A GADGET from Intelligent Health Systems supposedly “eliminates itchiness and inflammation” from mosquito and other insect bites “in just a few clicks”. Mosquito-Click works by piezoelectricity, and its maker claims that “any irritating or poisonous substance introduced under the skin by an insect is altered and therefore inactivated by the application of electric pressure”.
Being sceptical by nature, we showed this to a colleague who edits medical features for New Scientist. “The mechanism it describes is definitely nonsense,” he commented. “But it might work another way: the electrical impulses could affect the nerves causing the itching sensation. A quick search reveals a…
