A YOUNG DOCTOR
When I first entered general practice in the UK in 1984, we did many home visits. I used to take with me a silver-coated bag, which I had spent many hours arranging. With it I thought I could cope with most emergencies. The silver coating was to reflect heat and keep the temperature in the bag constant. The bag held medicines, syringes, catheters, and many other things. I set up a computerised reminder system to help me keep the stock in date. I was very proud of my bag. I imagined that the older people who called me out, called me out because of my shiny bag and my knowledge of modern medicine. But I was wrong. As the years passed people continued to call me out, though my bag gradually became somewhat battered …