Talley and O’Connor
Talley and O’Connor’s Clinical Examination is the book by which countless doctors have learnt to physically examine patients. It is a required text for MBBS, and is a very highly regarded resource. It is, however, written a little (how does one say…) casually.
Of note is the introduction to the Digital Rectal Examination - the art of palpating the interior walls of one’s rectum with one’s first finger. In beginning the paragraph, the text states, “Now the time for action has come.” The chapter goes on to suggest that asking the patient to “breathe in and out, quietly through the mouth” may aid in distracting the patient from the forthcoming intrusion.
Talley and O’Connor. What men!
