Heroic medicine, bloodletting, and the sad fate of George Washington.

Abstract

Bloodletting was an established medical treatment for more than two millennia, yet its greatest impact in the United States is undoubtedly the role it played in the treatment of President George Washington. The theoretical justification for bloodletting is provided, followed by a detailed description of the treatment Washington received, reflecting the role played by heroic medicine in the American president's demise. The arguments of bloodletting's critics emerge as well founded; indeed, Washington and many others might have suffered less had heroic medicine not been applied.