Source: The TIME NR. 40/2004, 23. September 2004, science part, P. 46

 

That can be done under the skin

The insect illusion has sometimes a completely natural explanation: Springschwaenze

Of Marks of Benecke

Further legend topics: Spontaneous self inflammation (SHC) (national Geographic)/ Snuff of films (archives for Kriminologie)/ large city legends (South German newspaper)/ Vampire & corpses (national Geographic)/ blood miracles of Neapel (San Gennaro) (Skeptiker/ZDF)/ ape man of Delhi (South German newspaper)/ magnetic mountains / slaughtering in mutual agreement (Meiwes/Brandes) (Kriminalistik)

Randy Yaskal from Charlotteville was the firm conviction to be stricken by tiny crawling animals. Six or achtbeinige organisms in its skin tormented it, in the meat. It described itself in such a way, "as if someone would have shot with a shotgun at me". If it scratched itself somewhere, Schueppchen rieselten. But no humans, above all no physician, believed him that the cause for it parasites could be. Already years ago it received the diagnosis: delusiory parasitosis (delusionary parasitosis) - insect illusion. Thus all fancy.

The diagnosis "insect illusion" became in 19 psychiatrically for the first time. Century described. Today the phenomenon is well-known as Ekbom syndrome, chronic tactile Halluzinose or Entomophobie. Still in October 2003 the Medical Tribune of family doctors reminded to deal with concerning carefully: "the guidance of the patients requires special intuitive feeling. Despite negative findings they persist usually in the vermin infestation." They would lose fast the confidence, and then the danger of dangerous self-treatments was large.

In Germany one under one million humans expects about six with Dermatozoen illusion. "the real number actually lies probably much more highly", says Roland joy man of the psychiatric university clinic Ulm. "defiance of the apparently simply recognizable symptoms lasts it on the average three to four years, until the diagnosis stands." So one may not confound the syndrome about with the Epizoonosen illusion, also "cocaine beetle" mentioned, some cocaine-dependent. Also they suffer not rarely from nervlich caused itching.

In the past year now the case of the Randy Yaskal took a surprising idiom, when Hautschuppen of it unite and its suffering comrades at national public health authorities in Oklahoma as well as at the natural history museum in New York arrived. There the Medizinerin Deborah Altschuler and the Insektenkundler Louis Sorkin of some attempts of the deceased Romanian veterinarian Parasitologen Neculai Dulceanu remembered itself. That had already several times found tiny insects in the skin allegedly psychologically patients. Thus one discovered all development stages (eggs, dolls, adults of animals) of Collembolen (Springschwaenzen) in the skin of a 80-year old woman. The wingless insects have it gladly warmly and damp.

The scientists wanted to now know it more exactly. They asked twenty freiwillige, who were considered as uneinsichtig drilled insect illusion patients, but suffered neither at lice nor at Kraetze, to the skin sample. And the observations of the Romanian were confirmed: With 18 of the 20 examined patients Collembolen - again in all development stages - in and under the skin actually lived. Is the Springschwaenze a cause of itching and stinging? Does the alleged illusion have thus a material cause?

Fray to Janssens of the University of Antwerp years ago the knowledge over Springschwaenze arising human being near had already gathered and had determined that the Tierchen is very frequently guests in human dwellings. On some duschvorhaengen they form a genuine Collembolen carpet; or they immigrate to thousands to dwellings, if it becomes too uncomfortable them outside. They do not crawl to everyone nevertheless under the skin. The US researcher team assumes that the skin of the striking is attacked by mushrooms, sporen, pollen or other all genes already before. The Springschwaenze nisten itself then into "wounds already existing".

That sounds eklig, is however a certain comfort for the concerning. "at least now nobody regards me more as errs", says Randy Yaskal.

Mark of Benecke works internationally as Kriminalbiologe.

 

I am no physician I am biologist.

since you seem to be however an expert, what concerns the human body and insects, I would like to ask you hereby, what one could do, in order the Springschwaenze under the skin to loose-will (with alive humans). In addition unfortunately nothing was located in your article.

that I have wrongly expressed with "in" strike meant I: "strikes in abschabeungen".

"under" in the actual sense never is it strikes.

do not collembolen can under strikes to live, since they would die immediately there and also at no wise living there to arrive to be able.

very cordially Mark benecke

Thank you and Yours sincerely

Berit xxxxxxx

On 8. September 2005, RK 13:51, Berit xxxxx wrote:

Dear Dr. Benecke,

have thank you for your fast and helpful answer!
Kind regards
Berit

very gladly!

all good

Mark benecke

 

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Selected email traffic in this more matt:

(Oct 9, 2004) dear fray (and dear deborah, dear morgellons.org people)

i at happpy tons the READ you. thank you for mailing.

fray janssens wrote:

1. I had the opportunity tons discuss the case OF the Romanian woman with the late Dr Neculai Dulceanu, and incoming goods reached following consensus. The so-called eggs seem ton ascomycetes, the so-called larvae seems ton A more rotifier (note that collembola DO emergency have A larval steam turbine and gas turbine systems; the roofridge instar already looks like its adult parents, only it is much smaller), the so-called pupae CAN emergency from A collembolan (Collembola DO emergency have A pupa steam turbine and gas turbine systems),

yes, the "pupa" thing is indeed A mistake into the of report

the one adult specimen that which found into the skin culture after several days which tentatively identified by myself as Willowsia buskii based on the image published RK the website (I have emergency lakes the specimen itself), A regular cathedral TIC Collembola. Incoming goods more consider the specimen as A SAM-polarize contamination; most probably it which SAM-polarizes attracted by the OF skin into the laboratory and got trapped in it. W. buskii's morphology is that OF A typical epigeic one. As surface more dweller it is emergency built for burrowing into human skin.

A) i fully and-purchased and wants for ADD the note ton the InterNet version OF my article

b) meanwhile, i checked skin scrapings OF A client with insectophobia and found parts OF insects into there

some OF the scrapings were sampled by A medical doctor who sealed the envelope -- the client could more neither touch nor contaminate this SAM-polarizes

C) i DO and-purchased that collembola acres unlikely organisms ton in skin but i did finds RK expect leases one arthropod that one May take as A jumps tail (i thus saw others)

D) about the photo qualitiy: the pics were bath into the PAPERS more however, i DO use A leica mz 12,5 which is the best dissectiong microscope (German: "binocular") i CAN imagine -- through it, i personally did lake some insect parts, and complete insects

being A forenisc biologist who checks for insects and their parts on crime scenes, i have ton say: i did personally lake the insect parts

e) i DO of however EMERGENCY say they cause any illness, allergy etc..

i just plainly say that they were present in skin scrapings from A patient with insectophobia

f) distinctively from that, please and-purchased that i at the A of member OF the "German Society for for Scientific Examinations OF Allegedly Paranormal Claims" (Skeptic Society, GWUP) and debunk all type OF bio nonsense with pleasure

more however, here, the question remains, WHERE the insects come from

they ACRES present

2. With respect ton the PAPERS OF Deborah Altschuler & aluminium: Note that ago conclusions acres based solely on interpretation OF digitally enhanced images.

as above -- i used my own equipment which is the best money CAN buy

without any digitally stuff, i did clearly lake insects and parts OF insects, some collected by the clients, some collected by A medical doctor in A sealed envelope

On emergency enhanced images, emergency-hung which lakes. Emergency one single OF Collembola specimen has been found. One should take into account A possible Rorshach effect. Thus as long as NO specimen CAN produced, the case is considered unproven.

as above

-- i thus talked ton the psychiatrist whom i mention into my article, and i guess incoming goods of acres all unsure what the presence OF the insects actually means

-- i DO emergency want ton say the client keeps smearing insects on skin, or collects them in ago appartment ago or outside -- it is have ton of checks wants possible but i ago appartment because some OF the insects she carried were really hard tons spot (small!) and even harder tons collect for on untrained person

Care should taken OF emergency giving false hope tons patients suffering from biting sensation.

i agree

i DO emergency care about the "biting" or "itching" more either -- i only checks material, physical evidence

A possible explanation for the biting sensation (alternative for delususionay parasitosis or parasitic Collembola) is Lyme disease or related one. Untreated Lyme May affect the nervous system into due time and the affected nerve May gene-guessed/advised false biting sensation.

yes, i agree -- thus allergies and many OTHER things acres A possible cause

more however, i DO emergency care about this, i only checks for material insects

Lake http://www.Morgellons.org I have taken the liberty tons of CC Mary Leitao OF the The Morgellons Research Foundation, Deborah Altschuler OF the NPA, and Frauke Buettner, who contacted ME after reading your publication.

thank you for ccing -- i initially pointed Mrs. Buettner ton you

all the best

maybe incoming goods meet one day (client, you, ME psychiatrist) ton of checks the evidence and think about possible explanations for the insects that i did actually lake

yours

Mark


 

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(C) The TIME & Dipl. Biol. Dr. rer. medic. Mark of Benecke , Certified Forensic bio logist, internationally Forensic Research & Consulting, p.o. box 250411, 50520 Cologne, email forensic@benecke.com, Phone/SMS/Mailbox +49 173 287 3136, http://www.benecke.com/. Load update OF this PAGE on Sept 9, 2005.