Who performed the first successful blood transfusion from one human to another?

Study for the PMLS History of Medical Technology Test. Explore flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question is accompanied by hints and explanations. Get prepared for your exam!

Transfusions became a true clinical therapy when physicians moved from showing that blood could be transferred to proving that donor blood could meaningfully replace what was lost in a patient. James Blundell achieved the first successful blood transfusion between humans in 1818, using donor blood to treat a patient with severe postpartum bleeding. This work demonstrated that a person could survive a transfusion from another human, paving the way for therapeutic transfusion practice, even though early attempts before him—such as Denys’s 17th-century experiment of transfusing animal blood into a person—were not successful or safe. The broader foundation of transfusion safety would wait for later advances, including blood typing. Edward Jenner, by contrast, is known for developing the smallpox vaccine, not transfusion.