Autohemotherapy is a form of transfusion therapy that is far more common in Europe than in the United States. Its goal is to enhance the immune system's ability to fight disease. During the procedure, a small amount of blood is taken from a vein in the patient's arm; the blood is sometimes mixed with a natural remedy and then re-injected into the skin or the muscle of the buttock. The blood retains its normal components--the usual complement of hormones, antibodies, minerals, and salts. Any metabolic by-products resulting from acute or long-term illnesses also will be present in the blood.

Practitioners of autohemotherapy believe that reintroduction of the blood strengthens a person's immunity, because the body must mount a fresh immune response to the disease-causing substances. Consequently, the technique is often performed to treat chronic immune deficiency, allergies, gout, liver problems, diabetes, and rheumatic ailments. Some also believe the procedure can boost vitality. Autohemotherapy is mostly used to bolster immunity; to treat bronchitis, allergies, fungal infections, rheumatic ailments, skin inflammations and eczema; to aid in smoking cessation; and to hasten recovery after a long illness.