Transfusions: Giving Life

World War II syringe for direct interhuman blood transfusion (Wikipedia)

1818 James Blundell, a British obstetrician, performed the first successful transfusion of human blood to a patient for the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage. Between 1825 and 1830, he performed 10 transfusions, five of which were beneficial to his patients, and published the results. He also devised various instruments for performing transfusions and proposed rational indications.

Blundell's work was a precursor to a series of discoveries and developments — including the typing of blood, development of anticoagulants for blood preservation, and the invention of modern transfusion devices — that have led to the life-saving systems we have today.

Source: http://www.aabb.org/Content/About_Blood/ Highlights_of_Transfusion_Medicine_History/

Every minute of every day, someone needs blood, and donors are the only source they have. To learn more about blood donation and opportunities to give, visit the Web site of the American Red Cross or the American Association of Blood Banks or contact your local blood bank.