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。 : B: W" \! I! u7 N4 g1 R8 F0 D9 v8 H7 B# R7 |( W6 f9 S4 y
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 i6 K7 g9 P; E U人在德国 社区7 ~" c" J+ u: ^7 F
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。人在德国 社区: S% K: X' B5 D' }& O& q
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; _7 t8 }. k+ u$ ]& D/ z: a* L. [! g$ M 5 }% V P. g3 a+ KWomen turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011 / a B) z1 J J; c. `( W& F9 I- B0 Z# z
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.9 K9 F1 J0 o( k6 J5 v) X
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The idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood.& M0 j1 F0 _/ U+ ?
, Z P* H3 J; e0 s" i3 S- `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.rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de* z: [ ^! z* T7 S V9 n
: \ s b6 J* f+ nDamien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.