I Am a Leech and So Can You!

Known as the “courteous creature,” the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, has been an essential participant in sustaining human health.  Decades ago, the leech began to disappear from a physician’s kit as a relic of the non-scientific era of medicine, but recently the leech has made a come-back into the operating room.  Now championed for their essential use in microsurgery, medicinal leeches have become the patient’s friend.  This illustrated presentation reviews the story of leeches in our medical history, describes their use today, and viewers will be introduced to Horatio, a companionable leech, to see how he feeds on his human friend, the presenter. Horatio will appear to answer questions with Dr. Hicks.