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。( ` @! y, }$ ]3 I
* J, l K- O5 _6 k! y7 j+ `' h 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。 $ r' i R9 c6 i0 N人在德国 社区rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de1 f- [! @, N4 m/ l+ O( T1 ~; U
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。* c: M! {7 s4 p- u8 m/ a
: M8 |0 b n' f2 }人在德国 社区 5 c" N/ U' W4 S$ f人在德国 社区) s7 O/ l g9 Q) X
0 E8 N2 a2 ^3 g ]% @* V9 p
$ Q5 }5 Y9 x' G( l6 H
Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011 2 A0 Y7 _1 S6 R& c& W' Q人在德国 社区 3 x+ w) o2 u i( uLeeches 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. ' y3 { |1 M0 o' | # _1 `6 D. @. f! ^4 W+ x: G# oThe idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood.人在德国 社区# ~4 Z5 n' S7 n3 v7 M3 B* H/ L6 p
. y) I$ E' K7 s) K- o" R) J9 Hrs238848.rs.hosteurope.deThat 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. * i5 |: K6 D; n8 C& r k' m( irs238848.rs.hosteurope.de人在德国 社区/ }# N t5 x; G% f
Damien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.