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Updated: Oct 16, 2026

Intracellular Recording, Sensory Field Mapping, and Culturing Identified Neurons in the Leech, Hirudo medicinalis
Published on: November 4, 2013
The leech and the physician: biology, etymology, and medical practice with Hirudinea medicinalis
R N Mory1, D Mindell, D A Bloom
1International Institute, College of Literature Science and Arts, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109-0330, USA.
Abstract:
The history of the word "leech" and the practice of leeching reveal interconnected social histories. We give the linguistic and medical histories of the word, and explore its biology and clinical history. Our historical account extends from the earliest known record of leeching to current research. Despite historical variation in its reputation as a therapeutic technique, leeching remains useful today in a number of applications. Further investigation may well disclose even more uses for the leech, particularly for its enzymes with anesthetic, anticoagulant, and antimetastatic properties.
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