Historical Bloodletting For over two thousand years,
Bloodletting was used as a medical therapy for over 3,000 years. It originated in Egypt in 1000 B.C. and was used until the middle of the 20th century. Medical texts from antiquity all the way up until 1940s recommend bloodletting for a wide variety of conditions, but particularly for infections.
Arsenicals and sulphonamides, drugs made by chemical tinkering with synthetic dyes, as well as a number of disinfectants made with metal ions toxic to bacteria, such as mercury or copper, were in use well before the introduction of penicillin.
Antibiotics are only needed for treating certain infections caused by bacteria, but even some bacterial infections get better without antibiotics. We rely on antibiotics to treat serious, life-threatening conditions such as pneumonia and sepsis, the body's extreme response to an infection.
The average life expectancy at birth was 47 years (46 and 48 years for men and women respectively) even in the industrialized world. Infectious diseases such as smallpox, cholera, diphtheria, pneumonia, typhoid fever, plaque, tuberculosis, typhus, syphilis, etc. were rampant.
Before the discovery of antibiotics, there was nothing much anybody could do. Streptococcus pyogenes caused half of all post-birth deaths and was a major cause of death from burns. Staphylococcus aureus was fatal in 80 percent of infected wounds and the tuberculosis and pneumonia bacteria were famous killers.
Every year, thousands of children died of infectious diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis. Before antibiotics infant mortality – deaths of children before their first birthday – was around one in 20. It is now 3.5 deaths per 1000 live births, an astonishing improvement partly down to the discovery of antibiotics.
When germs get into a person's body, they can cause an infection. If you don't stop that infection, it can cause sepsis. Bacterial infections cause most cases of sepsis. Sepsis can also be a result of other infections, including viral infections, such as COVID-19 or influenza, or fungal infections.
Sepsis was once commonly known as “blood poisoning.” It was almost always deadly. Today, even with early treatment, sepsis kills about 1 in 5 affected people.
For over two thousand years, bloodletting was a standard treatment for almost any ailment, including infectious diseases. In an attempt to alleviate symptoms, bloodletting practitioners used various instruments to withdraw blood from patients, including syringes, lancets, and even leeches.
The theory posited that diseases were the product of environmental factors such as contaminated water, foul air, and poor hygienic conditions. Such infections, according to the theory, were not passed between individuals but would affect those within a locale that gave rise to such vapors. .
Antibiotics DO NOT work on viruses, such as those that cause: Colds and runny noses, even if the mucus is thick, yellow, or green. Most sore throats (except strep throat)
Yet, contrary to popular belief, antibiotic resistance did not evolve recently, or in response to our use and misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals. Antibiotic resistance first evolved millions of years ago, and in the most mundane of places.
Clove (Syzygium aromaticum), from the Myrtaceae family, is one of the most effective antimicrobial and antioxidant herbs.
Several studies, including one published in 2017 , have demonstrated ginger's ability to fight many strains of bacteria. Researchers are also exploring ginger's power to combat seasickness and nausea and to lower blood sugar levels.
Apple cider vinegar has anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-septic and anti-fungal properties. This means that any ailment that comes from a bacterial, viral or fungal origin can be treated with apple cider vinegar.
This can cause vital organs to shut down. This usually starts with the kidneys. Blood pressure can drop dangerously low. This can cause less oxygen and nutrients to reach your kidneys.
Generally, people who develop sepsis will start feeling more tired or confused and may have shaking or chills. However, these symptoms can also appear with other types of infection, so it's important to call your healthcare provider if you have an infection that is not getting better with treatment.
Those that more commonly cause sepsis include infections of: Lungs, such as pneumonia. Kidney, bladder and other parts of the urinary system. Digestive system.
Tuberculosis (or TB) has been responsible for the death of more people than any other infectious disease in history; over a billion deaths in the past 200 years. Its origin is unclear, but it infects a number of other species, including cattle.
Antibiotic resistant bacteria are bacteria that are not controlled or killed by antibiotics. They are able to survive and even multiply in the presence of an antibiotic. Most infection-causing bacteria can become resistant to at least some antibiotics.