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。7 k: e' C* \4 y* N# _" Y, {3 \
" B$ ?- {0 k& @! |7 b4 e+ 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。 7 O) B: K( {) s3 X人在德国 社区 7 O# d3 N- S: a7 f. ~& K6 m' b0 G 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。 & b: N7 [3 p/ G- ?$ `9 q" S. Q& Y人在德国 社区www.csuchen.de" J: b9 U/ h. R3 P* G8 U' k ' [( `' z* h1 t. b" w+ Y: N" |, t9 k- l9 e4 ] }1 j" H
, p5 }# z0 j: E! D$ Y- C5 T* c人在德国 社区, T; A4 | ?( x8 h
Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 20111 f. x/ y# Z- u3 M/ a/ Q
+ b" D, L7 l9 C% L9 ^! NLeeches 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. - H" U( p. k, Z% m7 n& D # ^! Z- |6 |, X2 H9 N人在德国 社区The idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood.人在德国 社区! v* u+ p" W/ I: X9 r- z
& Y- Q+ @/ A9 }: C; \9 u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. % L/ i: A" k( `0 B+ [www.csuchen.de: j0 ]8 e- G3 h, K! A4 I
Damien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.