The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-11-23
Information.
lIceCllcS.


This animal has had reputation from the carli-
est periods of medical science. Even from the
time of Homer, the appellation of leech was given
10 the practitioners of the art of surgery, and IN
many Of the languages of German derivation the
word signifying a physician is identical with
that given to the leech. From on English ex-
change we gather the following facts relative to
the life and habits of this species OF aquatic
worm, which is indeed among the lowest classes
of the animal chain Of being
'There are about thirteen or fourteen species
of the leech. some of which are found in most
parts of the world; but the medicinal species is
best known and abounds in various parts of the
world-as America, Russia, Hungary, Spain,
Portugal, in the marshy plains of Egypt, and IN
various parts of Asia. 1t belongs to the class
danelideS or ringed worms, its body being COM
posed of u series of rings circular muscles, Dy
the successive contraction of which II moves
along either in the water or upon the surface OF
leaves reeds, or other solid bodies The tail ex.
tremity is in the form of cup, or sucker, oy
which it adheres firmly to fiat substances, on the
same principle as boys leather sucker adheres
TO and lifts up stone. The mouth Is also IN
the form Of sucker, and is, moreover, furnished
with three cartllagnous teeth, placed 80 as to
form with each other triangle. When EXAMINE
cd and felt with the point of finger, they seem
soft and blunt but the animal, when about to
pierce the skin, seems to have the power of erect
ing them into firm, sharp-edged lancets, which
saw through the integuments in a single instant,
and almost without inhicting any pain. Hay-
ing made the puncture, the blood Is extracted BY
q process Of suction, and is passed through the
sesphagus into the stomach, or rather stomschs,
OF the animal. which consists of series OF com.
municating cells, that occupy the greater part of
the interior of its body The leech having thus
gorged itself to the utmost, if undisturbed, re-
mains in half-torped condition till it has diges-
ted its CORY meal, and not unfrequently dies OF
the surfeit If it survives it will be greatly in
creased in size. They can live for months and
years on what appears to be pure water alone
This forms the singular circumstance in the diet
Of these animals They delight to gorge them.
selves with full meal of blood, even to surfeit;
and yet with plain water they live, grow, and
seem to have the greatest enjoyment of existence.
It would appear ~ if their three lAnce.formed
teeth, and their csrniverOus> appetites, were be-
slowed more for the benefit Of man than for
themselves, and that. in their system of detetics
water is the rule and blood the exception.
RThe medicinal lsech is q native Of many parts
Of Britain, but is now becoming very rare
France is supplied chiefly from Strasburg, whence
they are imported from Hungary, Turkey, Wal
carried into France on spring wagons, and are
contained in moistened bags, each bag containing
100 leeches. Previous to 1884 upward Of AS, O0O,-
600 of leeches were imported into France annual
~. At present the numbers have decreased to
100000. They are imported into London and
Leith by sea, packed in little bags, which are
occasionally moistened with water during the
short voyage. In general they arrive fresh and
healthy; but they are not unfrequently liable to
disease, which destroys great numbers. There
are three Sorts or Sizes the largest and middle
sorts being reckoned the best A large leech is
calculated to abstract half AZ ounce of blood be-
sides the quantity which flows from the wound
afterward. The smaller sizes are comparatively
iDefficacious
common animal In the pools Of this country
Is the horse leech. 1t nearly resembles the other,
but is Of more uniform color, and not 50 deci.
dedly marked with greenish streaks on the backs
as the medicinal species. The horse leech has
no great inclination to fssten on the human skin,
but when it does 40 it takes its FILL just like the
other, and no mere. There is popular but un.
founded belief that If a leech of this description
do fasten on tho skin, it will continue to suck
and discharge the blood till every drop in tho
body is exhausted. Hence they are the dread Of
every school boy who happens to wade with
naked legs into their dominions.
The leech, like many other animals. appears
to have very nice sensibility in regard to At
nospheric changes, and especially what regards
the electric notifications of the air. Before
storms, or any sudden change in the atmosphere,
the leech is seen in great activity, and darting
up tn the surface of the water, and remain for =
considerable period clustered on the dry upper
surface Of the jar; while on other occasions they
will remain for days immersed in the water near
the bottom. They produce email egga which.
form into cocoOng from which in dNe time tbs
Living young mako their appearance.