Never saw her do it, but my Dad explained to me at an early age (7, 8?) that the jar of water up on my Grandma's kitchen shelf contained Leeches, which she used to draw off "bad blood! They were even alive! She placed several on the front and sides of her neck, as he described it. Some would grow from 2 inches long to the size of a hot dog. Clearly, such activity met with his scorn, judging by his facial expression. After this rather disgusting revelation, further interest revealed that many of the local drug stores had a big jar full of them! Apparently, the home-practice of using them was more widespread than imaginable. A few years later, when I was 10, I remember clearly as we drove my grandparents up to one of the Chain of Lakes in Northern Illinois, where they spent several weeks in the summer. I came out of the water with something clinging to my ankle. Became terrified when my Mother identified it as a leech! She flicked it loose with her finger, and I recall copious bleeding, but no pain. Disgusting creatures. Evidently their "medical usage" came across the ocean with my Grandma as one of those Slavic folklore type beliefs. Frank The medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis), a European freshwater leech once used by physicians to bleed patients suffering from almost any ailment, are now used to remove pooled blood from under skin grafts and other reconstructive surgeries, to treat bruises (such as black eyes), and to treat some osteoarthritis. See: http://www.encyclopedia.com/plants-and-animals/animals/zoology-invertebrates/leech
Yuck! Ive heard of it though...remember I posted on here how good I felt after I had 5 vials of blood drawn....maybe some leeches would work.
Osteoarthritis? I've never heard it used for that, but it seems they're finding new treatments all the time. I have seen mention of using maggots to clean up dead skin, as well. Yuck to it all, but if it heals someone or brings them some relief, that's their decision to make.
I know, same here. As much pain as I'm in sometimes, who knows...maybe in the throes of it, I might consent, but I'm just not sure. I can remember wading in ponds and coming out with leeches on me. Although I found that very distasteful, I am even more repulsed by maggots.
They have been used successfully to restore circulation in people extremities after accidents where if not used there might have to amputate. These little creatures inject an anticoagulant and then start removing blood which stimulates the circulation
They use them in the hospital I worked in very successfully to help infected wounds either after surgery or diabetic foot ulcer and a variety of other wounds. Old traditions seem to be making a come back in modern medicine.