It is impossible to note accurately the time when
man learned of the existence of leeches. However,
we do know that both the annelid and the
doctor have been closely linked since the dark
ages. ‘Leech’ is derived from the Anglo-Saxon
word ‘laece’ which, when literally translated,
means physician. It is also important to note that
‘leech’ is etymologically distinct from the Latin
word ‘Hirudo’. The name Hirudo medicinalis was
assigned by Linnaeus in 1758.14 Linnaeus (also Carl
von Linné, 1707—1778) was a Swedish botanist,
physician and zoologist whose work laid the foundations
of modern biological systematics and nomenclature.