Leech Fact

1. There are 650 known species of leeches.
2. The largest leech discovered measured 18 inches.
3. About one fifth of leech species live in the sea, where they feed on fish.
4. The leech has 32 brains - 31 more than a human.
5. The Hirudo leech lays its babies within a cocoon; whereas the Amazon leech carries its babies on its stomach - sometimes as many as 300.
6. Not all leeches are bloodsuckers. Many are predators which eat earthworms, etc.
7. The Amazon leech uses a different method of sucking blood. It inserts a long proboscis into the victim, as opposed to biting.
8. The bite of a leech is painless, due to its own anaesthetic.
9. The Hirudo leech injects an anti-coagulant serum into the victim to prevent the blood clotting.
10. The leech will gorge itself until it has had its fill and then just fall off.
11. The leech will gorge itself up to five times its body weight.
12. The first leech was used in medicine about 1000 B.C., probably in ancient India.
13. In the past, people would stand in the lakes and pools dotted around the country and when the leeches attached to their legs they would put them in baskets and sell them. Today the Hirudo leech is an endangered species.
14. The original surgeons were barbers and they used leeches to cure anything from headaches to gout!
15. The nervous system of the leech is very similar to the human nervous system and is of enormous benefit to researchers in their quest for the answers to human problems.
16. The nearest relatives of leeches are earthworms.
17. Leeches can bite through a hippo's hide!

水蛭也稱螞蟥

水蛭生於水中，善鑽入人的肌膚，入裡曰至，故名水蛭。

在古時，凡蟲之大者，俗稱常冠以“馬”字，故水蛭大者也稱螞蟥、馬蜞或馬蟥等。

在中藥處方中，寫“水蛭”指生水蛭，為原藥材洗淨曬乾，生用入藥者。“炒水蛭”又稱“炙水蛭，是淨水蛭用滑石粉炒至鼓起，並呈黃色而入藥者。“油水蛭”為淨水蛭用油炸至焦黃色入藥者。“醋水蛭”是淨水蛭用醋煮透，曬乾入藥者。

水蛭與山蜞的差別

水蛭
＊中國稱“水螞蟥”
＊生活在水裡
＊體積較長、呈扁形，黑色
＊一旦黏在身上，難以用手弄掉。
＊可用鹽、醋、糖或煙草弄掉。
山蜞
＊中國稱“旱螞蟥”
＊生活在陸地
＊體積小，沒有固定形狀，可變形，外表看來像一粒小石子。
＊一旦黏在身上，只要用手一捉就可捉掉。