So what were Leaches Used for Back in the day in the Medical Field ?
2007-03-08 01:34:39 · 7 answers · asked by lilredhead 6 in Health ➔ Alternative Medicine
Leeches are still used today. They were used to suck the blood of the sick person. Sickness was supposed to be caused by bad blood and it was thought that the person needed to lose some blood. A leech would be stuck on his body.
Today it is used in things like cauliflower ears.
2007-03-08 01:39:22 · answer #1 · answered by True Blue Brit 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Back in the day? Leaches are still used in the "Conventional Medicine" field today.
When someone has a body part reattached (like a finger), the most effective way to get the blood flowing again is by applying leaches around the wound area. They help stimulate blood flow and also secrete a gentle chemical that prevents the blood from clotting. This has been show to improve the rate of wound healing and success of the reattachment. There is no drug that can mimic the results of leaches in this situation so leach therapy is still alive and well.
P.S. Blood letting is still used in conventional medicine too.
2007-03-08 06:45:07 · answer #2 · answered by David S 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well, they're not just for breakfast anymore
The leech has long been used in medicine, although today its use is mainly limited to limb reattachment procedures instead of the wide-ranging medical use of the past. The word leech either comes directly from or was influenced by the Old English word for "physician", lÇ£ce, which is related to Old High German lÄhhi and Old Irish liaig.
Leech saliva contains a number of compounds which assist in its feeding. An anaesthetic limits the sensations felt by the host (and thus reduces the chance of the host trying to detach the leech). A vasodilator causes the blood vessels near the leech to become dilated, and thus provide the leech with a better supply.
Lastly, the leech saliva contains a peptide called hirudin, which is a highly effective anticoagulant. The leech needs this to prevent blood clots (which would block its feeding) from forming in the wound created by its mouthparts. These properties are difficult to achieve using other medical techniques, and it is for this reason that leeches have come back into clinical practice in the last 25 years.
Because of the miniscule amounts of hirudin present in leeches, it is impractical to harvest the substance for widespread medical use. Hirudin (and related substances) are synthesised using recombinant techniques.
2007-03-08 01:49:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Leeches are still used. They are helpsul after surgery to reconnect a finger or hand.
After surgery the veins do not work well at first; and leeches are used to keep the blook from pooling in the injured area and damaging the hand or finger.
2007-03-09 01:00:49 · answer #4 · answered by Rev. Two Bears 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
doctors of old used to think that all sickness was due to a tainting of the blood. Poisoning of the blood. Leeches drew off the poison and "let" the person who was sick. The word "let" was used to describe the removal of blood through this process.
2007-03-08 01:43:07 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
they thought leaches sucked toxins out of the sick person
2007-03-08 02:12:20 · answer #6 · answered by john doe 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
to remove blood clots, to bleed a patient because they thought that was the cure all
2007-03-08 01:38:05 · answer #7 · answered by Kam 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋