National Geographic | National Geographic

National Geographic

DOCTORS ALMOST KILLED THEM OFF. WHY LEECHES?

Saturday, January 27, 2024

In today’s newsletter, we learn about the 19th-century leech mania, puzzle together the clues of a jade mask deep in a Maya temple ... and learn the complex truth behind Napoleon and Joséphine's love story.

Leeches were an early method for bloodletting, as shown in this 15-century illustration from Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron, but the species became scarce, and more methods evolved.

ALAMY

Nurse, where are my leeches? It seems wild that not that long ago, these worms, used for bloodletting, were a key tool in a doctor’s arsenal (as illustrated above).

In fact, a 19th-century craze for medicinal leeches made them scarce through Europe—and nearly drove the Hirudo medicinalis to extinction. What changed?

READ THE FULL STORY

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

A full-body scan highlighting cancerous tissues in a patients upper and lower abdominal cavity.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CAVALLINI JAMES, BSIP/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Why is stomach cancer rising in young women? (Above, a full-body scan highlights cancerous tissues in a patient's upper and lower abdominal cavity.)

Find out once and for all whether you should take your shoes off in the house

Hail, Zealandia. What exactly is the Earth’s newly discovered eighth continent?

A surrogate rhino mom may help save the white rhino species

How this high school teacher solved a geological mystery

How can we use inflammation to heal?

New clues emerge in the killing of two young English princes

These are most treacherous waters on the planet

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Small mask made of jade mosaic tesserae with spondylus shell tessarae for the eyes and tooth.

PHOTOGRAPH BY RUBÉN SALGADO ESCUDERO

Surprises in the crypt: Nat Geo Explorer Francisco G. Estrada-Belli did not expect to see an intricately carved image of a king holding a jade mask they had just pieced together from jade tesserae in the very same Maya tomb (pictured above). Where did he find this carved image?

A. On an extra femur
B. On an arm bone
C. On a skull
D. On a tomb stone

CLICK FOR THE ANSWER

LAST GLIMPSE

French emperor Napoleon crowns his wife Joséphine in Notre Dame cathedral in December 1804 in this painting by Jacques Louis David.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIDGEMAN IMAGES

All is fair in love and war: Napoleon and Joséphine (pictured above in a painting by Jacques Louis David) were long beheld as the epitome of romance, largely due to the letters he penned her while at war. However, according to recent historians, these letters tell a much more complex story. What was the truth behind one of history's most legendary pairs?

Today's soundtrack: Is That Love?, Squeeze

This newsletter has been curated and edited by David Beard, Nancy San Martín, Nishita Naga, and Jen Tse. Enjoy the weekend, and stay away from leeches!

Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply.

This email was sent to: [email protected]. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored.

This email contains an advertisement from:
National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036

Stop all types of future commercial email from National Geographic regarding its products, services, or experiences.

Manage all email preferences with the Walt Disney Family of Companies.

© 2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved.