History of the leech trade in Ireland, 1750-1915: microcosm of a global commodity
Historical article published in Medical History (2013)
Abstract
In the nineteenth century the medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis evolved into a lucrative commodity in great demand throughout the western world. In less than a century its trade became big business by any measure, involving tens of millions of animals shipped to every inhabited continent. In this context Ireland is particularly instructive in that it was the first country in Europe to exhaust its supply of native leeches. Concomitantly, it was also the first country to import leeches from abroad, as early as 1750. Being an island with manageable border controls, and a clearly definable medical market, Ireland serves superbly as a microcosm of the leech as a worldwide commodity. Being a relative small country it is possible for the first time to gain a balanced perspective of various economic factors underlying this trade, including supply and demand, exploitation of natural resources, and an evolving network of competitive traders. This paper addresses these and other aspects of the leech trade in Ireland. The principal, and unexpected, finding of this paper is that leeches were unequivocally very expensive in Ireland and became a significant drain on hospital budgets. As such, they found little use amongst the Irish poor. An estimate of several million leeches were imported into Ireland in the nineteenth century, a practice which continued into the twentieth. They were imported initially from Wales and then from France following the defeat of Napoleon, but the bulk came ultimately from Hamburg, via importers in England.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Zusammenfassung
Detailed economic and political history of the 18th-19th century medicinal leech trade in Ireland, the first country to exhaust native leech populations and import from abroad, with millions imported in the 19th century.
Warum dies für die Hirudotherapie relevant ist
This historical article traces the medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) trade in Ireland from the mid-eighteenth century onward, documenting how leeches became a lucrative, globally traded commodity. Ireland was the first European country to exhaust its native supply and to import leeches from abroad—initially from Wales, then from France following Napoleon's defeat, with the bulk ultimately coming from Hamburg via English importers. The principal finding is that leeches were very expensive in Ireland, constituting a significant drain on hospital budgets, and saw little use among the Irish poor; an estimated several million were imported during the nineteenth century, a practice that continued into the twentieth. For ASH, this offers historical and economic perspective on the medicinal-leech supply chain. Caveat: this is purely historical and economic scholarship with no scientific, clinical, or secretome content.
Zitation
History of the leech trade in Ireland, 1750-1915: microcosm of a global commodity.
Sawyer RT · Medical history, 2013
Verwandter klinischer Kontext
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