This is a tradition that actually goes back centuries - transfusing the blood of younger people into older people to reinvigorate their youth. What is curious about this is that unless the blood types matched (and they had no knowledge of blood types) there was virtually no chance of this succeeding and a great many of these experiments - done for and by the wealthy and powerful, Popes and Kings, ended miserably for the patient.
Fast Forward a few hundred years and there comes research that actually substantiates this:
Links:
- https://www.inverse.com/article/46109-young-blood-transfusions
- https://futurism.com/fountain-youth-effect-young-blood-old-mice
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_blood_transfusion
- https://www.newscientist.com/article/2133311-human-tests-suggest-young-blood-cuts-cancer-and-alzheimers-risk/
It does seem remarkably intuitive. Now when I first read of the studies, some 2 or three years ago, I imagined a wealthy philanthropist, say Bill Gates or Warren Buffet, setting up an orphanage for young children of similar blood type, free education, room and board for a liter of blood each month. Not a bad exchange. I also imagined having a little discussion with my own children about their blood types but thought that might be taking things a little far given that I've bargained away their lungs and liver. Anyways, fast forward some more to the present day:
It's not unreasonable - given the legitimacy it's fast acquiring - to imagine that this has been going on for quite a while in other countries (CHINA?) where power and influence can purchase human organs harvested fresh to order.
And - while I generally applaud almost anything that extends quality of life, it does seem that perhaps old Montague Summers was right, Vampires do still walk the earth, and maybe we are being a bit glamoured...