Quacks

[janelh]

Why are doctors called leeches?

[andy hughes]

Probably a throw-back to the days when doctors used leeches to suck blood around infected wounds, and then charged handsomly for their services - it's not hard to make a connection between a profession that makes its money by 'bleeding' sick people of theirs. Of course, these days doctors don't have to bleed people,we've got the NHS who do it instead!

[barrywom]

Yup. Andy Hughes is right, it comes from the fact that they practiced 'leechcraft'. How about quacks and sawbones as other nicknames?