This is My Brain on Leeches
14 days ago
- #leeches
- #FDA
- #folk-medicine
- Leeches are used in Russia as a low-cost substitute for blood thinners, costing only 90 cents each compared to $15.50 in the U.S.
- The FDA approved leeches as a medical instrument in 2004, alongside maggots, but clinical evidence remains limited.
- Hirudo medicinalis, the medicinal leech, has specialized suckers, five pairs of eyes, and saw-like jaws with 100 teeth.
- Leeches were historically used for delicate tissues, including by Napoleon Bonaparte for hemorrhoids.
- 19th-century France imported 33 million leeches annually, but their use declined by the 20th century.
- Leeches take two years to mature for medical use and are starved before application to empty their guts.
- A Guardian article highlights leeches' unique anatomy, including 10 stomachs, 32 ganglia, and 9 pairs of testicles.
- Leeches are single-use in hospitals and must be exterminated after feeding to prevent biohazards.
- Maggot therapy involves controlled maggot infestation for wound debridement.
- Dr. Jessica Leech, a philosopher, shares a name with the topic, adding a humorous coincidence.