Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1886-06-03
WHERE THE LEECHES COME
FROM AND WHAT Is DONE
VII H THEM.
A Cincinnati Barber who Imports
and Sells the Leeches.

Screaming Isaac What's that p
shrieked the reporter of the Cincinnati
San, jumping from barber's chair on
West Sixth street, rs the proprietor,
Peter Muschler, unscrewed the nd Of Il
heavy air-tight and mysterious box and
disclosed 1000 greasy, wiggling, villain
GUS worms, pulling themselves out "a
bout four inches and bowling TO the
half-dozen customers on the opposite
chairs.
oh, come back, said the barber, re-
assuringly. 'NoIhing but leeches |
have just imported from Sweden. Per-
fectly harmless sir. have been i'm.
porting leeches for many years, and am
the only importer this side of New
York. The use OF eeches i'm Europe
is very common-much more so than
in this country. People oyer there on
ly die happy when they have leech on
their bodies. The worms are found in
a composition of wood and vegetable
matter known as turf which is used
as substitute for coal by the poor of
Europe. They are shipped to me In
small boxes of their native element, a.
bout 1000 In each consignment. l get
four boxes every year now, though /
used to sell 10 600 and 1000 leeches in
Cincinnati annually. Who are my Gus
toners ? Oh, everybody F.; but princi-
pally physicians and oculists. The
drug stores buy a great many, and l
have good trade with the hospitals.
l also sell to few barber shops in the
city.
The eye doctors use leeches for weak
and lnfamed eyes. You see, the worm
sucks the surplus blood around the eye
and removes the cause of inflamation /.
Persons afflicted with neuralgia fnd a
leech good remedy. Every day l
make sales to families whose names are
not disclosed. You would be astonish-
ed to see a printed list of the people
who keep leeches in their families, and
who don't want anybody to know 1t.
What do they cost to import !? Well,
that is one of the secrets Of the trade.
[ retail them at $40 per hundred, or
Sl.50 dozen. Of course, when a GUS
toner calls for one only | charge him a
quarter. A leech, you see, is a little
like toothbrush-eyerybody wants one
of his own. Indeed, it Is not consider
ed safe to use leech twice, because
the impure blood they draw from their
subjects impregnates their system and
they would likely communicate poison.
Hence they are killed as .scon as their
work is done. You wonder how much
blood they drink ? Well it varies with
the size of the leech. But should say
two ounces at least. Won't you exam
Inc one closer p
Here the barber reached down into
the hatful of kicking worms, selected a
specimen, and seizing it by the tail,
though 1t seemed to be all tail, held it
up to the light. 1t was then seen to
haye ten eyes no legs and possess ed
more belts and rings than the planet
Saturn 1t had bad mouth for blood,
while the hungry expression in its eyes
gave way to pity and coincidence at the
guant and pallid face of the newsman.
The nasty little fellow was then care
fully gathered up and showed into the
box, while the barber concluded with
the following wise observation The
custom of bleeding by means of leeches
was known and practicei extensively
by the ancients, and prevails largely in
Europe and eastern countries even at
the present time. Their utility in this
country, however, has been largely sup
planted by artificial leecEes and cup
ping, which is generally preferred, es-
pecially 10y women, who almost 60 into
mysteries at the sight of real, live
leech.'