SC - Re: SC: Use of Medicinal Leeches

[Tara Sersen]

>     Including surgeons.  A couple of years ago I vaguely remember reading about

>cases where leeches were used to reduce swelling and tissue congestion after

>surgery.  I think the particular case was a boy who had had part of his ear
cut
>off, then sewn back on.  

I remember reading something like that - something about an upper lip that had
been bitten off by a dog and reattached.  I just remember getting the willies
thinking of a leech under my nose... but it did it's job - cleanly, painlessly
and the lip was saved because of it!

I wonder how good they are at reducing infections?  Like, sucking out infected
goo with the blood around a sutured wound in a pre-antibiotic era.  If they
do that, I can understand why they got their reputation for balancing humors.
 A pre-germ-theory surgeon didn't have much to help him differentiate between
regular swelling and infection, but knew that infection (swelling) caused disease,
and disease wasn't ALWAYS associated with swelling, and leeches reduced infections
they COULD see, so why couldn't they reduce infections you CAN'T see?  It's
a logical theory when you follow that route!  Eeenteresting...

- -Magdalena