Table 2.
Leech export rates in the Ottoman Empire, presented to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1852 by Mr Eduard Rusuvich
| Port of export | Amount (in ḳıyye) | Amount (approx. in kg) a |
|---|---|---|
| Beirut (Syria) | 4 500 | 5 769 |
| Tarsus (Mara, Adana) | 2 000 | 2 564 |
| Smyrna | 12 000 | 15 384 |
| Dardanelles (Bergama) | 600 | 770 |
| Gemlik (Bursa, Bandırma) | 1 500 | 1 923 |
| İzmit (Bolu) | 300 | 385 |
| Samsun, Trabzon, Batum | 10 500 | 13 461 |
| Burgaz, Varna, Toulera | 1 500 | 1 923 |
| Silistre, Rusçuk, Nicopolis | 3 500 or even more | 4 487 |
| Vidin, Harsova (Haçova) | 5 000 | 6 410 |
| Gallipoli (Adrianople) | 3 000 | 3 850 |
| Salonica (Serres, Bittolia) | 7 000 | 8 974 |
| Preveza (Golfe d’arta) of Janina | 3 000 or even more | 3 850 |
| Valona | 2 000 | 2 564 |
| Durakko | 3 000 | 3 850 |
| Boyana, Skodra | 1 500 | 1 923 |
| Sum | 60 900 (and possibly more) | 78 087 |
a
A ḳıyye is accepted as 1.282 grams. Number of leeches in a kilogram ranges from 2 500 to 200 depending on the weight of a leech, which is approximately 0.4 g to 3.4 g. Source: J.M. Elliott, ‘Population, Size, Weight Distribution and Food in a Persistent Population of the Rare Medicinal Leech, Hirudo medicinalis’, Freshwater Biology, 53, 8 (2008): 1502–1512.