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The Myth of the Torpedo Fish
Leeches, vampire worms and electric fish all feature in the book. Leeches are used by surgeons to remove necrotic tissue during reconstructive surgery. A greek doctor recommended that if you had a prolapsed anus it could be cured with an electric fish. And er von humboldt, son of the great eighteenth century explorer, also experimented with electricity. He put a cathode in his anus and an anode in his mouth, and shocked himself to see how it felt.
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