Case File: Blood Transfusions Turn Criminal

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In this episode, we explore the dark and fascinating history of early blood transfusions—and the ethical failures that nearly erased the practice for generations. Centered on the 17th-century experiments of Jean-Baptiste Denis, the story examines how medicine, ambition, and belief collided in a time before regulation or informed consent.

We focus on the tragic case of Antoine Mauroy (often recorded as Antoine Meury), a marginalized patient who underwent multiple animal-to-human blood transfusions. These procedures, intended to “improve” behavior, instead contributed to his death and sparked a legal and ethical firestorm. Denis was charged with manslaughter, Mauroy’s wife was implicated in poisoning, and blood transfusion itself was ultimately banned in France for over a century.

📚 References

1. Leake, C. D. (1959). Early blood transfusion experiments. Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, 14(4), 403–420.
2. Mullin, G. E. (1990). Animal-to-human blood transfusion in the seventeenth century. Annals of Internal Medicine, 113(12), 950–953.
3. Porter, R. (1997). The greatest benefit to mankind: A medical history of humanity. London, UK: HarperCollins.
4. Wear, A. (2000). Knowledge and practice in English medicine, 1550–1680. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
5. Watson, K. (2016). Poisoned lives: English poisoners and their victims. London, UK: Hambledon Continuum.
6. Sharpe, J. A. (1984). Crime in early modern England, 1550–1750. London, UK: Longman.
7. Learoyd, P. (2012). The history of blood transfusion prior to the 20th century. British Journal of Haematology, 158(6), 686–693.