tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post6626096435008350556..comments2024-03-26T00:25:34.026-04:00Comments on Not Running a Hospital: Leeches, tooPaul Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17065446378970179507noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-32871007996533384032009-01-25T07:30:00.000-05:002009-01-25T07:30:00.000-05:00Leaches are common in our tropical climate and in ...Leaches are common in our tropical climate and in the case of Sri Lanka it can be easily located in the tea estates too.I came across brown and black coloured ones there and many times I donated fair amount of blood before noticing them.<BR/> In Badulla/Koslanda ,just a walk in the road during a rainy evening can take this parasites to your home unnoticed.Alanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04009961596218444686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-64968206448489071852009-01-19T17:42:00.000-05:002009-01-19T17:42:00.000-05:00From a friend:Interesting creatures: http://en.wi...From a friend:<BR/><BR/>Interesting creatures: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leech<BR/><BR/>Leeches release both a local anesthetic and a blood thinner when they bite you, which explains why you sometimes can’t feel the bite and why it bleeds a lot more than a normal wound. I think the digestion mechanism is quite interesting – they can break blood down one amino acid at a time to reconstitute the protein that makes up the leech body. They can store blood without spoilage for long periods of time, so they don’t need to feed often. The creatures are hermaphrodites, too. Note that the wiki entry suggests that using salt isn’t necessarily the best way to get them off; using a fingernail slid closely next to the skin is a better approach that’s less likely to release stuff into your bloodstream. I don’t think it really matters with the smaller leeches, though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-77191298983381590922009-01-17T11:23:00.000-05:002009-01-17T11:23:00.000-05:00Enjoying your travel log series. Thanks for the m...Enjoying your travel log series. Thanks for the mention.rlbateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15236331355857884458noreply@blogger.com