Bloodletting therapy has a long history, wide epidemic range and long duration. After the emergence of modern therapy, bloodletting therapy has become synonymous with bad medical behavior in the past. Since bloodletting therapy is so bad, why has it been popular in medical history for so long? How do doctors explain the success or failure of their treatment? When medical historians investigate the history of bloodletting therapy theory and practice, they are surprised to find that bloodletting therapy has many similarities with modern medical practice.

In fact, it is difficult to determine when and where bloodletting therapy originated. According to available data, as early as 2500 BC, doctors in ancient Egypt used this therapy. Hippocrates, a famous ancient Greek physician, also used bloodletting therapy to treat diseases. He believes that bloodletting therapy can eliminate excessive substances in body fluids, change the proportion of body fluids and their distribution in the body, and make blocked body fluids flow freely. Hippocrates pointed out that inflammation, especially pleurisy and tonsillitis, is suitable for bloodletting treatment to relieve dyspnea and pain. There are also records of bloodletting treatment in Chinese medicine. Bloodletting therapy in traditional Chinese medicine refers to pricking the superficial veins of acupoints with a triangular needle, a thick needle or a small sharp knife, releasing a small amount of blood, so that the toxic heat contained in it can be leaked out, thus achieving the purpose of treating diseases.