#created by the combined effects of bloodloss wooziness and a mild pain induced endorphin rush which is a very dumb way to get high

[canisalbus]

What?? Why on Earth would they bloodlet Machete when he's already anemic?

Anemia wasn't discovered until 1852, so his physicians have no idea. He's just moody and achy and visibly unwell and bloodletting happens to be the cure-for-all fix at the time.

I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say it was one of the most used treatments in western medicine from ancient Greece to 19th century (and even earlier than that in Egypt, for example). There weren't many ailments that a little bit of breathing a vein wouldn't alleviate, supposedly. This whole concept is based on humoral theory which is a fascinating cornerstone of medical history and also completely unfounded nonsense, look it up if you haven't, it's interesting. People believed that blood didn't circulate through the body, it was created, used up and then the bad blood would stagnate in the extremities. Having too much blood would disturb your humoral balance and create illnesses so removing it was beneficial to your wellbeing. Even completely healthy people would sometimes go get themselves bled a bit just to be sure.

You kind of need blood for your body to function so this treatment was completely pointless at best and life threatening at worst. If you were sick to begin with it would only weaken you further (and expose you to potential infections, which in the absence of antibiotics, wasn't great). The only viable use for it would have to be rare blood disorders where your body produces too many red blood cells, like polycythemia vera, essentially the polar opposite of anemia.

#answered #anonymous #blood #Machete #I think the only thing Machete is getting out of these bloodletting sessions is a vague sensation of lightheaded tiredness #created by the combined effects of bloodloss wooziness and a mild pain induced endorphin rush which is a very dumb way to get high #and maybe that's enough for him to mistake it as a good thing especially if his doctors keep assuring him it's effective and necessary #he'd have a lot more vitality if they didn't actively sap his literal lifeblood but what can you do #the cuts aren't big but they can be deep so he's got lots of tiny scars on his arms especially inner elbows #which was often the most common site you'd operate on #they're flat and white enough that you don't see them unless you're looking very closely #he's relatively fine with bloodletting but leech therapy really squicks him out