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。rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de; w5 R0 A& n# ]8 C
4 p4 t6 j+ J: ` 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。 3 _ f# ]/ p3 t) F/ L$ @$ A: o6 A' {4 k' Q3 P1 b) ^$ Q
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。9 Y8 V' Z3 |1 q9 j0 X- L
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Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011; d4 C P# G4 x# j2 q0 ]( d
! \( X" S. c8 }$ ]* @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., ]+ s* x4 s' m& _" |) l$ v
* Y/ V( D9 h) ^7 Q# ^# V/ e8 `The idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood.4 z, s. }( I L6 O& M; `" F
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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 _0 W+ E I* ]6 e) F; @. X+ y# a. ?0 f+ J: v# F r
Damien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.