# s0 ?, q" ?" O w$ v, q9 m* Crs238848.rs.hosteurope.de " V6 O, W% J5 q) d. w5 S" ^Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011 1 D* f4 j# x# w6 t4 _% s: r1 f1 S! Y% o4 [- Z5 A2 j: u
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.: h7 n! a6 r, v6 |: Z. a. v' U; j
& x3 @% X& P* Z人在德国 社区The idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood. & ^5 E' |/ J- y6 n2 r# k1 W( q3 P6 g# \: n% m' V
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. 3 O5 {5 t0 }+ a- _1 H7 M7 trs238848.rs.hosteurope.de I) t4 I& P! {( n
Damien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.