In my novel, vampires use leeches as one form of taking blood from victims without causing bloodletting wounds from lancets, and thus can pacify victims away from resisting and use the blood later. (This is back in the days when bloodletting with leeches was common.) I have a lot of information on how leeches are kept, preserved, and used, but my question is about the viability of the blood.
Q1) Putting aside the potential for disease (which is not relevant to the vampires), can you effectively "squeeze" blood from leeches into wineskins or directly into a mouth, or is this really difficult?
Q2) Also, leeches can live for 50-100 days without new blood, but how well is the blood preserved during that period for future use (consumption)?
Q3) Anything else that would make this leeches idea untenable (or, on the other hand, make it work better)?
Q1) Putting aside the potential for disease (which is not relevant to the vampires), can you effectively "squeeze" blood from leeches into wineskins or directly into a mouth, or is this really difficult?
Q2) Also, leeches can live for 50-100 days without new blood, but how well is the blood preserved during that period for future use (consumption)?
Q3) Anything else that would make this leeches idea untenable (or, on the other hand, make it work better)?