Leeches jar made from Staffordshire pottery (England) dating from around 1830. The main jar is cream coloured with red decorations. The design is finished with gilt decorations, the word 'leeches' is spelt out in gold letters. Leeches (a type of worm) were used in medicine during this period as a method of bloodletting. Bloodletting was carried out to 'treat' patients with a wide range of ailments by removing surplus bodily 'humours' (liquids within the body). Leeches can suck several times their original body weight in blood when applied to the skin.