Rosner F
Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Services at Queens Hospital Center, Jamaica, NY, USA.
Isr Med Assoc J. 1999 Dec;1(4):296-8.
Leeches were widely used for healing throughout antiquity and the Middle Ages. The rabbinic responsa literature acknowledges the use of leeching for the prevention and treatment of certain illnesses, and classic Jewish sources including the Bible, Talmud, and Codes of Jewish Law describe leeches and mention their medicinal use. Although the swallowing of a leech is considered dangerous and may lead to abdominal swelling, the Talmud describes an oral concoction containing leeches in wine for patients with enlarged spleens. It is also documented that engorged leeches placed in salt quickly discharge their blood and can be used again. Modern plastic and microsurgery have rediscovered the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, to reduce venous congestion. Clearly, the value of this annelid worm lies in its secretion of an anticoagulant known as hirudin, which has several advantages over heparin. One cannot help but marvel at the wisdom and ingenuity of our forefathers.
在古代和中世纪，水蛭被广泛用于治疗。犹太教律法问答文献认可使用水蛭预防和治疗某些疾病，包括《圣经》《塔木德》和犹太法典在内的经典犹太文献都描述了水蛭并提及了它们的药用价值。尽管吞下水蛭被认为是危险的，可能会导致腹部肿胀，但《塔木德》描述了一种给脾脏肿大患者使用的、将水蛭泡在酒里的口服药剂。还有文献记载，将饱吸血液的水蛭放在盐里，它们会很快排出体内的血液，从而可以再次使用。现代整形手术和显微外科手术重新发现了药用水蛭——医用水蛭，用于减轻静脉淤血。显然，这种环节动物的价值在于其分泌的一种名为水蛭素的抗凝剂，与肝素相比，水蛭素有几个优点。人们不禁对我们祖先的智慧和独创性感到惊叹。
