When finding a person's rectal temperature, it helps to use a cream on the thermometer.

The child is younger than 3 months old with a rectal temperature of 100.4 degrees F or higher.

How could anyone possibly enjoy taking the rectal temperature of a corpse?

A rectal temperature would be required to rule that out.

Usually the rectal temperature would be heavily relied on, although it had not been taken in this case.

It is easy to get a rectal temperature from a downed cow, he said, but difficult to do so in a moving, upset one.

A measured rectal temperature can give some indication of the time of death.

From the rectal temperature, I'd say he's been that way from somewhere between five and eight hours.

A rectal temperature of 100.5 F or above should always be considered a fever.

A rectal temperature is considered the most accurate body temperature.