Leeches: information and curiosities about leeches

The medical leech, hirudo medicinalis, is an annular worm from the elongated and fusiform body family with longitudinal and transverse muscles and an average length of 12 cm. According to UNESCO,  it is solitaire the only animal that has been cataloged as a medicine in its pure form, identified in nature.

Most leeches species live in sweet water environments and in our country they can be found in stony waters such as marshes, ponds and canals. They are very often used as bait fishing, used as a whole for larger fish or segmented for the smallest.

The most popular leech species is Hirudo Medicinalis. It has been used in medicine since the eighteenth century in India and Greece, making its way to Europe and later to America.
The body of the leeches is segmented according to the functionality of each segment. The first 5 segments form the head of the animal, where the brain and the suction cup feed it. The remaining 20 segments contain the reproductive organs, the tail and the anterior suction cup.

Leeches: the benefits of using leeches in medicine

The reason why leeches are beneficial for use in medicine is due to the environment from which they are harvested: from nature. Being a drug on its own, it gives access to quick, less costly and rather non-invasive treatment. Leeches can be applied either by the classical method on the painful points or by biologically active points according to the laws of reflexology. These can be applied to any affected body surface but do not apply to the blood vessel, but near the vessel to avoid bleeding. For a session, it is recommended to apply up to five leeches at a time.

Leeches Medicinalis offers you medical leeches for sale for a special price. Contact us for an offer!