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。 0 ~: ]; q) [" L " C, w0 x& j. d$ H3 Y; Q, y5 d& k 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。rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de: w* r5 n" E( V6 p2 K. f/ o
; g( w. N# x z; m
另外,有一些高血压或是经常性头痛病人,也会用水蛭疗法降低血压,或是治疗头痛。一名医师说,不但乔治亚人用水蛭治病,乌克兰、波兰、甚至德国,也有不少人接受这种疗法。4 q4 M, t$ a3 g2 f
6 J e D T2 u$ w4 ^+ S8 ^! F人在德国 社区2 }2 f) a" H! `) u
3 z3 w: n( @: x& y( u( l. h" N" q2 V, d* d4 o
rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de3 G* Y* F9 O& B5 X8 d: i+ \* l
Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011 / ^+ r, A5 i- D/ l & |9 _( l& m5 v1 V" H4 lLeeches 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. M6 ] |" U+ k/ g
, M/ t) T4 m% O. [
The idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood.* T& w1 f% B8 d/ F. a- }$ y
/ u% S+ i1 W M! d6 yThat 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.6 r( X& o) Y2 {7 R5 @! r4 G8 A/ _
rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de0 l! l! D5 S o; b) V5 m
Damien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.