ARE YOU BLEEDING?

For his time, Galen was a clever old Greek! He discovered that veins and arteries were full of blood rather than air as had been assumed. From his work, he drew up a complex system showing how much blood should be taken depending on age, season, weather and place. And the picture shows a surgeon at work.

 Time passed, capabilities developed, and the concept of “bleeding” became one of the staples of the medical profession. Then, the “breakthrough” – leeches were used for taking blood rather than the practice of cutting. In the 1830’s France imported some 40 million of them each year for medical purposes and over the next 10 years, England imported 6 million of them each year – just from France! During the first few decades of that century, hundreds of millions of the little critters were used across Europe.

Slowly, as medical knowledge improved, leeches fell out of favour to be replaced by more “modern” techniques and I guess it is now some considerable time since anyone had leeches placed on them – thankfully.

 But the story doesn't finish there. Leeches are back - and with a vengeance! They are no longer used by the medical profession but by every one of us. They have also re-branded themselves to overcome the feeling of disgust from the past.

They now call themselves “BANKS” and those at the top of these new leeches are called “BANKSTERS” taking home your money. Thus my question in the heading…"are you bleeding?" You may not think you are, but you most certainly ARE. The new leeches are sucking the lifeblood from you, slowly, drop by drop and soon you will be a pale husk, like an old zombie, without the energy or will-power to resist….

Alternatively, you can recognise what is happening to you… and do something about it; after all, it’s your life!

Until next time (and red in blood and mind),

Peripatetic Scribe