When it comes to food poisoning, big outbreaks make headlines. E. coli in apple juice and alfalfa sprouts. Listeria in cheese and hot dogs. Salmonella in eggs and on poultry. But the most frequently diagnosed food-borne bacterium rarely makes the news. The name of the unsung bug? Campylobacter.

After a restaurant patron in Cincinnati complained last summer that his iced tea smelled like sewage, the city's health department sampled iced tea from several area restaurants. The study revealed high levels of coliform bacteria, prompting the state of Kentucky to launch a similar survey of its restaurants - and how to properly prepare brewed iced tea.

The human pancreas, an elongated, flattened gland behind the stomach, is involved in or affected by a number of diseases, including diabetes mellitus, cystic fibrosis, pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer. These conditions are diagnosed and treated with products regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

By and large, candy isn't considered a threat to health, with the exception of the hazard of dental caries, or tooth decay. By definition, candy contains sugar, which is the prime source of sustenance for the ever-present bacteria responsible for cavities.

A century ago, babies who couldn't be breast-fed usually didn't survive. Today, although breast-feeding is still the best nourishment for infants, infant formula is a close enough second that babies not only survive but thrive.

Some of the medicines of homeopathy evoke positive images - chamomile, marigold, daisy, onion. But even some of Mother Nature's cruelest creations - poison ivy, mercury, arsenic, pit viper venom, hemlock - are part of homeopathic care.