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。 1 D) V# i( S4 A0 }7 Q人在德国 社区 ' D; O r( G3 p8 Xrs238848.rs.hosteurope.de 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。" F7 Z: Y" J! ?" L0 m: D: Q
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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。 4 D, T4 {& m P+ V6 ~ A* Z4 I D+ h, o 4 d: z1 N- Z0 V- e" }
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* u% L4 ^1 _2 C! T d% ~2 |Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011' D5 S9 P) g* @( [* q$ ^/ @
9 o. C% y/ M k5 ZLeeches 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. # {7 I0 o! y) W人在德国 社区 * x5 a8 R, X* q" m& S' L2 P1 I人在德国 社区The idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood., Z% T6 d/ \. ^; y& q' j# _7 S9 {) D% E
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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.人在德国 社区7 Q G0 m( O/ P2 ]1 O
# h2 {* A; I) J, PDamien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.