Episode Details

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Step into the cold, muddy marshes of medieval England and experience life as a medicinal leech collector. Long before physicians and barber-surgeons could put these blood-drinking creatures to work, someone had to find them.

You will wade through stagnant ponds, wait patiently among the reeds, and use the simplest bait available: your own bare legs. Between numb feet, stubborn mud, damp clothing, and baskets filled with hungry parasites, you will discover the unpleasant labor hidden behind medieval bloodletting.

Settle in, get comfortable, and drift off while exploring one of history’s strangest occupations.

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