The origin from our medicinal leeches

Our medicinal leeches are grown up in turkey ponds and lakes in national protected areas. In these areas no humans reside. It is certified by the exporter of the leeches that those leeches did not have any human contact. The imported leeches are kept in quarantine for six months, which represents an additional measure of safety.

Reproduction of leeches

So that itself the leech reproducing can, a remaining alike water level is necessary. As to the hermaphrodites belonging worm, the leech fertilize themselves usually mutually. Fertilization takes place between April until Octobers (depending upon temperature). The leech puts its down up to 30 eggs into kokons into the damp bank earth, in order to protect it against draining. Within 6 weeks the young leech slip are at this time the approx. 16 mm long out of the eggs. For therapeutic purposes, the leech can be used only after approximately 4 years.

With optimal attitude the leech up to 20 can become years old. Attained full growth the leech a length up to 20 cm and a weight of up to 30 g.

Nutrition leech

The young leech nourishes itself of the blood of small water animals e.g. frogs, toads or fish. The fortpflanzungsfaehigkeit of the leechs improves however with the blood of warmbluetigen animals. With this blood the leech becomes in former times sex ripe. In addition the leech thereby puts also more eggs in its kokons.

Once arrived on the skin of the landlord (= victim), the leech looks for a suitable place for biting. With the front end it searches thereby gropingly for the suitable until place. The rear suction cup is fixed thereby. If not finding the correct until place yet, repeating themselves the procedure by the rear suction cup is solved and afterwards into a new position is brought. If the leech found the optimal place, he holds on with the rear suction cup in the proximity of the until place and begins themselves with his dreistrahligem Kiefer into the skin to saw. The bite is thus expressed pain-poor for comparing with an insect bite and. Until today could not be proven whether the leech thereby a locally effective anaesthetic used. During the suction process the leech separates a secretion into the wound. The blood vessels are extended by the among other things histamine-similar substance. Sucking the leechs is facilitated by the Hirudin, which he separates from his salivary glands into the wound. The Hirudin keeps the blood liquid, by preventing the blood clotting. Further existing substances have such as Calin, Hyaluronidase, Egline, Kollagenase, Apyrase, Destabilase and Piyavit a coagulating and a entzuendungshemmende effect in the secretion.

Food intake takes approx. 30 minutes. The weight of the leechs is increased by a multiple. As soon as it is full releases the leech automatically. The wound bleeds still some hours after. Thus the blutverlust is trebled doubled to. After the suction process the leech is only after one week again capable of schlaengelnden swimming movements.

The leech stores the sucked blood over months in its stomach and digests it within one period of 1.5 years. The blood is digested within one period by 5 to 18 months. However the leech is already after some months again suctionwilling.