Perhaps no similar practice was so universally indulged in.
Both in sickness and in health, depletion was indicated, and it is no exaggeration to say that about the hospital rooms at times the floors were covered with blood.

The reckless way in which venesection was resorted to, led to its disuse, until to-day it has so vanished from medical practice that even its benefits are overlooked, and depletion is brought about in some other manner.

Turning to the older writers, we find Burton describing a patient from whom he took 122 ounces of blood in four days.

Dover speaks of the removal of 111 and 190 ounces; Galen, of six pounds; and Haen, of 114 ounces.

Taylor relates the history of a case of asphyxia in which he produced a successful issue by extracting one gallon of blood from his patient during twelve hours.