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。 $ q3 ^$ R/ g6 ]) U ) w! R1 w1 z5 krs238848.rs.hosteurope.de 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。 - ]% _6 ]6 c9 K1 f! R0 Y, }' T, ~: c! [& P4 C
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。rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de. {8 T: M r3 S& L& n/ z
人在德国 社区% U: a4 Z2 V* ^/ Z1 ^ : ]8 [& M0 [1 i' J1 |) ^3 Xrs238848.rs.hosteurope.de人在德国 社区' s6 v# }+ J. @& R. x1 I8 ]
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/ d% U0 a$ q0 r* C7 U. P人在德国 社区Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011 ( A- u. E0 `/ D7 W2 X; E $ K) z8 D( T% irs238848.rs.hosteurope.deLeeches 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.人在德国 社区4 e9 ^2 o: ]/ ]
, C. W/ A9 t. {: O! BThe idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood. ! }% d& l* T$ { 7 y0 C, f7 U* a- L2 U% PThat 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. g( h/ f7 u- h0 D5 D3 t3 D0 x0 J5 ?+ V% N3 T: t$ J
Damien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.