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。, m8 b, Y, i0 z8 h
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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。 ( X4 n6 T. n9 J4 j* {. i; m% ?$ Z0 ~. @" y% A% P1 L
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。 ( N$ I& ^ [- x9 F 7 Z7 m, D0 q5 }; { " P$ M: t" Q4 X2 a! E9 ]rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de 0 {) b& L! [* U+ m0 k7 f ) w/ c1 _9 D2 d2 ars238848.rs.hosteurope.de7 g2 h ?- g, q( o: a; d# u& R! @
Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 20117 ~6 d" x5 C# C
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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.人在德国 社区' [+ J7 @ b+ D; n
3 w0 W# r- @, {* N: D0 E$ TThe idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood. 3 u; R6 Q& V3 _ N : n( I; L, r$ L7 c6 h* g$ h% m人在德国 社区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. ' S; L, T3 s7 J7 R# q 4 N! K9 F3 x7 k+ y' R. jDamien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.