This craze led to a rather absurd battle between rival pharmacies, who produced increasingly elaborate leech jars in order to entice customers to choose their product. During the Victorian era (in the 1800s) they were recommended for treating everything from headaches to nymphomania. In fact, we have been keeping leeches, primarily for medical purposes, for around 3,000 years. "Leeches have been linked with human culture, particularly in Europe, for centuries," parasitologist Mackenzie Kwak from National University of Singapore told ScienceAlert. But it's exactly these saliva properties that have long made leeches of interest to humans. The leech keeper told us that while most bite wounds heal without a scar, due to the anti-coagulants in the leech saliva, it can sometimes take several days for a bite to stop bleeding. Some people are allergic to leech saliva and there's always a risk of catching an infection from them. Of course, as with anything involving direct contact with your bloodstream, feeding a leech your own blood should not be attempted without first seeking advice from a doctor. The creatures can go up to a year between feeds, but leech sellers recommend feeding the larger species every 3-6 months.
"Once they get feeding you don't even feel it, even with the large buffalo leeches," explained the leech keeper, although the initial bite can hurt a bit.
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