Mystery Object - Star Trek Style

All right, Trekkers, here's a question for you: What's that thing on the wall? On a state-of-the-art starship, where virtually everything of importance is hidden behind an access panel, why is this thing bulging out into the corridor? There's no writing, no valves, no switches...what's this thing doing, painted bright red as if it was important.

Extra points for creativity!

Mystery Object du jour -Revealed

Enough suspense! Drum roll please! The object in the picture, next to the apothecary's mortar and pestle and the bottle of steam distilled pine oil (from a company whose name begins with "Coffin") is used for molding...suppositories!

I spotted this baby deep in the bowels of Stanford Hospital's pharmacy department.
I'm not sure who manufactured it, but obviously, they had business "up the wazoo"!
Heh.

Thanks for playing!

Mystery Object du jour

Can anyone tell me what this is?



(I know, I just think it might be fun to have people guessing.)

It appears to be cast iron. The photographs show it open and closed. I left a few objects in the frame that might give you a clue.

Happy guessing!