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。人在德国 社区: y9 k% v' f. ?! Y
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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。- Y W; W2 r8 L1 R% ?7 D/ Y% G
q0 s6 ]5 E" D7 _, I- X3 ~8 o 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。 ' \; Q0 v- [& C, E* y$ i; v% p人在德国 社区 1 ]1 T! l! U# a+ o人在德国 社区 , f: d' I6 O% {' A. u5 I9 d" O' I/ W7 a! ^: c! u
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Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011% C+ d3 N" M2 R7 t ?+ I0 {# ~; w
8 Z% w ^& F( G* }6 SLeeches 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./ z; n. w, p k4 N2 H! R, @
3 `# ]. e, s3 d. m% M6 ` wThe idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood.$ k% z: d8 H* L }
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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. * }* }& O' J8 [# l% ?6 y4 Jrs238848.rs.hosteurope.de$ p" h) K" B6 ^2 o/ S# {0 h
Damien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.