The small table next to the examination table in pediatrician's office

Whenever I entered one of the examining rooms at my pediatrician's office, the first thing I always noticed was the small table near the end of the examining table. It housed several things that were used mainly by nurses, such as cotton swabs, gauze pads, bandaids, the blood pressure monitor, tongue depressors, alcohol, the thermometer which was kept in a glass jar immersed with alcohol, tissues, and the ever present large jar of vaseline. The strong smell of the alcohol always got my attention, which was followed by eyeing the vaseline, which would be shortly used in taking my temperature. I wonder how many of you noticed this array of stuff, and wondered what would be used on you.

Hmm, 'the strong smell of the alcohol' that you mention, Fontana, was something that always got to me as a boy when l found myself in a doctor's office. It reminded me of my two stays in hospital (at ages 4 and 12), and always made me nervous. I think l associated it with the smell of the anaesthetic from my tonsils operation!

Smells can have powerful associative effects, can't they?!

- Ken

My current doctor doesn't use the small table, instead he just uses the ever present countertop to keep his supplies handy. I love looking at the old fashioned glass jars with lids holding gauze pads, long q-tips, and tongue depressors. My favorite visual aids are the little rubber mallet and, of course, the tube of lubricating jelly. Looking at those items and imaging all the people he's used those items on gets me going everytime.

My doctor also just had everything on a countertop, or in an old fashioned cabinet with glass doors. The glass jars with metal lids too. The only time they used a tray was for special procedure, like treating a wound, doing stitches.

I agree that the smell of alcohol certainly brings back memories every time I walk into a medical setting where that is present. The sense of smell is very memory evoking.

Absolutely. I remember the metal table and seeing the instruments. Of course all I could focus on was the thermometers in their containers and the jar of Vaseline. It would cause me anxiety wondering which thermometer would be used.

My doctor always just used the countertop I remember the thermometer holders and all the glass jars. For some reason both the rectal and oral thermometers were in blue holders although the rectal one had a small piece of red tape on it. Also remember the wall mounted otoscsope and the wall mounted blood pressure cuff.