4 p4 k( F4 K$ Y& x. e" @8 RWomen turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011 5 n5 b4 E [0 J9 c N& B L1 e & r) h) O* l* Q1 c# c( S# uwww.csuchen.deLeeches 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. 2 l L8 }5 ]$ x4 B* s# ?; y+ Z! z: @* z
The idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood.- j7 r/ {' v! F j) j5 K
1 X+ ` T1 f9 x0 G% eThat 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. |: E1 U L) Kwww.csuchen.de) n0 x: p8 F4 A7 I
Damien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.