DEVELOPMENTS IN LEECH THERAPY (IRS?L-I-‘ALAQ) THROUGH THE AGES
Amjad Waheed Yousuf*, Mohammad Akhtar Siddiqui, Umar Jahangir and Aasiy ul Erum
ABSTRACT
Leech therapy (Irsāl-i-„Alaq or taleeq), is the application of certain species of leeches to a particular area of the body for therapeutic purpose. The use of leeches in medical practice can be traced back to the ancient age even before the word leech was mentioned in Old English language of the Anglo-Saxons. Ancient Egyptian physicians used leeches for bloodletting about 3500 years back while medicinal leeching was also practiced by the people of various ancient civilizations. During the medieval ages, leech therapy found favour with most of the Unani scholars as a method of excreting morbid humors. Extensive guidelines were also prescribed regarding application of leeches, their removal and other basic precautions for the same. Famous physicians like Ibn Sina, Jurjani and many others also described the characteristics and identification of leeches having medicinal properties and differentiated them from the toxic ones. With modern techniques, over a hundred enzymes have been isolated from leech saliva most of which have significant medical benefits. In recent years, efforts are being made to develop devices which could be used as a „mechanical leech‟.
Keywords: Leech therapy, taleeq, blood-letting.
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