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Saturday 26 December 2015

Leech

The use of leeches in medicine dates as far back as 2,500 years ago to ancient Greece and India.. It was found that the saliva contained a property that prevents the clotting of blood.

Lord Byron passed away after days of rheumatic fever caught from Missolonghi marshes. He died of a loss of blood due to Greek doctors attempting to cure his fits by leeches.


Scientists are aware of about 700 different species, but they know there are many more out there.

The internal structure of the leech is divided into 32 segments. Each of these 32 segments has its own segment of brain.

The giant Amazon leech (Haementeria ghilianii) can grow up to 18 inches and live up to 20 years. Scientists thought the species was extinct until a zoologist found two specimens in the 1970s, one of whom he named Grandma Moses.

Leeches can live comfortably in an individual's esophagus for months.

An Edinburgh woman found a 3-inch-long leech in her nose a month after a trip to Southeast Asia.

Source Mentalfloss.com

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