[社会新闻] 乔治亚流行水蛭疗法

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* Z& q- W5 i0 m9 b$ L7 E
9 g' p% @7 p& G: A8 Q* g+ D
　　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。

　　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。

% B: U% F) F# m0 n# |7 v0 ~
Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi    22 June 2011rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de3 O5 x& ~0 R" H, ^! f" [
人在德国社区) V/ R) r* o4 P) c
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.: V/ }, a' F4 [0 t9 {  z
rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de7 I3 q$ }3 N; E8 ^6 U9 B
The idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood.+ Z5 l+ k, L# S( x& C( s4 C$ F
" g9 i9 w: ?+ n: F
That 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.: E" z) \+ W  o+ H0 `5 h# c! i/ k1 G
" Q8 U' o5 Z4 w2 D
Damien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.