) o3 q) F9 `3 t# _: v+ A9 lWomen turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 20115 B, w# ^+ T4 p" i+ `
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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. : V; t7 U" q8 [1 K# L3 O! r% O % ?; Z- r6 u, t9 S y) QThe idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood. - A1 N; C) F( u" M' W; t人在德国 社区 ) A% e4 P! ^2 j* {$ l+ [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., K% u& Y8 e: l( s$ \; `; n0 m) o# G
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Damien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.