I took a special topics course about Mongol history just this semester, and part of the course material was The The Secret History of Chingis Khan. One particular section puzzled me:
"During the fighting Chingis Khan was hit in the neck vein by an arrow." A few lines later... "Jelme watched over him sucking and sucking the blood from his wound until Jelme's mouth and chin were stained with Chingis's blood."
This is the first time I have heard about a type of first aid performed in this manner. Admittedly, my knowledge about basic first aid and related medical care is pretty lacking, but I am geniunely intrigued. What purpose did this serve, and do we have other examples that would prove that this was a common form of first aid?
Edit: I did ask my professor about this, and he wasn't entirely sure.
Sauce for those so interested: Kahn, Paul, and Francis Woodman. Cleaves. The Secret History of the Mongols: The Origin of Chinghis Khan (expanded Edition). Boston: Cheng & Tsui, 1998. Print. 56.
Could you provide a chapter and verse number by any chance? Khan's translation is somewhat outdated, but I could look it up in Igor De Rachewiltz's more recent translation and commentary if you can tell me where it is in the text. If not, see if your library has the work I'm referring to: The Secret History of the Mongols: A Mongolian Epic of the Thirteenth Century published by Brill. De Rachewiltz does like by line commentary on the entire Secret History, and I'm sure the answer to your question is in there!