Correction Appended

THE FACTS: Can you catch a cold from catching a chill?

Common wisdom says yes, but scientists have for years insisted that colds are more common in the winter largely because the weather drives people indoors, allowing germs to jump easily from one person to the next.

Since the 1950's, a few studies have even provided scientific evidence, finding that groups of volunteers who were exposed to infectious mucus and then forced to sit in frigid rooms caught colds at the same rates as warm control groups. But perhaps the answer is not so clear cut.

In a study published this month in the journal Family Practice, researchers demonstrated for the first time that a drop in body temperature could in fact bring on a cold.

The study, by researchers at the Common Cold Center in England, was conducted on 180 volunteers. Some were forced to keep their bare feet in icy water for long periods, and others stayed dry. Within five days, 29 percent of those in the cold group developed sore throats and runny noses, compared with less than 10 percent in the second group.

One theory is that many people harbor mild dormant infections in the cold season that produce more severe symptoms when frigid temperatures lower immunity. For now, it seems, it may make sense to err on the side of staying warm.

THE BOTTOM LINE There is some evidence that being chilly can bring on a cold.

scitimes@nytimes.com

Correction: Nov. 29, 2005, Tuesday:
The "Really?" column in Science Times on Nov. 22, about the relationship of colds to cold weather, misstated the location of a research center that subjected study participants to icy water on their bare feet and found that they appeared more susceptible to the cold virus than their counterparts who were kept dry. The facility, the Common Cold Center, is in Wales, not England.