Norway´s national broadcaster NRK this week featured a case about a death related to acupuncture.
In February of 2015 a man died of infection shortly after visiting an acupuncture clinic. He had been there for treatment many times before, as this was a training clinic for new acupuncturists.
This time the student inserted the needle, discovered that the needle was placed wrong and proceeded to extract the needle before reinserting the same needle.
Four days after the treatment, the man fell ill. He was quickly committed to hospital, where the doctors could conclude that he had a blood infection. In the following four days he gained 20 kg from swelling and after 2 cardiac arrests his body could tolerate no more.
Eight days after the acupuncture treatment he was dead and his wife of 15 years marriage left a widow.
The autopsy never clearly stated that the death was caused by acupuncture, but no other reason for the rapid blood infection was found.
The norwegian skeptical association, SKEPSIS have not been very active the last few years. This has been due to problems with the board, and an organisation which was not rigged for adversity.
Some members have soldiered on through these tough times, and the organisation has stayed afloat, despite not organising events or collecting membership fees.
After talks about closing down the organisation this summer two former board chairmen decided to try too collect a new board and keep the organisation working.
This October a board consisting of 4 people were elected to assemble the pieces. The boards first assignment is to start up the organisation anew, to get noticed and make a platform for further growth.
Keshe foundations claims to heal cancer in an interview with local newspaper “Itromsø“.
The foundation claims to have made a machine that uses “plasma” to balance the body and therefore cure cancer. The interview was held in a local alternative fair and Keshe foundation had a stand at this fair.
In Norway, such claims are forbidden by law, and norwegian consumer authorities will investigate the foundation.
The people behind the foundation are also associated with the Magrav Power Plasma generator which claims to provide free energy and the norwegian alternative website “nyhetsspeilet”.
One can suspect that the claims are a calculated risk, because the norwegian laws are quite clear regarding such claims, but the penalty is not very severe.
We are happy to see that Skeptics in the pub has been started in Bergen.
If you are visiting Bergen and wish to meet fellow skeptics, click the link and see if something is happening, or send a message
