Hirudin hirudin. Hirudin Hirudin is a naturally occurring peptide in the salivary glands of blood-sucking leeches (such as "Hirudo medicinalis") that has a blood anticoagulant property. This is fundamental for the leeches’ alimentary habit of hematophagy, since it keeps the blood flowing after the initial phlebotomy performed by the worm on the host’s skin. During his years in Birmingham and Edinburgh, John Berry Haycraft had been actively engaged in research and published papers on the coagulation of blood, and in 1884, he discovered that the leech secreted a powerful anticoagulant, which he named hirudin, although it was not isolated until the
Salivary duct stricture Salivary duct stricture Salivary duct stricture (also termed salivary duct stenosis) is narrowing of the duct of a major salivary gland. Strictures are the second most common cause of chronic obstructive sialadenitis, after salivary stones. In line with this, strictures may give rise to the "meal time syndrome", where there is pain and swelling of the involved salivary gland upon salivary stimulation with the sight, smell and taste of food. In other cases, there is irregular and intermittent pain and swelling of the gland which is not related to meal times. Typically the swelling is present upon waking or occurs