The medicinal leech was once widespread in Britain and Ireland. Their popular use in medicine resulted in a lucrative international market in the 18th and 19th centuries. They seem to have been a ...

George Washington died after his physician treated his sore throat with bloodletting, but don't let that stop you from ...

In this short film Dr Michael Mosley interviews a surgeon who is pioneering the use of leeches in medical research. He allows a leech to attach to his arm and suck his blood, the mouth of the ...