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Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 20119 u1 w' @$ l; b) a
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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.4 N0 R a' ?5 L1 v9 F0 i
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The idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood.人在德国 社区$ b. `( Q+ F3 {( W4 b
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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.8 g3 c5 d$ ^% H, _9 G& N
4 x: A0 n# I6 F/ k: d+ }% sDamien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.