The Use of Leeches in Modern Therapeutic Medicine

The Use of Leeches in Modern Therapeutic Medicine The use of leeches as a method of bloodletting reached a peak during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. At that time, leeches were used by apothecaries and surgeons, in addition to lancets, scarifiers and bleeding cups, in an attempt to restore health by removing vitiated blood (Eldor et al. 1996). The first medical practitioner to use leeches for therapeutic purposes is presumed to be Nicander of Colophan …

…regions; otherwise, the limb is clinically normal. (Weinfeld et al. 1997) Before After Figure 5: Before: Appearance of tongue immediately after admission to the intensive care unit. After: Appearance of tongue 30 hours after initiation of leech therapy. (Grossman et al.1998) Before After Figure 6: Before: A single leech attached at the coronal junction. The penis, draped to prevent leech migration, appears dusky, tense, and edematous. After: A three-month follow-up reveals a well-healed phallus. (Pantuck et al. 1996) Before After