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。* v- C* X5 a! E# i* w8 @
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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。人在德国 社区% M3 n5 T8 }0 T% j
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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。 3 j, B9 N& F* X * u2 E) Y" P8 q1 Wcsuchen.de$ R5 H( H5 q, o
0 r7 V) ?/ o% O4 k& r ' P- T4 \' n j$ ~csuchen.de 8 i7 V: t5 s/ A; K! RWomen turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011csuchen.de# v! N, h! |7 B* e$ g/ }
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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.' e2 c" B9 \) Q b
/ a, G7 K; V% n, ZThe idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood. % L2 L. @0 o7 J. Y6 n" e6 Lcsuchen.de ! D8 _& d3 m* A0 WThat 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. 8 @* ~& o9 N$ p7 s$ l G# P T. ]/ g- @0 ~( Kcsuchen.deDamien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.