Italy: Physician letting blood from a patient. From the book 'Li Livres dou Santé' by Aldobrandino of Siena (-1296/1299), late 13th century. Bloodletting (or blood-letting) is the withdrawal of often little quantities of blood from a patient to cure or prevent illness and disease. Bloodletting was based on an ancient system of medicine in which blood and other bodily fluid were considered to be "humours" the proper balance of which maintained health. It was the most common medical practice performed by doctors from antiquity up to the late 19th century, a time span of almost 2,000 years.

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