A medical bag (doctor's bag, physician's bag) is a portable bag used by a

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

or other

medical professional A health professional, healthcare professional, or healthcare worker (sometimes abbreviated HCW) is a provider of health care treatment and advice based on formal training and experience. The field includes those who work as a nurse, physician (suc ...

transport Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, an ...

medical supplies A medical device is any device intended to be used for medical purposes. Significant potential for hazards are inherent when using a device for medical purposes and thus medical devices must be proved safe and effective with reasonable assur ...

and

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

. Traditionally, the medical bag was made of

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...

, opened on the top with a split-

handle A handle is a part of, or attachment to, an object that allows it to be grasped and manipulated by hand. The design of each type of handle involves substantial ergonomic issues, even where these are dealt with intuitively or by following tra ...

design. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, physician's medical

saddle bag Saddlebags are bags that are attached to saddles. Horse riding In horse riding, saddlebags sit in various positions, on the back, side, or front of the saddle. Most attach to the saddle by straps and ties. They can be made from various material ...

s were used. Modern medical bags are made of various materials and come in various designs that can include many

pocket A pocket is a bag- or envelope-like receptacle either fastened to or inserted in an article of clothing to hold small items. Pockets are also attached to luggage, backpacks, and similar items. In older usage, a pocket was a separate small bag o ...

s, pouches, and

zipper A zipper, zip, fly, or zip fastener, formerly known as a clasp locker, is a commonly used device for binding together two edges of textile, fabric or other flexible material. Used in clothing (e.g. jackets and jeans), luggage and other Bag, ba ...

ed or

hook-and-loop Hook-and-loop fasteners, hook-and-pile fasteners or touch fasteners (often referred to by the genericized trademark velcro, due to the prominence of the Velcro Brand) consist of two components: typically, two lineal fabric strips (or, alternat ...

openings. Indigenous North American medicine men and shamans use a

medicine bag A medicine bag is usually a small pouch, worn by some Indigenous peoples of the Americas, that contains sacred items. A personal medicine bag may contain objects that symbolize personal well-being and tribal identity. Traditionally, medicine bags ...

. A battle bag is used in the military.

Popular culture

The original

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

comic book character carried a medical bag (as a Lt. Nurse) in which she carried her costume and accessories. In 1955, the

MV Joyita MV ''Joyita'' was an American merchant vessel from which 25 passengers and crew mysteriously disappeared in the South Pacific in October 1955. She was found adrift with no one aboard. The ship was in very poor condition, with corroded pipes ...

charter boat was found partially submerged after being missing for 5 weeks. Among the items found onboard was a doctor's bag containing a stethoscope, a scalpel, and four lengths of blood-stained bandages. In the television sitcom ''

The Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family from ...

'' (1962–1971), Granny Clampett is a backwoods doctor who has a medical bag.

Doctor Ross Isaiah Ross (October 21, 1925 – May 28, 1993), known as Doctor Ross, was an American blues musician who usually performed as a one-man band, simultaneously singing and playing guitar, harmonica, and drums. Ross's primal style has been ...

(Charles Isaiah Ross, 1925–1993) was an American blues musician nicknamed "Doctor" because of his habit of carrying his harmonicas in a black bag that resembled a doctor's bag. "

The Little Black Bag "The Little Black Bag" is a science fiction novelette by American Cyril M. Kornbluth, first published in the July 1950 edition of ''Astounding Science Fiction''. It is a predecessor of sorts to the story "The Marching Morons". It won the 2001 Ret ...

" is a short story by American science fiction author

Cyril M. Kornbluth Cyril M. Kornbluth (July 2, 1923 – March 21, 1958) was an American science fiction author and a member of the Futurians. He used a variety of pen-names, including Cecil Corwin, S. D. Gottesman, Edward J. Bellin, Kenneth Falconer, W ...

, first published in July 1950, about a disgraced doctor who comes across a medical bag from over a century in the future. It is the basis for a segment by the same name of Rod Serling's ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone'', ...

'' which aired December 23, 1970. In 1956,

Lynn Pressman Raymond Lynn Pressman Raymond (c. 1912 – July 22, 2009Grimes, William ''The New York Times'', August 1, 2009. Accessed August 2, 2009.) was an American business executive who joined her husband Jack Pressman in developing and growing the Pressman T ...

(of the

Pressman Toy Corporation Pressman Toy Corporation is a toy manufacturer based in Richardson, Texas. Founded in 1922 by Jack Pressman, it currently focuses on family games and licensed products. History The company was founded in 1922 by Jack Pressman, who brought in ...

) created the "Doctor Bag"

toy A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pet ...

to help children feel more comfortable with visits to the doctor. Seeing the anxiety of her children on visits to the doctor due to ill health or for vaccinations, she created the Doctor Bag—which included a

stethoscope The stethoscope is a medical device for auscultation, or listening to internal sounds of an animal or human body. It typically has a small disc-shaped resonator that is placed against the skin, and one or two tubes connected to two earpieces. ...

syringe A syringe is a simple reciprocating pump consisting of a plunger (though in modern syringes, it is actually a piston) that fits tightly within a cylindrical tube called a barrel. The plunger can be linearly pulled and pushed along the inside ...

, and other pretend medical supplies—to help kids deal with their fears. In the 1984 film ''

Crimes of Passion A crime of passion (French: ''crime passionnel''), in popular usage, refers to a violent crime, especially homicide, in which the perpetrator commits the act against someone because of sudden strong impulse such as anger rather than as a premed ...

'', the "Reverend" Peter Shayne (played by Anthony Perkins) carries a doctor's bag full of sex toys. The main character of 1990s television series ''

Northern Exposure ''Northern Exposure'' is an American Northern comedy-drama television series about the eccentric residents of a fictional small town in Alaska that ran on CBS from July 12, 1990, to July 26, 1995, with a total of 110 episodes. It received 57 ...

'', Dr. Joel Fleishman, carries a medical bag when making housecalls. Books about doctor's bags include ''What's in a Doctor's Bag?'' by

Neil B. Shulman Neil Barnett Shulman (March 18, 1945 – November 6, 2023) was an American doctor and medical writer, who was an Associate Professor in the School of Medicine at Emory University. He conducted and published clinical research on hypertension and wa ...

and Sibley Fleming, and ''My Doctor's Bag'' (2002, ) by

Anne Millard Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

. Some video games, such as the ''Battlefield'' series (2002–present) and '' Fallout: New Vegas'' (2010), use medical bags to increase the player's

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

. The ITV British police drama '' Heartbeat'' 2006 episode "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" is about a nurse, Carol Cassidy (played by Lisa Kay), who rushes off to treat an emergency, but absent-mindedly leaves her medical bag in her car which contains dangerous drugs; Carol has to fight for her career when local boys steal the bag. Throughout the series

House M.D. ''House'' (also called ''House, M.D.'') is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network for eight seasons, from November 16, 2004, to May 21, 2012. The series' main character is G ...

, each time that

Dr. House Doctor is an Academic degree, academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an Agent noun, agentive noun of the Latin verb 'to teach'. It has been used as an academic title in Europ ...

had his fellows break-into a patient's home to check for environmental toxins they each brought a medical bag with them containing (in addition to medical testing supplies),

breaking and entering Burglary, also called breaking and entering and sometimes housebreaking, is the act of entering a building or other areas without permission, with the intention of committing a criminal offence. Usually that offence is theft, robbery or murder ...

equipment. In 2011, the

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

reported that the Susan B. Anthony House museum had sold a large quantity of "a $250

handbag A handbag, commonly known as a purse or pocketbook in North American English, is a handled medium-to-large bag used to carry personal items. Purse, handbag or pouch The term "purse" originally referred to a small bag for holding coins. In many ...

made of fake alligator that was inspired by one of Anthony’s own club bags, similar to a doctor’s bag," noting that for Anthony, "a bag was not a fashion statement but a symbol of independence at a time when women were not allowed to enter into a contract or even open a bank account." In the 2014 TV series, Constantine, John Constantine carries around a medical bag filled with an assortment of supernatural tools.

References

External links

Doctor Bag Project - What's in the bag?
a glimpse into a doctor's bag from a typical late 1880s rural doctor,

Indiana Medical History Museum The Indiana Medical History Museum is an Indianapolis monument to the beginning of psychiatric medical research. It is located on the grounds of what was formerly Central Indiana Hospital for the Insane, later shortened to Central State Hospital ...

Series 13 - Medical bags, cases and other containers (with or without contents)
Medical History Museum,

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

{{Bags Bags Medical equipment

Popular culture

See also

References

External links