Leech-lore. 355 



who gives a very graphic description of the physician or sur- 

 geon applying leeches to an inflamed wound, the substance of 

 which may be translated as follows : — ■ 



" As when the surgeon, prompt; and skilful in his art 

 Has fixed a leech on some affected part, 

 A leech, the slimy offspring of the pond, 

 That sucks the black blood from each angry wound ; 

 Nor stops, till satiated with the gore, 

 It drops from off the skin, nor thirsts for more, 

 But coils upon itself." * 



There are two kinds of leeches generally employed in me- 

 dicine, viz. the Hirudo medicinalis, the gray leech, and the 

 H. officinalis, or the green leech. Another kind less used, as 

 it is considered to be of an inferior quality, is the trout leech 

 {Hirudo troctina, Johns.), so called from the orange-coloured 

 spots with which its body is marked. These three kinds may 

 be taken as affording certain typical characters, but there are 

 numerous varieties which offer slight differences in colour, 

 which it is supposed may be the result merely of the nature of 

 their food, or of the water which they inhabit. Leeches are 

 imported to this country from Spain, the south of France, 

 Hungary, Algeria, etc. Many millions are annually brought to 

 the dealers, who are sometimes guilty of fraud in the sale of 

 them. M. Moquin-Tandon tells us that the merchants divide 

 the leeches into small, middle-sized, and large. The small are 

 called "threads," those just born "sprouts," the very large 

 one "cows;" he adds that the dealers often gorge the leeches 

 before selling them, with blood from the slaughter-house, and 

 thus convert the small ones into middle-size, etc. The medi- 

 cinal leech was once common enough in the lakes and pools 

 of the north of England, though it is very rarely to be met 

 with now in those parts. In Wordsworth's sonnet, Resolution 

 and Independence, we are introduced to an old leech-gatherer 

 in the following lines : — 



" He with a smile did then his words repeat, 

 And said that gathering leeches far and wide 

 He travelled ; stirring thus about his feet 

 The waters of the pool where they abide. 

 Once I could meet with them on every side. 

 But they have dwindled long by slow decay ; 

 Yet still I persevere and find them where I may." 



Wordsworth's sonnet was written in 1807; when we consider 



* " iis 5'orav lr]T')]p woXvfjLi]xa.vos, eXuos acpvcrcrui' 

 QiSaAeoy, rep iroWby hvapffiov ZvfioQev aifxa 

 ivvefAeTcu Siepas re yovds Kvav6xpoa X'ljxvtis 

 epirera rsipofxevoio Kara xpobs e&rripil-e 

 SaivvaOai fi4\av aifxa ra o'avTiica yvpondtvra 

 KvpTovrat, Kal Kvdpov i<peXKZTai, ou5' h.vi-r\u'iv, 

 hff6ney atfiof5aprj fapbv worbv av ipverayra 

 ix xp°bs avroKvkiara irt'en?.'' — Sal. ii. 599. 



