Medical invention: Doctors unveil the latest in mechanical
parasites. "Leech" is derived from an old English word meaning
"physician," and in the practice of Dr. Gregory Hartig, based in
Madison, Wisconsin, that makes sense. After performing a
reconstructive surgery, Hartig still sometimes prescribes
leeches. From prehistory to the present, the bloodsucking worms
have been applied to treat everything from cancer to broken
bones. Modern research has shown that leeches help blood
circulate and prevent clots. The problem, according to Hartig,
is that many patients don't like the idea of carnivorous
parasites biting into their flesh and slurping down their blood.