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[Porpoisepower]

1 dwarf needing a transfusion
1 other dwarf(or other? maybe elephant?)
2 beds
2 pipe sections
1 screwpump
1 Olaf the legendary pump operator

profit.

[Deepblade]

From Wikipedia we learn that:

Early attempts at animal to human blood transfusions had variable, and often fatal, results.

Early transfusions were risky and many resulted in the death of the patient. It was not until 1901, when the Austrian Karl Landsteiner discovered human blood groups, that blood transfusions became safer. Mixing blood from two incompatible individuals can lead to an immune response, and the destruction of red blood cells releases free hemoglobin into the bloodstream, which can have fatal consequences. Karl Landsteiner discovered that when incompatible types are mixed, the red blood cells clump, and that this immunological reaction occurs when the receiver of a blood transfusion has antibodies against the donor blood cells. His work made it possible to determine blood type and allowed a way for blood transfusions to be carried out much more safely.

It's possible, and has been recorded as attempted since the 17th century at least. But, to do so safely is WAY out of our tech limit.

Also, why the screw pump and pump operating skill? I would think that hooking up a line from donor to patient the heart would do all the pumping.

[weenog]

Dwarven Transfusion.  If it isn't over-engineered and more often fatal than useful, it doesn't fit the bill.

[Gargomaxthalus]

While it is true that this really can't be done technologically in the game given the tech ceiling, once we get official magic systems in the game things open up a bit more. While such a thing could be said to make the medical system somewhat obsolete, a simple set of checks and balances including magical "backfires", wild magic in savage zones, and chances of possibly catastrophic mutations would alleviate such concerns rather nicely. If there isn't an element of risk, it ain't DF. 

[Deepblade]

once we get official magic systems in the game things open up a bit more.While such a thing could be said to make the medical system somewhat obsolete. adding in...checks and balances...magical "backfires"...catastrophic mutations...would alleviate such concerns rather nicely

I admit, I took little snippets of what you said

Blending the science of medicine with magic sounds like a job for the future alchemist, when he returns. But, as you said, adding in terrible consequences for "spitting in the face of the gods" would be great, and would probably make most of us think 2-5 times before letting Urist go to the Professor instead of the Doctor.

While it is true that this really can't be done technologically in the game given the tech ceiling...

Development time frame, yeah it is a bit out of reach. It could be done though with an extremely high mortality rate. We're not looking at doing it safely, just doing it.

For the record, I do like this idea. I'm just putting it out there that this is a stop gap measure that is more likely to kill your dwarf than to save him. I would look forward to finding the perfect donor dwarves with the O negative blood type through painful double blind trials on the peasant folk(The peasants would eventually end up blind in both eye).

[Porpoisepower]

FWIW the use of elephant in my example was mostly for the mental picture of several gallons of blood being pumped into a dwarf at a very high rate.

I imagine Dwarf->Dwarf transfusions would probably be the norm.  Being able to use some sort of store-able saline solution, or other emergency blood substitute. would be cool