Give Me Your Blood

The world's first blood bank opened on March 15, 1937 at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, revolutionising the way blood transfusions were performed. 

Dr. Bernard Fantus, the man behind the blood bank, had originally wanted to call his innovation the Blood Preservation Laboratory – but then his daughter came up with a rather less ghoulish name.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how the discovery of blood typing was a crucial step towards the creation of blood banks; reveal why Dr. Fantus was inspired to invent sweet medicines for children; and demystify an urban legend about a pope draining boys’ blood…

Further Reading:

• ‘The First-Ever Blood Bank Opened 80 Years Ago Today’ (Smithsonian Magazine, 2017): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/first-ever-blood-bank-opened-80-years-ago-today-180962486/ 
• ‘How Science Students Helped End Segregated Blood Banks’ (National Center for Science Education, 2015): https://ncse.ngo/how-science-students-helped-end-segregated-blood-banks 
• ‘A History of Surgery at Cook County Hospital’ (Amika Press, 2015): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/A_History_of_Surgery_at_Cook_County_Hosp/IQJbCAAAQBAJ 
• ‘History of Blood Transfusion’ (One Blood Videos, 2012): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV68EzS0jsI 

#30s #Inventions #US

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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Sophie King.

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2023.

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