September 21, 2023
Music

Creepiness Alert: Bloodletting and Musical Voices

You can find anything on the Internet.  There are entire communities devoted to the study of surgery in the days before anesthetic.

Wait!  Come back!

One site–The Chirurgeon’s Apprentice–offers this description of the practice of bloodletting:

Bloodletting ‘clears the mind, strengthens the memory, cleanses the stomach, dries up the brain, warms the marrow, sharpens the hearing, stops tears, encourages discrimination, develops the senses, promotes digestions, produces a musical voice, dispels torpor, drives away anxiety, feeds the blood, rids it of poisonous matter, and brings long life’. 

WTF?  Can you imagine going to a doctor during those dark days?

Thanks to Dori for this.  I think.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 37083 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

2 thoughts on “Creepiness Alert: Bloodletting and Musical Voices

  • produces a musical voice, dispels torpor, drives away anxiety, feeds the blood, rids it of poisonous matter, and brings long life’.

    Reply
  • Ah, such were the days of therapy based on anecdote, conjecture, and opinion from those who considered themselves "eminent."

    So glad we practice science and evidence based medicine now… well, the medical profession proper, at least.

    Reply

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