Dried Water Leech in Kampo Medicine By Andrew Mason

Dried Hirudinidae / Whitmania pigra (Whitman Horse Leech)Hirudo nipponica (Japan)Whitmania acranulata (China)

Taste: BitterRisk: Poisonous at higher dosage.Water Leech has a distinctive fleshy/saline smell, increased whilst cooking; usually itis taken capsulated to avoid bad taste or smell. Fresh leech contains hirudin,histamine, heparin; the dried variety looses its hirudin content.

Action: Dried leech absorbs dislocated blood back into the circulatory system to thenbe excreted, particularly useful in the case of internal haemorrhoids. The medicalunderstanding of this action is an anticoagulation / expansion of the blood vesselcausing an improvement of blood circulation. Hirudin in live leeches contains a stronganticoagulant property along with histamine that facilitates an expansion of bloodvessels.

Uses: Sprains, bruising (haematoma), varicose veins, anti-cancer treatment.

The ash of leech can be mixed with Panax notoginseng (common variety) and musk,taken with warm water or sake. The mixture is usually infused into sake and drunk,this mixture has good results when used on cancer patients.

Dried powdered leech can be mixed with classical Chinese anti-cancer formulae toincrease potency and efficacy. For oesophageal cancer, mix dried leech with seaweed(research on this mixture is still ongoing). Dried leech is a strong medicine and shouldbe selected only for certain conditions without contraindications.

Contraindications: weak constitution, pregnancy, bleeding disorders, anaemia.

Leech medicine should always be supported by a blood increasing tonic i.e.: Panax notoginseng.

Dosage: low, hot water infusion (1.8g - 4.5g dried leech)For cancer treatment maximum dosage: (6-9g dried leech)Taken as powder: 0.3-0.6g, maximum dosage: 1.5-2.5g

Mixed Medicine: water leech / seaweed drunk with yellow sake (serving 6g)water leech: 6gseaweed: 30g