Leech therapy: a history

Bloodletting is an ancient procedure that was utilized for curing the ills of man. This article traces the use of leeches for bloodletting therapy from ancient Greek times to the Chapin Harris era in the 1840s to modern day usage by plastic surgeons. The leech is described as both a parasite and a therapeutic agent. The techniques used by both medicine and dentistry are historically documented.

Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.

This historical review traces leech-based bloodletting from ancient Greece through the Chapin Harris era of the 1840s to modern use by plastic surgeons, documenting techniques from both medicine and dentistry and the leech as parasite and therapeutic agent.

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