Dried Water Leech in Kampo Medicine

By Andrew Mason

Dried Hirudinidae / Whitmania pigra (Whitman Horse Leech) Hirudo nipponica (Japan) Whitmania acranulata (China) Taste: Bitter Risk: Poisonous at higher dosage. Water Leech has a distinctive fleshy/saline s ell! increased whilst cooking" usually it is taken ca#sulated to avoid $ad taste or s ell. %resh leech contains hirudin! hista ine! he#arin" the dried variety looses its hirudin content. Action: Dried leech a$sor$s dislocated $lood $ack into the circulatory syste to then $e e&creted! #articularly useful in the case of internal hae orrhoids. 'he edical understanding of this action is an anticoagulation / e&#ansion of the $lood vessel causing an i #rove ent of $lood circulation. (irudin in live leeches contains a strong anticoagulant #ro#erty along with hista ine that facilitates an e&#ansion of $lood vessels. Uses: )#rains! $ruising *hae ato a+! varicose veins! anti,cancer treat ent. 'he ash of leech can $e i&ed with Pana& notoginseng *co on variety+ and usk! taken with war water or sake. 'he i&ture is usually infused into sake and drunk! this i&ture has good results when used on cancer #atients. Dried #owdered leech can $e i&ed with classical -hinese anti,cancer for ulae to increase #otency and efficacy. %or oeso#hageal cancer! i& dried leech with seaweed *research on this i&ture is still ongoing+. Dried leech is a strong edicine and should $e selected only for certain conditions without contraindications. Contraindications: weak constitution, #regnancy, $leeding disorders, anae ia.

Leech edicine should always $e su##orted $y a $lood increasing tonic i.e.: Pana& notoginseng. Dosage: low! hot water infusion *../g , 0.1g dried leech+ %or cancer treat ent a&i u dosage: *2,3g dried leech+ 'aken as #owder: 4.5,4.2g! a&i u dosage: ..1,6.1g Mixed Medicine: water leech / seaweed drunk with yellow sake (serving g) water leech: 2g seaweed: 54g