HEALTH CARE

Dow Corning Sets Charge in Implant Case: The Midland, Mich.-based company said it is taking a special charge of $351.1 million to reflect a change in the company’s accounting method for its contribution to a global settlement related to breast implants. The charge will reduce its second-quarter net income but on an after-tax basis will be only $221.2 million. In December, 1993, the special charge taken by the company for a global settlement contribution was recorded on a present value, or discounted, basis, Dow Corning Corp. said in a statement. These amounts are now recorded at undiscounted values and reflect the entire $2 billion the company agreed to contribute to a global settlement, offset by $1.2 billion in expected insurance recoveries.