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。 6 o( P% q0 ~. q) b( x+ _ ) w, A/ j( L' ~' P% Q" e3 P) 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。# T. k6 s$ D: H( C
7 n+ n$ e# Y6 G U1 [9 n8 B; b 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。% d% z- o( z9 B" W' Z0 `5 @& M
- V* P7 _; {7 E/ p+ v- ]人在德国 社区3 n; v2 u/ V( A
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Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011 3 x; [7 U3 O+ g& @! {: c) \/ C( [& V0 o* }
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. 1 c7 n& r! E4 _9 ~6 X& }* trs238848.rs.hosteurope.de 4 J' p! `! U) C8 Vrs238848.rs.hosteurope.deThe idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood. % c5 V# v1 w% k* N- j: U# U0 B6 W8 zrs238848.rs.hosteurope.de! i! X6 K0 y1 b, M
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. 9 V! L! E- f3 v2 d1 H8 u" w' ] @$ H! x+ z7 g
Damien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.