Ancient Mayan societies used ‘bloodletting’ as a way to rid themselves of diseases of the mind and body. Through the centuries many other civilizations practised bloodletting as a way to clean the body of toxins holding the person back from enjoying good health.
Only until the 19th century had come along did physicians begin to pinpoint that germs were the real culprit causing diseases, did this tradition decline. Blood tests and Phlebotomy finds its roots in these same civilizations. Though the original thought that cleansing the body through the evacuation of blood, was incorrect, it did pave the way to blood drawing in its modern format. Now drawing blood allows us a look inside with the simple prick of a needle. Drawing blood has its many benefits. One huge benefit is when a blood test provides an early diagnosis of a terminal illness; we all know that early detection is a life saver! Another benefit of drawing blood is donation clinics, where these valuable tubes of blood go on to save more lives!