diff --git a/wfdb/io/download.py b/wfdb/io/download.py
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/wfdb/io/download.py
+++ b/wfdb/io/download.py
@@ -49,29 +49,6 @@ def set_db_index_url(db_index_url=PN_INDEX_URL):
     config.db_index_url = db_index_url
 
 
-def _get_url(url):
-    """
-    Retrieve an entire remote file as bytes.
-
-    Parameters
-    ----------
-    url : str
-        URL of the remote file.
-
-    Returns
-    -------
-    content : bytes
-        Content of the remote file.
-
-    """
-    response = requests.get(url)
-    if response.status_code == 404:
-        raise FileNotFoundError
-    else:
-        response.raise_for_status()
-    return response.content
-
-
 def _remote_file_size(url=None, file_name=None, pn_dir=None):
     """
     Get the remote file size in bytes.
wfdb.io.download: remove _get_url function.

This temporary function is no longer needed.