The Curious Case of Pope Innocent VIII

When it comes to blood transfusion, there is an intriguing story in the late Middle Ages about an alleged blood transfusion performed on Pope Innocent VIII in 1492. After his death, rumors spread that, near the end of his life, he had received some kind of blood therapy. The story involves a Jewish doctor and three young boys who were convinced to give their blood from their veins in exchange for a ducat for each one of the boys. Later, the story was changed to say that he received the first blood transfusion. Several sources wrote about this case over time, often changing the story and adding details. Different sources mention that he had several medical conditions, including urinary retention, attacks of a violent fever, a stroke, etc. There is no evidence that this case ever happened because the official report of the death of Pope Innocent VIII does not mention any kind of alleged blood therapy, and there were no eyewitnesses who could have seen the blood therapy itself. He, in fact, had his own personal team of Catholic doctors who did their best to treat him but unfortunately failed. The rumor after his death caused, throughout history, many false allegations and also false information regarding the history of blood transfusion medicine.