Hungry leeches
Already full leechesI chanced upon this traditional method of healing when I went for my lunch last Thursday. The holistic medicine man with the leeches told me that it was his last day in Manjung and he would be moving to Tanjung Malim the next day. He told me that a patient needs to pay RM10 for each leech.
So how does this treatment with leeches work? Firstly, leeches are 'worms' with suckers on each end. Leeches can range in size from one centimeter to over 25 centimeters long. They are brown or black in colour. Some feed on decaying plant material. Others are parasites, feeding on blood and tissue of other animals. Blood-sucking leeches suck your blood in two ways: they use a proboscis to puncture your skin, or they use their three mouths and millions of little teeth.
According to the holistic 'doctor', leeches or 'pacat' (in the Malay language) can treat various conditions such as skin grafting, gangrene and to have more blood circulation on local areas. Leeches emit certain anesthetics so that when they suck blood, pain is limited. The pamphlet that I got from him claimed that the leeches can help treat acne and migraine among other ailments.
Did I give the treatment a try? NO. It is not due to me chickening out but because of my having to go back to complete the corporate video for my school. Next time, if I meet the guy again, I'll let those suckers have their fill of my blood.
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