Medicinal Leech


The history of the medicinal leech is fascinating. In antiquity, Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79) recommended leeches to treat phlebitis and haemorrhoids, while Egyptian medics believed the leech could help cure everything from fevers to flatulence. For centuries, patients were bled to restore a supposed imbalance in bodily humours.

Humorism identified four humours that existed as liquids within the body: blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile. A good balance between the four humours was essential to remain healthy and an imbalance could result in disease. By the end of the Middle-Ages, doctors were using leeches to treat a wide range of disorders, including nervous system diseases, urinary and reproductive problems, inflammatory and eye diseases.