ous 
greater extent, but, in all other respects, 
would be totally inactive. B. 
Chichester, May 21, 1811. 
te 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR 
, 
KNOW of few of the minor desi- 
derata of medicine more important 
than that of some mode of increasing the 
breed, and consequently decreasing the 
price, of that useful animal the leech, 
How shocking must it be to the relations 
of a poor man to be told, that his case 
requires the application of perhaps a 
dozen leeches, when, if to be had at all, 
he is forced to pay for them three or foar 
shillings a piece; (their present price in 
most great towns.) And, if the late rage 
for draining proceeds, itis clear that even 
the rich will be unable to procure them, 
at any rate, as the race will soon be 
extinct. 
What we want to know is, first, how 
the great mortality amongst them, after 
being caught, may be prevented; and 
secondly, how they may be artificially 
bred. That much of the destruction 
amongstt hem is caused by injudicious 
practices, I have little doubt. I have 
now, in iny possession, two individuals of 
this tribe, which I have had for at least 
two years, and they are as healthy as at 
first. In this time they may have been 
applied to the process of phlebotomy 
half a dozen times, at distant intervals, 
They were made to. disgorge the blood 
taken in, by the application of salt, then 
well washed, and returned to their abode, 
@ capacious glass jar, half filled with 
spring water, and containing a little 
moss. The water has been changed 
once or twice every two or three months, 
certainly not oftener. 
But, as it will be in vain to expect any 
great saving in the consumption of 
leeches, attention should be chiefly given 
to some mode of propagating them in 
considerable numbers, which there ean 
be no reason to doubt is practicable, 
All that wants ascertaining is, such par- 
ticulars respecting their natural history 
as can direct us into the right path. It 
seems pretty clear, that, though they will 
live for years in pure water, they will not 
increase in it either in size or number. 
Something essential to them then is fur- 
nished by their native marshes. What this 
is, requires to be determined, and the ex~- 
periment may be easily made by any one 
living in the neighbourhood of the places 
where they are fuund, Let three or four 
pair of the two sexes be introduced along 
Breeding Leeches in Ponds. 
a) = = oe 
~ 
[July 15 
with a ‘portion of the water and mud 
which they inhabit, into a capacious glass 
vessel. When the annual increase, of 
which they are susceptible, was ascers 
tained, the practicability of breeding 
them to profit would be determined. 
Judging from the general prolificy of 
their tribe, we might conjecture, their 
broods of young would be nymerous, and” 
soon attain maturity. If this proves to 
be the case, I see no reason why they 
might not be propagated in any numbers, 
as easily as silk-worms. Probably one 
reason of their small increase in marshes, 
is the destruction made by other animals 
that prey upon them, and a want of 
sufficient food. Iftherefore a pond were 
stocked with them, from which their 
enemies were excluded, and into which 
plenty of food was introduced, we might 
perhaps find them multiply with rapidity. 
But to ascertain these points, we must” 
know all the circumstances of their na-« 
tural history, their mode of propagation, 
number of young, food, the enemies that 
attack them, &c. &c. These being 
known, I have great hopes that it might 
be as easy to breed these invaluable 
insects, as poultry; and that the cottager 
would find ita more profitable employ- 
ment, cannot be doubted. - ‘ 
I conclude this hasty scrawl with two 
observations, 1, That any of your cor- 
respondents who can point out where the 
natural history of this animal is to be’ 
found detailed, will confer a great be- 
nefit on the public by doing so. The 
other: that if no such detail exists, the 
Society of Artscould not offer a premiura 
more called forg than thirty or forty 
guineas for the institution of the neces. 
sary experiments, 
ey S, 
June 12, 1811. 
——— - 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
JOURNAL of @ recent voyaGE lo Capiz, 
Cadiz, Feb. 1809. 
FTER a fatiguing ride of two days; E 
am again arrived here. I left Gib- 
raltar on Thursday, in company with two 
English friends, and re-crossed in the 
passage-boat to Algeciras. Before we 
could land, we were obliged to submit 
our passports to examination, and our 
trunks were carried to an office, from 
whence they were soon festored, on 
payment of a few rials, There happened 
to be some Spanish women in the boat 
with us, one of whom shewed_us with @ 
sort of pride the ‘‘New Testament im © 
Spanish,” which had been given to hen 
at ain i and was one of those which 
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