From this Month in 1818: The Story of James Blundell and Blood Transfusions
C.O.O.L.ᵀᴹ Time Capsule: This Month in History — September
Written by: Tamba Humphrey
Researched by: Christian Humphrey-Powe
On September 25, 1818, a medical breakthrough in London, England, helped change the way doctors save lives. Imagine a doctor trying to help a very sick patient, but the medicine and tools available at the time are not enough. What if the answer to saving that person's life could come from another person?
More than 200 years ago, a British doctor named James Blundell explored that very idea. His work helped pave the way for modern blood transfusions, a medical procedure that has saved millions of lives.
What Is a Blood Transfusion?
Blood is one of the most important parts of the human body. It travels through our blood vessels, carrying oxygen and nutrients to different parts of our bodies.
But what happens when someone loses a lot of blood because of an accident, an illness, or surgery? Losing too much blood can be dangerous because the body needs enough blood to deliver oxygen to its organs. A blood transfusion is a medical procedure in which a person receives blood or blood components from a donor. Doctors and nurses use special equipment to carefully give the blood to a patient who needs it.
Today, blood transfusions are used to help people recover from serious injuries, certain illnesses, surgeries, and other medical emergencies. But blood transfusions were not always as safe or as common as they are today.
Meet Dr. James Blundell
James Blundell was a British physician who lived from 1790 to 1878. He worked at Guy's Hospital in London, England, and specialized in caring for women during pregnancy and childbirth. During his career, Blundell saw patients suffer from severe blood loss after giving birth. This condition, known as postpartum hemorrhage, could be life-threatening.
Blundell began thinking about whether giving a patient blood from another person could help replace the blood they had lost. His idea was simple but revolutionary for its time. Could one person's blood help save another person's life?
To investigate, Blundell studied blood transfusions in animals and developed special equipment to help move blood from one person to another.
The Historic Experiment
On September 25–26, 1818, Dr. Blundell performed one of the earliest well-documented human-to-human blood transfusions in London. Historical records differ slightly on the exact date, with some sources identifying September 25 and others September 26.
During the procedure, Blundell gave human blood to a seriously ill man named Brazier. He used a syringe (a handheld medical tool used to inject fluids into the body or to withdraw fluids from it) to transfer blood into the patient's veins. The patient appeared to improve temporarily, but sadly, he died about 56 hours later. Although this first procedure did not save the patient's life, Blundell's work was an important step in the development of blood transfusion medicine. He continued studying the procedure and later reported cases in which transfusions helped patients survive severe blood loss.
History fact: The year 1818 is sometimes described as the beginning of successful human-to-human blood transfusions. However, historians divide James Blundell’s work into different stages. Blundell performed his first documented human blood transfusion in 1818, but the patient did not survive. Later, in 1828, Blundell performed additional transfusions that were successful, and the patients survived. Because of this, some historians consider 1828 to be the year of Blundell’s first successful human-to-human blood transfusion.
How Did Blood Transfusions Change the World?
Before modern blood transfusions were developed, doctors had very few ways to replace blood that patients had lost. Blundell's research helped encourage the development of techniques that doctors could use to give human blood to patients in need.
Over time, scientists and medical professionals made important discoveries that improved blood transfusions, including understanding blood types. Scientists discovered that people have different blood types. Blundell's work was only the beginning. Scientists continued studying blood and discovered something very important. Not everyone's blood is the same.
In the early 1900s, scientists identified major blood groups, including A, B, and O. Doctors learned that blood must be carefully matched between a donor and a patient. Matching blood types helps prevent dangerous reactions during a transfusion.
Scientists also developed better ways to collect, test, preserve, and store blood. These discoveries eventually made it possible for hospitals to maintain blood banks, where donated blood can be stored and made available when patients need it. This helped doctors determine which blood could safely be given to a patient. New methods eventually allowed blood to be collected and stored for later use.
Blood transfusions became an important part of medicine. Today, people can donate blood to help patients they may never even meet. In the United States alone, nearly 16 million blood components are transfused each year, and blood products must come from volunteer donors. These advances built upon the work of many scientists, doctors, nurses, and blood donors over many years.
What Can We Learn From James Blundell?
James Blundell's story teaches us that important discoveries often begin with a question. He saw a problem, asked whether there might be a better solution, and worked to investigate his idea.
His work also reminds us that scientific progress takes time. One experiment may not produce the results scientists hope for, but careful research can help future generations discover better ways to solve problems. Today, blood donors continue to play an important role in helping doctors save lives.
Think About It
If you could invent something to help doctors save lives, what would you invent? Would you create a new medical machine, a helpful robot, or a new medicine? Remember, every great discovery begins with curiosity, a question, and a willingness to learn!
Sources and Further Reading:
The following sources provide historical information about James Blundell and the development of blood transfusions:
National Library of Medicine - “Direct Blood Transfusions”
A scholarly overview of early blood transfusion history, including Blundell's 1818 procedure. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4065715
The Science Museum Group Blundell's Blood Transfusion Apparatus
Information about the equipment Blundell used and his contributions to blood transfusion. https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co136087/blundells-blood-transfusion-apparatus-london-england-1801-1900
Transfusion Medicine Reviews - “James Blundell, Obstetrical Hemorrhage, and the Origins of Transfusion Medicine”
A historical review of Blundell's work and the scientists who contributed to the development of transfusion medicine. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0887796318300853
New England Journal of Medicine Archives -“Experiments on the Transfusion of Blood by the Syringe”
James Blundell's original 1819 report describing his transfusion experiments. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM181904010080212
Historia Medica - “The First Documented Human-to-Human Blood Transfusion, 1818”
A historical discussion of the 1818 procedure and why historians distinguish between a first attempt, temporary improvement, and patient survival. https://historiamedica.org/timeline/first-successful-blood-transfusion
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