SC - Re: SC: Use of Medicinal Leeches

[Sandra Kisner]

>and to me putting gold coins in a broth seems much less odd then bleeding
>people or applying leeches to get the "evil humours" out of them (the
>foundation on which aleopathic medicine was based)... a practice which i
>hear is also coming back into vogue with some practitioners.  ;-)
>
>Lady Celia des L'archier

     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.  The leeches were transported to the hospital in cases
sort of like the ones used to carry organs for transplant.

Sandra Kisner
sjk3 at cornell.edu