoned in modern medicine, the historical practice of bevérzések offers insight into the evolution of medical understanding and therapeutic approaches. Today, controlled phlebotomy is still used in specific medical contexts, such as treating certain blood disorders like hemochromatosis, or for diagnostic purposes through blood draws, but these modern applications are distinct from the historical therapeutic bloodletting.