Bible Trivia
By WILSON CASEY

1. Is the book of 3 Kings in the Old or New Testament or neither?

2. From Revelation 12:9, what was the name of the old serpent? The Devil, Aster, Nehushtan, Lucifer

3. Which book begins, "Now David was old and stricken in years"? Numbers, 1 Kings, Psalms, Joel

4. From Psalms 114:4, what did the mountains skip like? Rams, Lambs, Waves, Children

5. Written around 45 A.D., what is the oldest book of the New Testament? Titus, Hebrews, James, Jude

6. Who was the son of David? Job, Isaiah, Solomon, Amos

ANSWERS: 1) Neither; 2) The Devil; 3) 1 Kings; 4) Rams; 5) James; 6) Solomon For more teasers, log on www.TriviaGuy.com (c) 2008 King Features Synd., Inc.

Many of you read with astonishment (disbelief, flabbergast,) my last week's article about the history of the beginning of the simple practice of hand washing- instigated by Dr. Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis as early as 1837 in Vienna- that saved the lives of thousands of women from childbed fever. He was ignored and belittled by his superiors for years to come. It would be forty years after his untimely early death in 1845 that hand washing as an antiseptic technique would be recognized and used in the practice of medicine/surgery by a moderate portion of medical professionals.

Joseph Lister, an English surgeon, in 1870 was the first to treat wounds with dressings soaked in carbolic acid (phenol). Lister, in agreement with Dr. Louis Pasteur, suggested surgeons wash their hands and sterilize their instruments before operating. After significant resistance, British and American hospitals gradually adopted the clean/sterile procedures promoted by Lister. It took many years for the early work of Ignaz Semmelweis to be heeded. (Yes, Listerine® mouthwash in 1928 was named after Dr. Lister).

Many of you may have received from friends by email the "dirty handbag" story. I'll give you a quick review in case you haven't. A woman's handbag is really dirty, because of where it has been! Think about it! While we may know what's inside our handbags, do you have any idea what's on the outside? Women carry their purses everywhere and plop them down anywhere handy or out of necessity. Make a list of everywhere you have sat your purse down. I'll help you: on the floor-- in the car, at the office, the doctor's office, at church, in a restaurant, in a public toilet, grocery shopping cart- where a baby diaper has been, etc. and then you will return home and place it on the kitchen table, kitchen counter (where food is prepared), on your bed, etc… Have you panicked yet?

It turns out handbags are so surprisingly dirty, even the microbiologists who tested them were shocked. Nelson Labs say nearly all of the purses tested were not only high in bacteria, but also high in harmful kinds of bacteria. Pseudomonas can cause eye infections, staphylococcus aurous can cause serious skin infections, and salmonella and e-coli found on the handbags could make people very sick.

In one sampling, four of five handbags tested positive for salmonella and fecal contamination. Leather or vinyl handbags tended to be cleaner than cloth, and lifestyle seemed to play a role. People with kids tended to have dirtier handbags than those without, with one exception of a single woman who frequented nightclubs had feces and vomit on her handbag.

So the moral of this story is to think about where your purse has been and don't ever put it near food preparation- use hooks to hang it on at home. It is as dirty as your shoes- would you put your shoes on the kitchen table? The microbiologist at Nelson also said cleaning a handbag will help. Wash cloth handbags and use leather cleaner to clean the bottom of leather handbags. When you return home- first thing-- hang the bag on a hook and then wash your hands!

A few years ago, my husband and I traveled to the Peoples Republic of China. We were told that China has viruses to which we Americans have not built up immunity. Therefore, it was very important for us to wash our hands often and not to touch our face and mouth. We made a truly conscious effort- I took a large quantity of Wash n' Dry towelettes, because in many places the water was not clean. We practiced not touching our eyes, nose, mouth, and any part of our face before we left on the trip- it is amazing how often we all touch our face! I can report: we did not catch a cold or anything else! We had an interesting educational trip- which I shall always remember!

It is never too early to start encouraging your children and grandchildren to practice goodhand washing hygiene and for YOU also! Wash your hands with soap and water, make a lather and scrub all surfaces- continue for 20 seconds- imagine singing "Happy Birthday" twice through to a friend. Rinse hands well under running water and dry with a paper towel or air dryer. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based gel to clean hands. Gotcha! Don't touch your face!

Claudia Parks, RN, is a former doctor's office and emergency room nurse and retired as an educator from Fulton County Schools. She writes Your Health Matters as a public service; the information here is designed to help you make informed choices about your health. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of your physician. Claudia and her husband make their home in the beautiful north Georgia Mountains. Claudia can be reached at yhm@windstream.net