Leech collector

Leeches were used to suck blood from patients with ailments, with a particular craze from them in the 19th century. Leech collectors were often poor people and commonly women, and they had to wade into ponds, bogs, and marshes to attract leeches to sell.

Since they didn’t believe in a thing as “too much” blood-letting, collectors often succumbed to serious illnesses from the leeches and severe blood loss trying to catch them.