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。# I2 e6 j3 t# \7 t1 ]
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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。 ! R- a" Y# l4 d" K- Q4 z 3 c* ^7 J3 A( U1 U+ M8 a2 H" z* m) V5 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。rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de+ d, z) |$ l* p% D% t3 U2 W
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. C; p5 Z9 _$ M K i* ]/ ^% `7 ZWomen turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011 , O# F# k; O1 b+ V: K9 ?人在德国 社区* R; K9 E) X) P4 D0 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.2 P9 e: @8 e7 E
. H* x7 d+ H2 uThe idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood.rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de, }6 E+ G: U% D: w: ]
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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. / d, i- i5 ]" P0 J2 Hrs238848.rs.hosteurope.de' s( z# W- k" ^$ Y4 R* y( y/ T4 v( @; O
Damien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.