French pewter leeches container,dating from around the year 1820. Leeches (a type of worm) were used in medicine during this period as a method of bloodletting,leeches can suck several times their original body weight in blood when applied to the skin. Bloodletting was believed to 'treat' patients with a wide range of ailments by removing surplus bodily 'humours' (liquids within the body) which were thought to cause disease | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library |
Bildgröße: | 3582 px × 5423 px |
Modell-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Eigentums-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Restrictions: | - |