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。 ' L, a( Y0 G) I1 A+ S , E$ r1 k* F6 k k' j 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。 % ~: c; L- j9 N4 }& z% W D& V7 k/ o, h5 f5 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。 ' b0 i# i" G8 g ]8 f' Q& Z # Q* H: r. ?3 [# t/ ^: e$ k$ P人在德国 社区8 r0 ?! x& j H# m4 l0 B
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Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011 & h' N- U9 J* F8 P3 \; Z ; U0 _. U! H1 dLeeches 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.人在德国 社区9 ~7 u: z& I- |/ b( \) T. r
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The idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood.+ J, L) K9 {" D
% s9 Q2 l% y/ E6 }7 K7 D人在德国 社区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. 7 I) ~: D9 K. p2 r$ F6 Rrs238848.rs.hosteurope.de1 b$ h, _3 u$ J( w' i8 @4 g
Damien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.