So much so, in fact, that the Food and Drug Administration is seeking to establish guidelines dictating how the creatures should be safely grown, transported and sold.
According to a fascinating if initially slightly shocking article by New York Times writer Gardiner Harris, leeches have become useful tools as modern microsurgeons tackle complex feats like reattaching hands, scalps and even faces. Leeches are particularly adept at draining excess blood during these procedures, the article said.
"I'll use one to three leeches every couple of hours," Duke University surgeon Dr. L. Scott Levin told The New York Times.
Leeches, the article explains, inject victims with a chemical mix that includes an anticoagulant, an anesthetic, an antibiotic and a chemical that dilates blood vessels. This cocktail encourages fast bleeding to empty the appendage of extra blood, reducing pressure and allowing veins to form on their own.
And don't forget that other age-old medical remedy--maggots, which are hard to beat when it comes to cleaning festering wounds. The FDA is also considering maggot regulation in its quest to safely bring medieval medicine into the modern age.
From news
I still do'nt want a leech on my balls
