Middletown transcript., 1868-02-08
Our Qoliu.
LEECIIEs.

Even from the time of Homer, the appel
lation of leech was given to the practitfon-
ers of the art of surgery, and in many of
the languages of German derivation the
word signifying physician is identical with
that given to the leech. From an English
exchange we gather the following facts re-
lative 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
abound in various parts of the world-as
America, Russia, Hungary, Spain, Portu-
gal, in the marshy plains of Egypt, and in
variousSparts of Asia. 1t belongs to the
class anneIides, or ringed worms, its body
being composed of series of rings, or cir
cular muscles, by the successive contrac-
tion of which it moves along either in the
water or upon the surface of leaves, reeds,
or other solid bodies. The tail extremity
is in the form Of cup, or sucker, byEkch
it adheres firmly to fiat substances, on the
same principal as boys leather sucker adj
heres to and lifts up a stone. The mouth is
also in the form of a sucker, and is, more
over, furnished. with three cartillaginous
teeth, placed so as to form with each other
n triangle. When examined and felt with
the point of a 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-edgcd lancets,
which saw through the integuments in "a
single instant, and almost without inhict-
ing any pain. Having made the puncture,
the blood is extracted by process of sue
ton, and is passed through the esophagus
into the stomach of the animal, which
consists Of u series of communicating cells,
that occupy the greater part of the interior
of its body. The leech having thus gorg-
ed itself to the utmost, if undisturbcd re-
mains in half-torpid condition till it has
digested its CORY meal, and not unfre-
quently dies of the surfeit. If it survives
it will be greatly increased in size. They
can live for months and years on what ap-
pears to be pure water alone. This forms
the singular circumstance in the diet of
these animals. They delight to gorge
themselves 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. 1t would appear
as if their three lance-formed teeth, and
their carniverous appetites, were bestowed
more for the benefit Of man than for thcm-
sclves, and that, in their system of dietet-
les water is the rule and blood the excep-
ton. 'IH
The medicinal leech is a 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, Wallachia and Russia,
and kept in ponds. They are carried into
France on spring wagons, and arc contained
in moistened bags, each bag containing 100
leeches. Previous to 1884 upward of 49,
900, 900 Of leeches were imported into
France annually. AT present the numbers
have decreased to II ,000, 900. They are
imported into London and Leith by sea,
packed in little bags, which are occasionally
moistened with water during the voyage
In general they arrive fresh and healthy f;
but they are not unfrequently liable to
disease, which detroys 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
an ounce of blood, besides the quantity
which flows from the wound afterward
The smaller sizes are comparatively inefh-
cacious.
A common animal in the pools of this
nntf frty 70 II -,
sembles the other, but is of more
uniform color, and not so decidedly marked
with grcenish streaks on the backs as the
medicinal species. The horse leech has
no great inclination to fasten on the human
skin, but when it does 50 it takes its fill,
just like the other, and no more. There
is a popular, but unfounded belief, that if a
leech of this description does fasten on the
skin, it will continue to suck and discharge
the blood till every drop in the body is ex-
hausted. Hence they are the dread OF
every school boy who happens to wade with
naked legs into their donlinions
~ The leech, like many other animals,
appears to have a very nice sensibility in
regard to atmospheric changes, and es-
-peeciallg what regards the electric modif-
cations of the air. Before storms, or any
sudden change in the atmosphere, the leech
is seen in great activity, and darting up to
the surface of the water in its jar. These
animals, too, at certain times, are found to
move out of the water. and remain for a
considerablepe clustered on the dry up
per surface Of the jar; while on other occa-
sions they will remain for days immersed
in the water near the bottom. They produce
small eggs, which form cocoons, from
which in due time the living young make
their appearance. .fa
~ xxr,. .t. n, ,.