Wait... They Did What!?
Wait... They Did What!?
ABC Australia
Wait... doctors put leeches on sick people?
7 minutes Posted Jun 21, 2026 at 8:00 pm.
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Show notes
Doctors once used blood-sucking leeches as medicine... and they were as popular as Panadol. 
This episode will answer questions like: 
What is a leech? 
How were leeches used in old medicine? 
Are leeches still used in medicine? 
What is blood-letting? 
Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!? with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen.