Leeches are segmented parasitic or predatory worms that comprise the subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the oligochaetes, which include the earthworm, and like them have soft, muscular segmented bodies that can lengthen and contract.

Bloodletting (or blood-letting) is the deliberate withdrawal of blood from a patient to prevent or cure illness and disease. Bloodletting, whether by a physician or by leeches, was based on an ancient system of medicine in which blood and other bodily fluids were regarded as "humours" that had to remain in proper balance to maintain health.

2024年12月21日 · A common treatment for headache was to apply several leeches to each temple and allow them to draw blood. Leeches have also been used to prevent excessive blood buildup following certain surgical procedures (e.g., reattachment of severed fingers).

2023年7月24日 · Leeches are used intentionally in reconstructive surgery where a flap or replanted digit has developed venous congestion. The leeches drain the excess venous blood, increasing the chances of survival of the flap or replant. Leach bites may be due to swimming or bathing in leech infested waters or by deliberate placement for reconstructive surgery.

Leech therapy has established itself as an alternative remedy for the treatment of vascular disorders, since leech saliva can temporarily improve blood flow and ameliorate connective tissue hyperalgesia [17].

Leeching, the application of a living leech to the skin in order to initiate blood flow or deplete blood from a localized area of the body. Through the 19th century leeching was frequently practiced in Europe, Asia, and America to deplete the body of quantities of blood, in a manner similar to

2019年6月12日 · The short answer is that leeches need blood to grow and reproduce (make baby leeches). Leeches are worms that live in water or on land and feed by sucking blood from fish, frogs, lizards,...

2002年11月17日 · Leeches can help promote blood flow to damaged tissue. Leeches do have their downsides. Sometimes, they slip off patients and reattach themselves in unwanted places. And no matter how...

2022年8月17日 · Capable of drawing 10 times its weight in blood, leeches act as an escape valve, drawing old blood away and allowing fresh blood to enter.

2021年9月18日 · Bloodletting was used to draw "tainted" blood from a patient, in the hopes that the disease or infection would be extracted out with it. On December 14, 1799, a doctor was called to Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington. The former president had fallen ill, was suffering from a fever and a sore throat, and had difficulty breathing.