前苏联共合国乔治亚这一阵子流行用水蛭治疗疾病,以往欧洲人会用水蛭治疗痔疮,乔治亚人把这项疗法发扬光大,用来治疗其他疾病。 P& T2 m0 w+ q) M4 E' I; E% Z6 C n" X
乔治亚很多诊所都提供水蛭疗法,病人得先跟诊所买一只水蛭,更年期妇女先把水蛭放在脖子上,经过一、二十分钟,水蛭吸完血,身体膨胀4倍,就可以取下,接着医师再把另外2只水蛭放在这名妇女上下牙龈上,等吸完血再取出,医师在患者伤口上贴上绷带,就算完成治疗。接受过治疗的妇女说,她们在更年期会出现的潮红和盗汗都有明显改善。人在德国 社区; I+ \1 b) q: K2 Q2 o; G
V ^: A5 X! h# [; w人在德国 社区( t# G0 r1 W/ Q" `& Y
Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011) ]# A- F4 \6 X$ y( u+ O2 o0 v
- U' \. U% }& `+ V; U. W7 {人在德国 社区Leeches have been used in medicine for thousands of years. By attaching themselves to the body, and sucking blood from a patient, they were thought to bring health benefits. X: \% i8 w' M/ Grs238848.rs.hosteurope.de 4 d7 n% a2 O. w8 Grs238848.rs.hosteurope.deThe idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood.: |6 }4 \9 T1 p$ x0 G/ p9 O
6 u: C1 {; ]+ O( ^9 JThat idea fell out of fashion during the 20th century, with the discovery of modern drugs. But today, as interest in traditional medicine grows, they are making a comeback - particularly in the former Soviet State of Georgia. . M+ d, @" K; C4 M) k: p4 P( f$ | 0 f% _+ j, v& X }Damien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.