Bloodletting was one of the most enduring and popular medical practices in history, originated by the Greeks and used up until the 19th century for, well, basically everything. If you were feeling under the weather back in the day there's a good chance it was because you just had too much damn blood.
eÂ·sophÂ·aÂ·gus. n. pl. eÂ·sophÂ·aÂ·gi (-jÄ«â², -gÄ«â²) also oeÂ·sophÂ·aÂ·gi. The muscular tube by which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach; the gullet.
Â© 2014 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved. The esophagus is a muscular tube connecting the throat (pharynx) with the stomach. The esophagus is about 8 inches long, and is lined by moist pink tissue called mucosa. The esophagus runs behind the windpipe (trachea) and heart, and in front of the spine. Just before entering the stomach, the esophagus passes through the diaphragm.