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。 # e2 E' Z$ N1 y jwww.csuchen.de # P% q b6 I1 k, i2 @ 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。 " Q3 P6 p& X2 j, Dwww.csuchen.de8 l, V: C( e# x; `6 r8 B$ s
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。 ' D1 n6 S; B" j; m+ }www.csuchen.de; s$ [" @% b. w. F$ N/ O) p. q 2 [5 d! g6 D0 W$ C- l
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Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011人在德国 社区8 i o5 h. q, w# B+ H) G7 h, C
1 @- e' \% [, D& V( M: A人在德国 社区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.人在德国 社区/ F6 U$ y% m- i* r
! p; ]0 c+ X3 Q- O' u9 T; p- \人在德国 社区The idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood. 9 h, a! `+ r$ c/ p+ O; L7 r % f3 O" E. i" n/ i2 lThat 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. ' Z5 f2 V7 B6 \7 @人在德国 社区; f6 n* n+ P7 u/ G' E6 M9 b' A0 t
Damien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.