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Why barbers have a pole outside their shop
Barbers poles are a familiar sight today
They can be static or revolving and are colored in red and white or in the United States red, white and blue
But do you know what the meaning behind the pole is?
the barber's pole goes all the way back to medieval times when barbers were also surgeons
In Medieval Europe hairdressing and haircutting was just one of many jobs that barbers performed
barbers could perform surgery including leeching cupping enemas
Amputations and bloodletting which was the cutting and bleeding of the patients to release
What was thought of as humors blood phlegm, yellow bile and black bile
Which needed to be in balance
It was believed that letting out the bad blood would encourage healthy new blood to replace it
And this became the standard treatments for everything from the plague to a sore throat
The reason barbers became surgeons was because monks who had up to this point performed surgery and medicine were
Prohibited to do so anymore by Pope Alexander the 3rd in 1163
He saw the function of letting blood as incompatible with the clergy and physicians sources too menial
this opened up a market for barbers
To advertise their services and to remind people of their routine bloodletting barbers left bowls of customer's blood out their shop windows
Barber surgeons also performed dentistry and to advertise this they would string teeth in a row outside the shop
In 1307 in London this form of advertising was banned with customers blood ordered to be disposed off into the Thames straightaway
This made barber surgeons think of a new way to advertise their services
During the bloodletting process the patients would squeeze a pole so that their veins would be more exposed
Making it easier for the barbers to cut them with a special tool called a fleam
This pole sometimes had a brass ball at the top to hold leech,and a basin was held underneath to collect the blood
Bandages would be wrapped around the arm to stem the bleeding and then wrapped around the pole after use
After the barber surgeon was finished with the patients this pole along with the washed bandages tied to it was hung
Outside the shop to advertise his business soon barbers were placing a replica of the pole
Painted in white and red stripes outside their shop instead of the real thing which has evolved into what we see today
The red represents the blood bandages while the white represents the clean ones the ends of the pole
Symbolized the ball that contained the leeches and the basin which collected the blood
The spiral may represent the way the wind sometimes blew the pole into a spiral pattern or the downwards direction
Which arteries carry blood
When the barber-surgeons company was established in 1540 the trade between barbers and surgeons was more defined
And barbers were now only allowed to extract teeth
They issued a statute that required barbers to use a blue and white pole while surgeons had to use a red and white pole
By the 18th century medicine was changing and in
1745 in England the trade of barber and surgeon was formally separated
Barber poles in the United States are red white and blue one theory is that the blue
Represents the veins and another theory is that the blue was added as a sign of patriotism a naught to the nations flag
Barber surgeons advertise their services
Using a pole with bandages back in medieval times and you can advertise your profile or business with wix,go to wix.com
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