CURIOUS CREATURES. 329 



THE LEECH. 



The Leech has, from a very early age, been used as 

 a means of letting blood ; but, among the old Romans, 

 it had medicinal uses such as we know not of now. It 

 was used as a hair dye. Pliny gives two receipts for 

 making it, and it must have been powerful stuff, if we 

 can believe his authority : " Leeches left to putrify for 

 forty days in red wine, stain the hair black. Others, 

 again, recommend one sextarius of leeches to be left to 

 putrefy the same number of days in a leaden vessel, 

 with two sextarii of vinegar, the hair to be well rubbed 

 with the mixture in the sun. According to Sornatius 

 this preparation is, naturally, so penetrating, that if 

 females, when they apply it, do not take the precaution 

 of keeping some oil in the mouth, the teeth, even, will 

 become blackened thereby." 



Olaus Magnus gives us the accompanying picture of the 



luxurious man in his arm-chair by the river-side, catch- 

 ing his own leeches, and suffering from gnats ; and also 



