The first actual description of leech therapy, classified as bloodletting, was found in 800 B.C., in a text belonging to Sushruta, who was also considered the father of plastic surgery.

It was believed, at that time, that any fever, inflammation or sickness that caused the subject’s skin to become red, was caused from too much blood in the body. Consistent, any person whose behaviour was strident and sanguine was thought to be suffering from an excess of blood. Leeches were often gathered by leech collectors and were eventually farmed in large numbers.

Medicinal leech therapy (also referred to as Hirudotherapy or Hirudin therapy) made a comeback on an international level in the 1970s in microsurgery, used to stimulate circulation to salvage skin grafts and other tissue threatened by postoperative venous congestion, particularly in finger reattachment and reconstructive surgery of the ear, nose, lip, and eyelid.

A study published in the Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences found that leech saliva actually has many useful bioactive peptides and these can be used to treat conditions like infectious disease, cancer, cardiovascular conditions.

A lot of naturopaths, acupuncturists and medicine doctors are now using leeches in their therapy to help: detoxify blood, reduce blood pressure.

Leeches have also been used by surgeons to help reattach severed body parts.

Ancient physicians in Egypt (4000-5000 years ago) used leeches to cure anything from fevers to serious conditions, to help treat various health conditions. In fact, before there were antibiotics to treat infections, leeches were actually the preferred medicine for ancient physicians.