Perhaps the most infamous medieval medical practice was bloodletting — the deliberate withdrawal of blood to balance the body's humors.

The Theory of Humors

Medieval medicine was dominated by the humoral theory, which posited that health depended on the balance of four bodily fluids or "humors": blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. Illness was seen as an imbalance, often an excess of blood.

Bloodletting aimed to restore harmony by removing this excess. Physicians used lancets, leeches, or cupping to draw blood, sometimes copiously.

Applications and Risks

Bloodletting was applied to treat everything from fevers and infections to mental illnesses and headaches. It was such a fundamental therapy that barber-surgeons often doubled as bloodletters.

However, excessive bloodletting could weaken patients and sometimes caused death. Still, it remained popular until the 19th century, only falling out of favor with advances in medical science.

 Mandrake Root: The Magical Narcotic

Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) was one of the most feared and revered plants in medieval medicine, partly due to its humanoid-shaped root and potent effects.

Magical Properties

Mandrake was believed to possess powerful magical and medicinal properties. It was thought to be a potent anesthetic and aphrodisiac. Physicians used it as a painkiller during surgeries or to induce sleep.

The root's resemblance to the human form gave rise to many myths, including the belief that it screamed when uprooted, killing anyone who heard it.

Uses in Medicine

Mandrake was ground into powders or infused into potions. It was used cautiously because of its toxic tropane alkaloids, which could cause hallucinations, paralysis, or death in high doses. shutdown123