Intemperance excites bad passions and leads to quarrels and crimes. Alcohol costs a lot of money, which might be used for better purposes. The mind is stupefied by drink and the person who drinks will, in course of time, become unfit for his duties. Both health and character are often ruined.
Thus we must remember that moderation in eating and drinking, reasonable hours of labour and study, regularity in exercise, recreation and rest, cleanliness and many other essentials lay the foundations for good health and long life.
2. AT THE DOCTOR’S
PATIENT. May I see Doctor N., the therapeutist?
CLERK. Doctor N. is not receiving just now. You can see Doctor M.
P. Where does he see his patients?
Cl. Room 20. Second floor to the right.
P. Thank you.
Q. Are you all waiting for Doctor M.?
2nd P. No, there are only two of us to see Doctor M.
P. Is he a good specialist? I’ve never been to him before.
2nd P. Oh, yes, he’s quite an experienced doctor, I should say. He examines patients thoroughly. I’ve been ... Oh, here comes the patient. It’s my turn now. Excuse me.
In the Consulting-room
PATIENT. Good morning, doctor.
DOCTOR. Morning. What is wrong with you?
P. I’m awfully sick, doctor. All night I’d been having an awful pain in the stomach.
Dr. Why didn’t you call in a doctor?
P. Well, it had subsided a little in the morning so I thought I might come myself.
Dr. Where does it pain you?
P. Here, doctor.
Dr. Strip to the waist, please, and lie down on the couch.
(The patient undresses and lies down.)
Dr. Which side did you say the pain was on?
P. Right here, doctor.
(The doctor feels his stomach with his fingers.)
Dr. Any rigidity here?
P. I don’t feel any.
Dr. Here?
P. Oh, yes.
Dr. What have you been eating of late?
P. Well, I think everything that I’ve always been used to — meat, cabbage, and the like.
Dr. Does this often happen with you?
P. Not that I remember, doctor.
Dr. Seems you will have to be operated on for appendicitis.
P. Yes? I’m rather scared, doctor.
Dr. You needn’t be. Stand up and let me check your heart and blood pressure.
(The doctor checks.)
P. Is it all right, doctor?
Dr. Yes, and your blood pressure is almost normal, too.
(He gives the patient the thermometer.)
Put this under your armpit.
(After some time.) A slight temperature. You may dress now. Well, here is an admittance to the hospital. Goodbye.
3. A CALL
MOTHER. Someone is ringing. Go and see who is at the door, Annie.
ANNIE. It’s the doctor, ma. He has come to see little George.
MOTHER. Good morning, doctor. I am sorry to tell you that my little boy is ill.
DOCTOR. Indeed! I am sorry to hear it. Where is he?
MOTHER. This way, doctor.
DOCTOR. How long has he been ill?
MOTHER. Since yesterday morning, doctor.
DOCTOR. Well, my little friend, what is the matter with you?
GEORGE. I have a pain in my head and in my throat.
DOCTOR. Let me see your tongue. It is thickly furred. Give me your hand and let me feel your pulse.
MOTHER. High, doctor?
DOCTOR. Rather. There is a little fever. (To George.) Have you any appetite?
GEORGE. No, sir. I have not eaten since yesterday.
DOCTOR. Are you thirsty?
GEORGE. Yes, sir.
DOCTOR. Do you sleep well?
GEORGE. Sometimes. Last night I did not sleep at all.
DOCTOR. I shall make out a prescription. (To the mother.) He should take the medicine a tablespoonful every 4 hours.
MOTHER. Yes, doctor. But is it serious?
DOCTOR. No, you need not fear. I’ll call around tomorrow at about the same time. Goodbye.
MOTHER. Goodbye, doctor.
4. AT THE DENTIST’S
Once I had had a toothache for several days, but I couldn’t pluck up courage to go to the dentist. As a matter of fact I went twice, but just as I got on his doorstep and was going to ring the bell the toothache seemed to have gone away, so I went home again. But at last I had to go back, and this time I rang the bell and was shown into the waiting-room.
There were a number of magazines there, and I had just got in the middle of an exciting story when the maid came in to say Mr. Puller was ready to see me — I’ll have to wait for the next toothache to finish the story.
Well, I went into the surgery (the room where a doctor or dentist gives advice or treatment) and he told me to sit in a chair that he could move up and down, backwards and forwards, and then he had a look at the inside of my mouth. He put a little mirror on a long handle inside my mouth and poked about for a while, then he looked serious and said, “Yes, I’m afraid we can’t save that one, it will have to come out.”
I asked him to give me an injection. He filled a syringe with a liquid called cocaine. I felt a little prick on the gum and then he injected the cocaine. He did this in two or three places and waited for a minute or so.
My mouth felt rather dead. Then he took a pair of forceps, gripped the tooth, gave a twist, then a pull, and the tooth was out. I could see it and hear it but I couldn’t feel it. Then he said, “It’s all over. Spit in there and then wash your mouth out with this disinfectant.”
Л/ter “Essential English for Foreign Students ” by G. E. Eckersley.
5. SLEEP
G. Good morning, Mrs. Hamilton. Tom is up, isn’t he?
Mrs. H. Tom up? I don’t think he is. You might as well go in and see for yourself. (They both go into the bedroom.) Well, here he is — sleeping the sleep of the just.
G. Yes, dead asleep. He’s snoring rather loudly, I should say. Mrs. H. He’s sleeping on his back. Tom! Wake up, Tom!
T. (In his sleep.) Give it back, do you hear?
G. He’s talking in his sleep. (Shaking him.) Tom, get up, you —.
T. Eh! What the —. Oh, that(’s) you, George!
G. No other. When do you intend to get up, I should like to know?
T. Get up? Why, what’s the time, anyway?
G. It’s time to get up, that’s what it is. You haven’t forgotten, I hope, that we are to be at the station for the 8.30 train?
Mrs. H. Well, Tom, be quick about it. I’ll make you a hasty breakfast while you wash and dress. Will you join Tom with the breakfast, George?
G. I don’t mind if I do. I didn’t have it at home. Thought I’d be late.
T. Switch on the radio, George, will you?
G. I say, Tom, here’s no time for any jerks now. You get along and wash yourself.
T. All right, (After some minutes Tom comes in. He begins to dress.)
G. You are a heavy sleeper, Tom, you are.
T. Well, I went to bed late last night, you know.
G. I suppose you think you never snore.
T. I know I don’t.
G. My aunt!
(Mrs. H. comes into the room)
Mrs. Hamilton, did you hear what —?
Mrs. H. I did indeed, but I don’t think you have time to argue about that now. Come, breakfast is ready.
VI. At Home
1. THE HOUSE
In many parts of England cottages are built in a long row, each house joined to the next one, and each with a small yard at the back, and a still smaller one at the front. On the ground floor there are generally two rooms, and on the upper one, the first floor, two. In the bigger of the lower rooms food is prepared, meals are eaten and guests are received. Such a room is called a kitchen or simply a living-room.
Here is the description of such a living-room.
It has three doors: the one in the centre leads out on to the street, the one on the right — to the stairs landing to the first floor, and the one on the left — to a bedroom on the ground floor. There is a fireplace on the right. Dark curtains cover the window at the back.
