I’m (finally) reading The Origin of Species, and came across this comment:
So again with the varieties of sheep: it has been asserted that certain mountain-varieties will starve out other mountain-varieties, so that they cannot be kept together. The same result has followed from keeping together different varieties of the medicinal leech.
That’s something I had never thought about before – how are medicinal leeches kept when they are not used? Do they each have their own little velvet-lined1 box? Or are they instead stuffed together in a plastic bag, and when one is needed, the doctor just puts some forceps in and grabs the nearest?
Oh how disappointing – I was reading NN in RSS and clicked through to the site to look for the answer in your comments – and there aren’t any! I hope someone knows. Best question I’ve seen all year.
The year is only 6 days old, Maxine. :-)
Quarry Bank Mill near Manchester has an excellent exhibition in its Apprentice House on Victorian Medicine, including some living medicinal leeches ( a favourite with school parties). These appear to be kept in what looks like a small aquarium – I am not sure what they are fed with, although the aformentioned school parties may be useful.
I always hoped they kept the medicinal leeches on naughty med students.
That was my irony, Bob. ;-)