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。; m, q4 U4 h" S% @
. B2 N0 a& i3 B/ L' D% O 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。 9 V: w9 ]1 C( N0 F0 ^: h( e) H. h! O3 \$ r* x
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。5 X: q0 |# Q2 x
人在德国 社区6 v2 q8 w7 K' _, C( U5 l' r # o9 v/ m1 N! I7 qrs238848.rs.hosteurope.de 0 a9 `1 p" a5 J" k8 M ; z- D$ b. e r8 x0 ]* H' z }# l1 O% {8 o( g: h$ N, N% Z
Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011 * W- \6 a: K0 x0 wrs238848.rs.hosteurope.de 6 e0 z- f, B- ]5 S5 f* [' vLeeches 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. . y2 S$ u/ ^! ]! |7 l# L. `7 ^# F人在德国 社区 6 n( H7 v. X1 X) r0 f) KThe idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood.1 B0 Q9 @% D7 y5 }1 i+ Y! D
# _3 u% q! t. a3 G4 N. c. vThat 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. $ k# j% i8 `3 Z2 l0 G/ z: `, N* s % v, Y+ I5 g! b0 @% k4 v d8 m& FDamien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.