Blood Letting

[barry1010]

This is to hopefully satisfy my curiosity.

I knew a man for many years, we would chat when we met in the street. Sometimes he was very, very red in the face and he would tell me he 'had a condition' and was waiting for his hospital appointment for blood letting. I was never sure if he was winding me up. I did ask him if he meant he was a blood donor but he laughed and assured me that wasn't it.
He said he had to attend hospital in the morning and stay lying down for a few hours before he was allowed home.

If he was being truthful, what condition did he have?

[jno]

they still use leeches, I think (and kill them when they're full), but I don't know if that's strictly bloodletting.

[smudge]

Just read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloodletting

[TheWinner]

possibly Haemochromatosis.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/haemochromatosis/treatment/

[MargoTester]

Blood letting was commonly used in 'Olden days' as a cure for many illness. Very often done by leeches on the skin or by an instrument called a fleam (perhaps where the word phlebotomy came from) I remember reading a book where both George 111 and George V1 were bled

[david small]

For certain conditions blood letting can be efficacious.

[barry1010]

I'm well aware of the use of leeches but definitely no leeches involved - I did ask him. Leeches are still used by the NHS.

Could have been Haemochromatosis but red face isn't listed as a symptom.

[Sqad]

Polycythaemia Rubra Vera.

Too much blood in the body.

[Old_Geezer]

Nature's natural donors.

[barry1010]

Fascinating, thank you Sqad, just been reading about it, quickly, and he did suffer gout, too.

[roopower]

They used leeches on my father in law to get a blood flow in his foot and it worked.

[barry1010]

Yes, they used them on my nephew whilst he was in hospital

[DTCwordfan]

I guess that he thought you were a sucker for a good yarn......

[barry1010]

I am! :D

[DTCwordfan]

Squad used to have a pet leech when he was in practice.
It was attached to him.

[bednobs]

when i worked as a haem nurse, we used to take blood away in pints from people who had had a build up of iron during their many blood transfusions for leukaemia