versailles

Essays
Beast in the Blood: Jean Denis and the “Transfusion Affair”

Beast in the Blood: Jean Denis and the “Transfusion Affair”

During the late 1660s in Paris, transfusing the blood of calves and lambs into human veins held the promise of renewed youth and vigour. Peter Sahlins explores Jean Denis’ controversial experiments driven by his belief in the moral superiority of animal blood: a substance that could help redeem the fallen state of humanity. more