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Ned B.'s avatar

On rectal thermometers (the time-machine scientist probing the dinosaur's rear end cartoon):

When I was a child, around six to nine years old, I had a pediatrician visit where the doctor took my temperature with a rectal thermometer, my first such experience. It looked like a normal, glass-encased mercury thermometer, the size of a small pencil. In and out, no problem, then it was gone. I asked the doctor, "Where did it go?"

Now, as an adult, I'm pretty sure he palmed it and I didn't see him put it away. But what the doctor told me, and what I believed for years, was: "I pushed it all the way in, don't worry, it will dissolve in there."

Dr. Malone, since you do doctoring for both humans and horses, can you tell me: was I being pranked?

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T.'s avatar

Ned,

Thanks for the visual, this AM

I guess my telling the doc before my colonoscopy that if they found a crayon up there, that it was from a bicycling accident when I was 6 years old.

Being a youngster, I ran my bike through an intersection, failing to heed to the blinking amber light, and was T-boned by another 6 year old on his bicycle, with a brand new box of Crayola crayons in his hand.

All chaos ensued.

We never found the missing blue one, so I've always assumed.

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Philip Coles's avatar

Not a good doctor on so many levels. It reminds me that many pedos choose vocations close or directly interacting with children. We need Lie Detectors so badly. There’s a niche that needs filling!

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villageid's avatar

Axillary temp could have been used. Rectal thermometer very invasive to kids!

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Micheal Nash, Ph. D.'s avatar

And the Texas Med Center informed that they could not ask for criminal history of candidates to be hired in children’s treatment areas.

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Philip Coles's avatar

Seems like they’re in on it then

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Shelley's avatar

When 4 to 6 years of age, a child can hold a thermometer in the mouth. If one tried that with a horse, the thermometer would no long perform its function.

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Micheal Nash, Ph. D.'s avatar

Remember when they took kids temps in the armpit?

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Shelley's avatar

Yes I do! Don't try that with a horse either.

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