In "Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary", Barnes & Noble Books, New York, copyright 1986 by Crown Publishers, Inc., it states : Definition 1 - "any bloodsucking or carnivorous aquatic or terrestrial worm of the class Hirudinea, certain fresh-water species of which were formerly much used in medicine for bloodletting" - these I know because I was raised on the Gulf Coast and my husband is a Marine Biologist. AND Definition 2 - "an instrument used for drawing blood". Then there were four other definitions that don't deal with this subject. I didn't know the definition of leaching because I had not heard of that before and in the letter, he used the word "leech" - not "leach". However, granted that could have been bad spelling on his part. Anyway, I do appreciate knowing there was another method of extracting salt. You live and learn everyday. Betty ----- Original Message ----- From: <RCSPAIN@aol.com> To: <GA-ROOTS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2000 12:29 PM Subject: Re: [GA-Roots] Salt List, Muscogee Co, GA-Pope's > Betty, > Leeches are small worms closeley related to earthworms. They generally > live in water and attach themselves to mammals and attach themselves and > drink their blood. Medicinal leeches are still used in some places. Years > ago they were used to "bleed" people. This was to help cure certain diseases > according to that which was believed. Doctors also cut patients and bled > them. It is believed that George Washington died as a result of being bled > too many times while he was ill. Leeches in this day and time are still used > to draw blood from areas that would otherwise cause bad bruises such as black > eyes. I saw medicinal leeches for sale in a pharmacy in Munich, Germany. > Leech and leach are entirely two different and distinct things. Leaching > refers to a liquid such as water washing the minerals out of substances. An > exact example of this is: Many farms still use manure for fertilizer. I t > is piled near the farming area until used. If it stays in a pile wthout > being used for too long a period of time, rain will wash the mineral content > from the manure and its effectiveness as a fertilizer is diminished. If > ashes are leached in this manner, potash is washed out. Mixed with water, > the potash will produce a weak solution of potassium hydroxide, or potash > lye. The stronger form of lye is sodium hydroxide. This is not produced in > this manner. > This material may seem obnoxious but it is used to process certain foods but > not to eat as you would salt. > > > >

>> Leeches are small worms closeley related to earthworms. They >generally >> live in water and attach themselves to mammals and attach themselves and >> drink their blood. We live in SC near the Catawba River...When my oldest son was about 15 he and his friends went "gravelling" sp? (anybody done that?) for fish in the river at the Landsford Canal area. After he had been home for awhile one of his friends called and told him to take his tennis shoes off...he did and there were several leeches attached to areas between his toes. He had "one more fit"...I really don't believe he ever did that again...my 2 cents worth... Mary in SC

I must put in my two cents worth here. Leeching means to let water drain through another substance. The salt in the dirt of the smoke houses was probably put into a fine woven cloth and the water poured over it to get the salt from the dirt..then it was probably drained again..to get any particles of sand out of it. Then distilled to get the salt. There is also a way to get lye from oak ashes to make lye soap and that too is called leeching.. This is a very old fashioned term and practice. There is a difference between Leeching and Leaching.. Skydancer ----- Original Message ----- From: "Betty E. More" <bemore1@cerco.net> To: <GA-ROOTS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2000 2:31 PM Subject: Re: [GA-Roots] Salt List, Muscogee Co, GA-Pope's | In "Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary", Barnes & Noble Books, | New York, copyright 1986 by | Crown Publishers, Inc., it states : Definition 1 - "any bloodsucking or | carnivorous aquatic or terrestrial worm of the class Hirudinea, certain | fresh-water species of which were formerly much used in medicine for | bloodletting" - these I know because I was raised on the Gulf Coast and my | husband is a Marine Biologist. AND | Definition 2 - "an instrument used for drawing blood". Then there were four | other definitions that don't deal with this subject. | I didn't know the definition of leaching because I had not heard of that | before and in the letter, he used the word "leech" - not "leach". However, | granted that could have been bad spelling on his part. Anyway, I do | appreciate knowing there was another method of extracting salt. You live | and learn everyday. | Betty | ----- Original Message ----- | From: <RCSPAIN@aol.com> | To: <GA-ROOTS-L@rootsweb.com> | Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2000 12:29 PM | Subject: Re: [GA-Roots] Salt List, Muscogee Co, GA-Pope's | | | > Betty, | > Leeches are small worms closeley related to earthworms. They | generally | > live in water and attach themselves to mammals and attach themselves and | > drink their blood. Medicinal leeches are still used in some places. | Years | > ago they were used to "bleed" people. This was to help cure certain | diseases | > according to that which was believed. Doctors also cut patients and bled | > them. It is believed that George Washington died as a result of being | bled | > too many times while he was ill. Leeches in this day and time are still | used | > to draw blood from areas that would otherwise cause bad bruises such as | black | > eyes. I saw medicinal leeches for sale in a pharmacy in Munich, Germany. | > Leech and leach are entirely two different and distinct things. | Leaching | > refers to a liquid such as water washing the minerals out of substances. | An | > exact example of this is: Many farms still use manure for fertilizer. I | t | > is piled near the farming area until used. If it stays in a pile wthout | > being used for too long a period of time, rain will wash the mineral | content | > from the manure and its effectiveness as a fertilizer is diminished. If | > ashes are leached in this manner, potash is washed out. Mixed with water, | > the potash will produce a weak solution of potassium hydroxide, or potash | > lye. The stronger form of lye is sodium hydroxide. This is not produced | in | > this manner. | > This material may seem obnoxious but it is used to process certain foods | but | > not to eat as you would salt. | > | > | > | > | |