What does it feel like to die of slow blood loss?

[LisaLiel]

This question came into my mind after I watched some documentary that showcased bizarre deaths in history. Some well known and others not so well known. One involved the 16th(I think?) Century murder. These guys broke into a house during the night and seized a man from his bed and took him to a cellar. There they tied him down and used awls to open veins then they sucked the blood until the guy died. I figured the context I mentioned was important because I know it'd hurt a lot to die of blood loss from a gunshot wound for instance. In this instance I don't think there should be much pain, I'm assuming it's just feeling sleepy and passing out? Or am I wrong?

Edited March 15, 2015 by LisaLiel

[John]

Once when I was a teenager, I cut my finger such that it started bleeding pretty heavily (more than I would have expected for what was a fairly small, if deep, cut). I had no clue about first aid back then, and my attempts to stop the bleeding just seemed to make it worse. It was very early in the morning, so I didn't want to wake my parents. After a few minutes, though, I got to the point of feeling woozy, disoriented and tired. I panicked a bit and tried calling out for help, but I found myself unable to really put any force behind it. So I just sort of stood there, leaning against the counter, bleeding into the sink, too exhausted to do much but also not terribly concerned. Fortunately my dad woke up and came out not too long afterwards, and he was quickly able to stop the bleeding.

What I experienced certainly falls into the range of signs of hypovolemic shock (which Dad, a former paramedic, mentioned at the time), though other factors besides blood loss may have played a part (especially since I'm not entirely convinced I lost that much blood). In any case, that was my experience. I imagine that if Dad hadn't come out when he did, I would have fainted before long.

[Acme]

In Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, Sherlock Holmes & Moriarity give these descriptions:

 

Moriarity: "And what is this brilliant idea of yours?"

Holmes: "You know that a man dies if he loses five pints of blood? Yes, of course you do. I should have you placed on an operating table, inject a needle into your veins and slowly draw off your life's blood."

Moriarity: "The needle to the last, ay, Holmes?"

Holmes: "Slowly, drop-by-drop the blood would be drawn from your body. You would be aware of every exquisite second to the very end. You would be watching yourself die scientifically noting every reaction and in full possession of your faculties."

 

Moriarity of course does this to Holmes and says:

 

Moriarity: "Closer to the end Holmes, closer and closer. Each second a few more drops leave your desiccated body ending, you can feel me touch you. You're perfectly conscious aren't you, Holmes?"

Holmes: "I shall be conscious long after you're dead, Moriarity."

[John Cuthber]

"What does it feel like to die of slow blood loss?"

Obviously, nobody knows (or,at least, those who know can't tell you).