Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Clergy must wash hands in U.K. hospital
ISLE OF LEWIS, England, Jun 25, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Members of the clergy in the Western Isles of Britain are being told not to lay unwashed hands on hospital patients for fear of spreading an infection.
There has been concern that members of the clergy may unwittingly spread among patients superbugs like MRSA -- Methicillin-Resistant Taphylococcus Aureus -- a type of bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics. Staph infections, including MRSA, occur most frequently among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities such as nursing homes and dialysis centers.
The area's health board has drawn up a code of conduct for religious representatives making hospital visits, that requires members of the clergy to disinfect their hands properly before carrying out ceremonies such as blessings, the BBC reported Saturday.
The code also ensures patients do not receive a religious visit unless they have requested one, and it is now specified that visits by religious and faith representatives are at the discretion of the nursing staff.