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MEDICINAL LEECHES |
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Medicinal leeches are now making a comeback. They provide an effective means to reduce blood coagulation, relieve venous pressure from pooling blood, especially after plastic surgery, and stimulate circulation in reattachment operations for organs with critical blood flow, such as eye lids, fingers, and ears. Because of the minuscule amounts of hirudin present in leeches, it is impractical to harvest the substance for widespread medical use. Hirudin (and related substances) are synthesized using recombinant techniques. They are also being used in relation to the treatment of various Varicose conditions. http://www.medicalleech.info/varicose-veins.htm Devices called "mechanical leeches" have been developed which dispense herapin and perform the same function as medicinal leeches, but they are not yet commercially available. |
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Kingdom : Animalia Lamarck, 1818 |
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Leech |
