vérelvezetés

Včelvezetés is a Hungarian term that translates to "bloodletting" in English. Historically, it was a medical practice involving the withdrawal of blood from a patient. The underlying belief was that various illnesses were caused by an excess of blood or imbalances in the body's humors. Different methods were employed, including venipuncture, where a vein was cut, and scarification, which involved making small cuts on the skin and applying cupping glasses to draw out blood.

The practice of bloodletting was widespread across many cultures and persisted for centuries, reaching its peak in popularity between the 17th and 19th centuries. Physicians and healers believed it could treat a vast array of ailments, from fevers and infections to mental health issues and chronic diseases. The amount of blood withdrawn varied depending on the perceived severity of the illness.

However, as medical understanding advanced, particularly with the development of germ theory and a better grasp of physiology, the efficacy and safety of bloodletting came under scrutiny. Evidence emerged that it often weakened patients, sometimes to a fatal degree, and was ineffective against many diseases. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bloodletting had largely fallen out of favor in Western medicine and is now considered an obsolete and potentially harmful practice. Modern medicine focuses on evidence-based treatments that address the root causes of illness rather than relying on generalized humoral theories.