19 Unbelievable and Gruesome Facts about 19th Century Surgery

10. During the 19^th century, leech therapy enjoyed a remarkable comeback and many surgeons swore by it.

Bloodletting by leeches wasn’t just performed by ancient cultures. It enjoyed a boom during the 19^th century, with physicians and surgeons seeing ‘leech therapy’ as the cure to a number of ailments. For the most part, the procedure was carried out by barber-surgeons; indeed, in England, leeching was one of the few procedures they were allowed to perform following the establishment of the Royal College of Surgeons. However, from the 1830s onward, even elite surgeons became convinced of the benefits of leeches. And French leeches were seen as being especially effective.

The surge in demand for the creatures was inspired by Dr. Broussais, a surgeon in the Napoleonic army. He used leeches whilst performing emergency surgery in field hospitals and shared his success stories far and wide. In his 1809 monograph on the topic, Broussais declared “the benefits of the leech for man are so great that all doctors should be aware of them.” Before long, the swamps of France had been swept clean of leeches and surgeons and physicians in America offered huge sums of money to anyone who could successfully breed the European leech on that side of the Atlantic.