Leech Therapy in Ancient Medicine

Leech therapy (LT) has a long history in medicine. Leeching is one of the most ancient healing methods documented in the history of medicine.  The first clearly identifiable account of leeching appears in ancient Sanskrit writings from India. Leeching was also an ever-present force in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) but was of lesser significance than in Indian medicine. In Greek medicine, medicinal leech was first introduced by Hippocrates. However, the popularity of leech therapy was reinforced by the ideas of Galen, who classified Leech therapy as an efficient procedure in medicine.

Eliminating the Superabundance of Blood

Leeching had a fixed and relatively modest range of indications in humoral pathology, the dominant paradigm in ancient European and Arabic medicine until the 17th century. Like bloodletting, leeching was mainly conceived as a means of eliminating the superabundance of blood, or plethora.

The other main indications for leeching in early medicine were acute infection, local inflammation, heart problems, and circulatory disorders. Following the decline of humoral pathology, an age of misuse of leeching (“the age of vampirism”) began in the 18th and 19th centuries. Mainly influenced by the teachings of the French physician F. J. V. Broussais (1772–1838), the indications for leech application were extended for no rationally justifiable reason, and leeching was performed at an intensity of hitherto unknown proportions.

Species of Medicinal Leeches

Historically, several species of medicinal Leeches were used for hirodotherapy. Three species of medicinal Leeches including, Hirudo medicinalis, H. verbana and H. orientalis were mostly applied in the ancient medicine. Hirudo orientalis is the Iranian medicinal Leech which was first described byUtevesky and Trontelj

In Persian Medicine (PM), LT was a common medical procedure. In Persian, the leech is called ‘Zaloo’, ‘Zard’, ‘Zardeh’ or ‘Divche’, and LT is called ‘Ersal-e-Alaq’ or ‘Zaloo Andakhtan’. It was believed that leeches drew blood from deeper sources than wet cupping. This method is still in use by Persian Medicine practitioners and specialist physicians in PM. Medical application of LT by PM practitioners is various relative to patient condition due to humoral pathology.

References

• Barzegar, A., Azizi, A., Faridi, P., & Mohagheghzadeh, A. (2015). Leech therapy in Iranian traditional medicine. Complementary Medicine Research, 22(1), 50-53.
• Masome Malek, Mahmood Khodadost, A Chronological Journey to Iranian Medicinal Leech, an Amazing Creature. Science Cultivation-Vol 6, No.1, January 2016.