FEED A COLD, STARVE A FEVER: A...

FEED A COLD, STARVE A FEVER: A Dictionary of Medical Folklore by Carol Ann Rinzler (Ballantine: $4.99; 286 pp.). Rinzler weighs the truth of familiar medical bromides in this entertaining compendium. Chocolate doesn’t cause acne (unless you’re allergic to it) and the combination of sugar, fat, theobromine and caffeine it contains makes it an excellent “energy food.” Blood isn’t thicker than water--human blood has about the same density as sea water--and chicken soup works as well as anything in relieving cold symptoms, although no one’s sure why. An amusing diversion for anyone suffering from the various bugs going around.