TEXT 4. Hippocrates

Hippocrates (460?-377?bc), greatest physician of antiquity, regarded as the father of medicine. Born probably on the island of Kos, Greece, Hippocrates traveled widely before settling on Kos to practice and teach medicine. He died in Larissa, Greece; little else is known about him. His name is associated with the Hippocratic Oath, though he probably is not the author of the document. In fact, of the approximately 70 works ascribed to him in the Hippocratic Collection, Hippocrates may actually have written about six of them. The Hippocratic Collection probably is the remnant of the medical library of the famous Kos school of medicine. His teachings, sense of detachment, and ability to make direct, clinical observations probably influenced the other authors of these works and had much to do with freeing ancient medicine from superstition.

Among the more significant works of the Hippocratic Collection is Airs, Waters, and Places (5th century BC), which, instead of ascribing diseases to divine origin, discusses their environmental causes. It proposes that considerations such as a town's weather, drinking water, and site along the paths of favorable winds can help a physician ascertain the general health of citizens. Three other works—Prognostic, Coan Prognosis, and Aphorisms—advanced the then-revolutionary idea that, by observing enough cases, a physician can predict the course of a disease.

The idea of preventive medicine, first conceived in Regimen and Regimen in Acute Diseases, stresses not only diet but also the patient's general way of living and how it influences his or her health and convalescence. Sacred Disease, a treatise on epilepsy, reveals the rudimentary knowledge of anatomy in ancient Greece. Epilepsy was believed to be caused by insufficient air, which was thought to be carried by the veins to the brain and limbs. In Joints, the use of the so-called Hippocratic bench is described for treating dislocations. Also of interest are Wounds in the Head, Women's Diseases, and Dismembering of the Feotus in the Womb.

Exercise 1. Answer the questions:

1. What is Hippocrates’ contribution to medical science?

2. What is the origin of diseases according to Hippocrates?

3. What was considered to be Sacred Disease?

4. What other ancient medical practitioners do you know?

Exercise 2. Find the Hippocratic Oath text. Is the Oath still taken by the doctors-to-be? What strikes you most about it?

III. SEEING A DOCTOR

Exercise 1.Put each of the following words in its correct place in the passage below.

thermometer ward prescription operation

stethoscope pulse receptionist appointment

symptoms chemist examine treatment

waiting room temperature

At the Doctor

When I go to the doctor, I tell the ___________ my name and take a seat in the _______________. My doctor is very busy so I have to make an ________________ before I go to see him. He asks me what's wrong with me, I tell him the ______________ of my illness, for example high temperature, difficulty in breathing, or pains, and then he will usually ____________ me. He'll listen to my heart with his ______________, he'll hold my wrist to feel my ____________, he'll take my ____________ with his _____________. The problem is usually something simple and he might give me a ______________ for some medicine, which I take to the ______________. Of course, if I needed more serious treatment, I'd have to go to hospital. There I'd be put in a bed in a ______________ with 10 or 20 other people. If there were something seriously wrong with me, I might need an ________________.

Exercise 2.Which of the specialists would you consult in each of the following cases?

1) To operate on an eye cataract _ c _ _ _ _ _;

2) to cure your son's measles _ _ _ d _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _;

3) to deliver a baby _ _ _ t _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _;

4) to test your eyesight _ _ t _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _;

5) to cure a rash on the skin c _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _;

6) to treat a sick mind p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _;

7) to operate on your appendix _ _ r _ _ _ _;

8) to treat Peter's deformed hip _ _ _ _ _ p _ _ _ _ _;

9) to analyze your dreams _ s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _;

10) to treat the ailments of a woman _ _ n _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

Exercise 3.Read the texts.

Mary Healy fell off her bicycle. She’s in the emergency room at the local hospital. Dr. Singh is examining her.

Doctor: Well, hello, young lady. It looks like you’ve had quite a fall. What were you doing? Going too fast?

Mary: Yes, doctor. I fell off going around a corner.

Doctor: I see. Well, let me take a look at you. Hm. That’s a bad cut. I’ll have to put a couple of stitches in that.

Mary: I have a cut here too, doctor.

Doctor: It looks worse than it is. Only the skin is broken. The nurse will clean it up for you. It’ll sting, but that’s all. Now does it hurt anywhere else?

Mary: I have a pain in my arm. It’s very sore, and it feels stiff.

Doctor: Well, there’s nothing broken, but you’ve bruised your shoulder. It’ll be sore for a few days. Did you bump your head?

Mary: Yes, I did. I fell on the bike. But it doesn’t hurt now.

Doctor: Did you feel dizzy?

Mary: No, not at all.

Doctor: Look up there. I’m going to shine this light in your eye. Uh huh. All right. That’s fine. I’ll sew this cut up, and the nurse will put a bandage on it. Then you can go home.

* * *

Jean Weiner has gone to see Dr. Carlos Valencia, her family doctor.

Jean: Good morning, doctor.

Doctor: Oh, good morning, Mrs. Weiner. What seems to be the problem today?

Jean: It’s those pills, doctor. They don’t seem to be doing me any good.

Doctor: Really? What’s wrong?

Jean: What isn’t wrong with me, doctor! It’s old age, I suppose.

Doctor: You’re doing very well, Mrs. Weiner! You’ll live to be a hundred!

Jean: I have this terrible cough, doctor, and I still have that rash on my hands. And the backache! I can hardly walk sometimes. You don’t think it’s cancer, do you? I’ve been reading so much about it in the paper.

Doctor: No, no. No chance of that. You are in a good shape for your age.

Jean: You can’t be serious. Anyway, I’m almost finished with the old pills, doctor. Can you give me a different colour next time?

Exercise 3.1.Mark each true statement T and each false statement F:

1. When Mary fell of her bicycle she hurt her knee badly. Her knee looked red and swollen.

2. Mary decided against consulting a doctor. She took some cloth, dropped it to the cold water, and put it on the bruise. She thought it would relieve the pain.

3. Mary made up her mind to consult the doctor. She went to the local hospital and asked Dr. Singh to examine her.

4. Dr. Singh said it was a bad cut. He had to put a couple of stitches in the injured knee.

5. Dr. Singh examined Mary and came to the conclusion that it was a fracture. It was impossible to see an open fracture without X-rays and the doctor used X-ray to see the break.

6. The doctor put plaster cast on the broken limbs.

7. Mary had a pain in her arm. It felt stiff. In addition, she bruised her shoulder.

8. The doctor promised he would sew that cut up and asked the nurse to put a bandage on it.

9. The doctor says Mrs. Weiner is in poor health. She has aches and pains of every description.

10. The doctor supposes Mrs. Weiner has pneumonia or consumption. He asks Jean to pass a blood test. He is sure she must have her chest X-rayed.

11. Mrs. Weiner has a hacking cough. Besides, she has a rash on her hands. Sometimes it’s difficult for Jean to walk because she has a backache.

12. The doctor considers Mrs. Weiner to be in good shape for her age.

Exercise 3.2.Explain the following words and phrases as they have been used in the texts. Translate them into Ukrainian:

Emergency room; local hospital; it looks like; to take a look at smb (smth); a bad cut; to put a couple of stitches; it looks worse than it is; to have a pain in one’s arm; to feel stiff; to bruise one’s shoulder; to bump one’s head; to feel dizzy; to sew the cut up; to put a bandage on; to have a rash on one’s hands; to be in good shape for one’s age.

Exercise 4.Compose a short story about a person who had an accident and was taken to the first-aid room using the expressions:

To give the first aid; to give the help to an injured person; to be calm and act without panic; the first-aid room; to make a quick examination; to load a syringe; to ease (relieve) a pain; to fell and bruise one’s leg (arm) badly; a break in a bone (fractured bone); closed (open) fractures; to lay a patient down on a stretcher cart; a plaster cast; to put a limb (an arm) in a splint; set of splints; to complain of a pain in the place of the break (fracture, sprain); to use X-rays to see the break; to suffer from a pain; to have so much pain that one can’t take a deep breath; to paint the cuts with iodine; to put on (take off) a bandage; to put (take off) stitches; a sling for an arm in a plaster cast; to remove the cast; to put (change, remove, apply) a dressing on smb’s wound (an arm, a hand, leg, head), etc.; a successful outcome.

Exercise 5.Insert articles where necessary. Explain the use (or absence) of articles:

A.

___(1) ambulance doctor must have ____ (2) deep knowledge of ____(3) emergency surgery, toxicology, therapy, obstetrics and gynaecology. He must always do his best to give ___ (4) patient ___(5) proper aid.

While working at ___(6) First Aid Station he/she may have ___(7) serious cases…

___(8) call was made to ___(9) First Aid Station. It appeared that ___ (10) man had met with ___ (11) accident. When ___(12) doctor reached ___ (13) place of ___ (14) accident he examined ___(15) victim. ___ (16) man was badly injured. He had ___(17) open bleeding wound in his leg, his arm was fractured, and there were many injuries, abrasions and bruises on his face and shoulders. ___(18) man lost his consciousness and was moaning all the time.

___(19) doctor tried to arrest profuse arterial bleeding; he elevated ___(20) injured limb carefully and applied ___(21) tourniquet to it. Next he applied ___(22) sterile gauze dressing on ___(23) man’s face and forehead to prevent contamination. Then ___ (24) doctor examined ___(25) arm and applied ___(26) splint to it. ___ (27) injection of ___(28) seductive (a pain killer) having been given, ___ (29) man recovered his consciousness.

It was necessary to transport ___ (30) patient to ___ (31) nearest hospital without ___(32) delay as he was in ___ (33) very poor condition. ___ (34 stretcher-bearers laid ___ (35) patient down on ___ (36 stretcher carefully and in ___ (37) quarter of ___ (38) our ___ (39) patient was brought to ___ (40) hospital. If ___ (41) ambulance doctor hadn’t given ___(42) patient ___ (43) emergency help, ___ (44) patient would have died.

B.

At ___ (1) half past 10 a.m. ___ (2) ambulance brought to ___ (3) hospital ___ (4) girl of 14. ___ (5) girl complained of ___ (6) pain in ___ (7) right lower part of her stomach. ___ (8) doctor asked ___ (9) girl to lie down on ___ (10) couch and began his examination by palpating ___ (11) patient’s abdomen. He made ___ (12) diagnosis of ___ (13) acute appendicitis.

___ (14) acute appendicitis is very dangerous to ___ (15) life and its onset is often sudden. In some cases of ___ (16) acute appendicitis ___ (17) gangrenous and perforating forms complicated by ___ (18) peritonitis may be observed.

For this reason, ___ (19) surgeon directed ___ (20) girl to ___ (21) in-patient department for being operated on at once. It was necessary to remove ___ (22) appendix immediately in order to prevent its rupture which might cause ___ (23) peritonitis with ___ (24) fatal outcome.

___ (25) same day ___ (26) girl had been operated on for ___ (27) acute appendicitis. The next day she was wheeled on ___ (28) stretcher cart to ___ (29) dressing room. Having helped to lay ___ (30) patient down on ___ (31) dressing-table ___ (32 )surgeon began to dress her wound. Then ___ (33) surgeon examined ___ (34) wound and carefully took out ___ (35) gauze drain soaked with ___ (36) pus. After washing ___ (37) edges of ___ (38) operating wound ___ (39) surgeon put ___ (40) new outer bandage on ___ (41) wound. ___ (42) girl’s post-operative condition was good and ___ (43) wound was healing well. She was out of danger and very soon was up and about.

Exercise 6.Put the sentences in proper order to tell a story. Retell the story to your groupmates:

1. A cat was crossing the road.

2. The surgeon entered the room.

3. Someone called for an ambulance.

4. The man was killed and his son was seriously injured.

5. They had a very good party.

6. The man swerved to avoid the cat.

7. They were driving back together.

8. It was raining and the road was wet.

9. A man and his son had been to a party.

10. The car skidded on the wet road and crashed into a tree.

11. The surgeon saw the boy and shouted: ‘My son! My son!’

12. He was taken directly to an operating room.

13. An ambulance came and rushed the son to the hospital.

14. Can you explain?

Exercise 7. Read the text.

Mr. Priestley: Now, Olaf, I think we will send you to the doctor’s. I am sure no one here has less need of a doctor than you have, so this conversation will need some imagination. Pedro, you had better be the doctor. Olaf has just entered your consulting-room.
Doctor: Good evening, Mr. Peterson. What’s the trouble? You certainly don’t look as if there is anything wrong with you.

Olaf: I haven’t been feeling very well for some time. I have lost my appetite and don’t sleep very well. I have rather a bad cough that I can’t get rid of, and a pain in my chest, sometimes, when I breathe.

Doctor: I see. Very well. You had better have a thorough examination. Let me see your tongue… Yes, your stomach is a little out of order… Now your pulse… Yes, that’s all right. Now just unfasten your coat and waistcoat and shirt and I’ll listen to your heart and chest. Say ‘Ninety nine’.

Olaf: Ninety nine.

Doctor: Again.

Olaf: Ninety nine, ninety nine.

Doctor: Do you smoke a lot?

Olaf: Well, rather a lot, I’m afraid; twenty or thirty cigarettes a day.

Doctor: Hm! You ought to cut that down for a time. Let me see your throat. Open your mouth. Say ‘Ah’.

Olaf: Ah! Ah!

Doctor: Again.

Olaf: Ah! Ah!

Doctor: All right, that will do. You can put your coat on again now. What do you weigh?

Olaf: Twelve stone, two.

Doctor: Have you been losing weight at all?

Olaf: No, I don’t lose or gain, at least never more than a pound or so one way or another.

Doctor: Well, there’s nothing serious the matter with you, but you are rather run down. You have been working too hard. You know you can’t burn the candle at both ends, and you need a real rest. I’ll give you a bottle of medicine that will help. Take a tablespoonful in water three times a day after meals. Eat plenty of good plain food, have no cigarettes and drink plenty of milk, at least a pint a day, and not much coffee; get plenty of fresh air and plenty of sleep, but, above all, don’t try to do too much. A real change of air and surroundings will be very helpful if you could manage it.

Olaf: As a matter of fact, I have been invited to go and stay with some friends in their cottage in Cornwall.

Doctor: That’s just the thing. But remember, take it easy. Not too much swimming or tennis, at least for week or two, but a good walk by the sea or along the cliffs every day would do you a world of good. I will see you again when you come back, just to make sure you are all right. Don’t worry about yourself. If that holiday in Cornwall doesn’t work wonders I shall be very much surprised. Another month and you’ll be as fit as a fiddle.

Mr. Priestley: Well, Olaf, you did that so well that I almost began to think you were ill. And if you were ill, I think a doctor like Pedro is just the man to cure you.

Pedro and Olaf: Thank you, sir.

Mr. Priestley: Well, Hob, you said you could tell a story for each of the ‘situations’ I don’t suppose you know one about a doctor.

Hob: Oh, yes, I do. It’s about a very simple country-woman who went to the doctor to tell him that her husband had a very severe headache. The doctor said: ‘I have so many patients coming to see me that I can’t see your husband today. But do this: put some ice in a bag, tie it round his head and let me know how he is tomorrow.’

The next day the woman came again and the doctor said: ‘Well, how is your husband?’ ‘Oh,’ she said, ‘he is quite all right now, the headache has completely gone; but the mice are all dead’ (She has heard ‘some mice’ instead of ‘some ice’ by mistake).

Mr. Priestley: I don’t think a doctor prescribes for a person without seeing him. However, it’s a good story.

Hob: I’ve never been a doctor in my life, but if the advice they give is to eat a lot, not work hard, and go away for a holiday, which is what the doctor seems to have told Olaf, I think I’ll see one tomorrow. But I once went to the dentist. May I tell you about that?

Mr. Priestley: By all means, I think it is an excellent idea.

Hob: I had had toothache for several days, but just hadn’t enough 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 into 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 that story!

Well, I went into the surgery 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. It won’t be necessary to give you gas for that.’ So he filled a syringe with a liquid. I felt a little prick on the gum and that was all. He did this in two or three places and waited for a minute or so. My mouth felt rather dead, but otherwise it was all right. Then he took an instrument, got hold my tooth, gave a twist. (I could see and hear what he did, but I couldn’t feel anything), then a quick pull, and the tooth was out and he was saying: ‘Yes, it’s all over. Spit in there and then wash your mouth out with this.’ And he handled me a glass. ‘There is the tooth, a very nasty one’.

He was just going to throw it away, but I said: ‘May I have that tooth, please?’ ‘You can certainly have it if you want it’, he said. ‘Well,’ I replied, ‘it has worried me a good deal for the last week, and so now I am going to put it on my dressing-table and watch it ache’.

Mr. Priestley: Well done, Hob; you described that well.

Hob: But I must tell you about a friend of mine who went to a dentist – not a very good one – to have a tooth filled. The dentist got him in the chair and started drilling away at the tooth; it was one right at the back of his mouth. He went on and on for what seemed like hours. Then he stopped for a minute or two and said, ‘Haven’t you had this tooth filled before?’ ‘No,’ said my friend; and again the drilling went on. About another hour went by (at least it seemed like an hour) and again the dentist said, ‘Are you sure you haven’t had this tooth filled? I’ve got a speck or two of gold on the drill.’ ‘No,’ said my friend, ‘that’s not from my tooth; it must be from my back collar-stud.’

Exercise 7.1.Answer the following questions in class discussion:

1. Why does the doctor think that something is wrong with Mr. Peterson?

2. What conclusion does the doctor come to after examining him thoroughly?

3. Why is Mr. Peterson rather run down? What is meant by the phrase ‘run down’?

4. What does the doctor advise his patient?

5. What in the doctor’s opinion will ‘work wonders’?

6. Do you like Hob’s story about the doctor? Will you retell it?

7. What was funny about Hob’s visiting a dentist?

8. Did Hob want to have his tooth pulled out?

9. Why did Hob ask a dentist to give him an extracted tooth?

10. Did Hob’s friend go to a dentist to have his tooth filled or extracted?

11. What happened to Hob’s friend while he was sitting in the chair?

12. What is meant by the phrase ‘the ordinary doctor’?

13. When do people usually go to the dentist?

14. What common illnesses do you know? What diseases are considered contagious?

15. What things are used in medicine to prevent or cure illnesses?

16. Why is it recommended to consult the doctor when something troubles a person?

17. Do you like to see the doctor? Do you visit a doctor when you are in the best of health?

Exercise 7.2.Explain the following words and phrases as they have been used in the text. Translate them into Ukrainian:

To lose one’s appetite; to have rather a bad cough; to get rid of smth; to have a pain in one’s chest; to have a thorough examination; to be a little out of order; to unfasten one’s coat; to listen to one’s heart and chest; to lose (gain) one’s weight; to be rather run down; to burn the candle at both ends; a change of air and surroundings; to be very helpful; as a matter of fact; that’s just the thing; take it easy; a good walk by the sea or along the cliffs; to do smb a world of good; to make sure; to work wonders; to be as fit as a fiddle; to have a very severe headache; to let smb know; by mistake; to have a toothache; not to have enough courage to do smth; to be shown into the waiting-room; to move up and down, backwards and forwards; to have a look at the inside of one’s mouth; to fill a syringe with a liquid; to feel a little prick on the gum; to feel rather dead; to give a twist; a very nasty tooth; well done; to have a tooth filled; to start drilling away at the tooth; the ordinary doctor; the common illnesses; infectious or contagious diseases; to pass disease onto other people; to have a stomach-ache; to get blood poisoning; to prevent or cure illnesses.

Exercise 8. Act out the dialogues.

Dialogue 1

Doctor: Ah good morning, Mr Hudson. I see from your card that you’ve just moved into the area and perhaps you could tell me a little about your previous health as I won’t get your records for another month, month or two, and then we can deal with your present problem.

Patient:Well, I’ve actually, I’ve always been very fit up till now.

D: Have you ever been in hospital?

P: Oh, only when I was a child. I had an appendicitis when I was eight.

D: Aha, and what’s your job, what do you do?

P: Well, I work for the post office, I’m a postmaster.

D: And I see that you’re what, 58, now, and have you…?

P: Yes.

D: Have you always been with the post office?

P: Yes, well apart from my time in the army you know…

D: I see. And you’re married. Any family?

P: Yes, two girls and a boy.

D: Fine. That’s fine. Now can you tell me what seems to be the problem today?

P: Well, it’s this terrible pain. I’ve got this terrible pain in my back. I’ve had it for more than a week now and it’s…

D: I see, and can you show me exactly where it is?

P: It’s down here, here.

D: And does it go anywhere else?

P: Yes, it goes down my left leg. And I feel pins and needles in my foot.

D: I see, and is it there all the time?

P: Yes, yes it is. It’s keeping me awake at night and I can’t get out into the garden. I’ve been taking aspirins but the pain, it just comes back again.

D: And was there anything that started it off?

P: Well, yes. I’ve been trying to sort out the garden at my new house and I don’t know, I may have been overdoing things a bit.

Dialogue 2

D: Now, Mrs Brown, can you tell me, have you any trouble with your stomach or bowels?

P: Well, I sometimes get a bit of indigestion.

D: I see, and could you tell me more about that?

P: Well, it only comes on if I have a hot, something spicy, you know, like a curry.

D: I see, well that’s quite normal really. And what’s your appetite like?

P: Not bad.

D: And any problems with your waterworks?

P: No, they’re all right.

D: And are you still having your periods regularly?

P: No, they stopped, must have been five years ago.

D: Any pain in the chest, any palpitation, swelling of the ankles?

P: Not really, doctor.

D: And what about coughs or wheezing or shortness of breath?

P: Only when I’ve got a cold.

D: Have you noticed any weakness or tingling in your limbs?

P: No, I can’t say that I have, really.

D: What sort of mood have you been in recently?

P: I’ve been feeling a bit down. You know, I’m not sleeping well.

Dialogue 3

D: How long have you had this temperature?

P: Oh, I don’t know exactly. About two months on and off.

D: And is the temperature there all the time or does it come on at any particular time?

P: Well, sometimes I’m all right during the day, but I wake up at night and I’m drenched in sweat, and sometimes my whole body shakes.
D: How have you been feeling in general?

P: Well, I don’t know, I’ve been feeing a bit tired and weak. And I just don’t seem to have any energy.

D: Have you noticed any pain in your muscles?

P: Actually I have a bit, yes.

D: And what about your weight? Have you lost any weight?

P: Yes, yes, I have, about a stone (1 stone=14 pounds or 6.4 kg).

D: I see, and what about your appetite? What’s your appetite been like?

P: I’ve really been off my food this last while. I just haven’t felt like eating.

D: Have you had a cough at all?

P: Yes, I have. Nearly all the time. I sometimes bring up a lot of phlegm.

D: Have you noticed any blood in it?

P: No, not always but yes, sometimes.

D: Have you had any pains in your chest?

P: Only if I take a deep breath.

Dialogue 4

D: Good afternoon, Mr Hudson. Just have a seat. I haven’t seen you for a good long time. What’s brought you along here today?

P: Well, doctor. I’ve been having these headaches and I seem to have lost some weight.

D: I see, and how long have these headaches been bothering you?

P: Well, I don’t know. For quite a while now. The wife passed away you know, about four months ago. And I’ve been feeling down since then.

D: And which part of your head is affected?

P: Just here. Just here on the top. It feels as if there were something heavy, a heavy weight pressing down on me.

D: Have they affected your vision at all?

P: No, no I wouldn’t say so.

D: Not even seeing lights or black spots?

P: No, nothing like that.

D: And they haven’t made you feel sick at all?

P: No.

D: Now, you told me that you’ve lost some weight. What’s your appetite been like?

P: Well, actually, I haven’t really been feeling like eating. I’ve already been off my food for the moment.

D: And what about your bowels, any problems?

P: No, no they’re, I’m quite all right, no problems.

D: And what about your waterworks?

P: Well, I’ve been having trouble getting started and I have to, I seem to have to get up during the night, two or three times at night.

D: And has this come on recently?

P: No, not exactly. I think I’ve noticed it gradually over the past few months.

D: Do you get any pain when you’re passing water?

P: No, no.

Dialogue 5

D: Would you slip off your top things, please. Now I just want to see you standing. Hands by your side. You’re sticking that hip out a little bit, aren’t you?

P: Yes, well, I can’t straighten up easily.

D: Could you bend down as far as you can with your knees straight and stop when you’ve had enough.

P: Oh, that’s the limit.

D: Not very far, is it? Stand up again. Now I would like you to lean backwards. That’s not much either. Now stand up straight again. Now first of all, I would like you to slide your right hand down the right side of your thigh. See how far you can go. That’s fine. Now do the same thing on the opposite side. Fine. Now just come back to standing straight. Now keep your feet together just as they are. Keep your knees firm. Now try and turn both shoulders round to the right. Look right round. Keep your knees and feet steady.

P: Oh, that’s sore.

D: Go back to the centre again. Now try the same thing and go round to the left side. Fine. Now back to the centre. That’s fine. Now would you like to get onto the couch and lie on your face? I’m just going to try and find out where the sore spot is.

Dialogue 6

D: Would you like to get onto the couch and lie on your back, please? Now I’m going to take your left leg and see how far we can raise it. Keep the knee straight. Does that hurt at all?

P: Yes, just a little. Just slightly.

D: Can I do the same with this leg? How far will this one go? Not very far. Now let’s see what happens if I bend your toes back.

P: Oh, that’s worse.

D: I’m going to bend your knee. How does that feel?

P: A little better.
D: Now let’s see what happens when we straighten your leg again.

P: That’s sore.

D: I’m just going to press behind your knee.

P: Oh, that hurts a lot.

D: Where does it hurt?

P: In my back.

D: Right. Now would you roll over onto your tummy? Bend your right knee. How does that feel?

P: It’s a little bit sore.

D: Now I’m going to lift your thigh off the couch.

P: Oh, that really hurts.

Dialogue 7

D: How are you, Mrs Wallace?

P: I’m fine.

D: Have you brought your urine sample?

P: Yes, here it is.

D: I’ll just check it. Fine, just slip off your coat… Urine is all clear. Now if you’d like to lie down on the couch, I’ll take a look at the baby. I’ll just measure to see what height it is. Right. The baby seems slightly small.

P: How do you know that?

D: I measure from the top of your womb to your pubic bone. The number of centimetres is roughly equal to the number of weeks you’re pregnant. In your case, it’s 29 centimetres but you’re 32 weeks pregnant.

P: Why do you think the baby’s small?

D: It might be because your dates are wrong. Remember you weren’t sure of your last period. The best thing would be to have another scan done. I’ll make an appointment for you next week.

P: Which way round is the baby lying?

D: The baby’s in the right position. It’s coming head first. Now I’m going to listen for the baby’s heartbeat. That’s fine. Can you hear it? It’s quite clear. Have you noticed any swelling of your ankles?

P: Not really.

D: Let’s have a quick look. No, they seem to be all right. Now, would you like to sit up and I’ll take your blood pressure.

P: Right.

D: It’s quite normal. Now I’ll take a sample of blood to check your haemoglobin. Fine. You can get your shoes and coat on again now.

Dialogue 8

D:Hello, Mr Walters. How are you today?

P:Oh, I’m fine, very well, thank you.

D:You know who I am, don’t you?

P:Now, let me see now. I know your face, but I can’t quite place who you are. I think I know. I think I should know who you are.
D:Well, that’s right. I’m Dr Williams. I’ve met you several times before, you know.
P:Oh, you’re the doctor. Well, I remember old Dr Horsburgh quite well. I remember when he had a surgery down in the old Kirkgate, but I don’t remember seeing him recently.

D:No, Dr Horsburgh’s been retired for a good number of years now. I took over his practice and I’ve seen you before. Maybe you don’t recall that. Have you been here long?

P:Where do you mean?

D:In this house, have you been here long?

P:Oh, I’ve been here some time, I think.

D: Do you remember where it is? Where is this place?

P: This’ll be High Street, isn’t it?

D: Yes, this is the High Street. How long have you been living in High Street?

P: Oh, it must be a good number of years now. I, my mother used to stay down in North High Street of course, and I used to stay with her, but when I got married I moved up here. Oh, that must be a good number of years. I can’t quite remember the time.

D: Do you remember when you were born? What was the year of your birth? Can you remember that?

P: Oh, yes. I was born in 1913.

D: What month were you born in? Do you remember that?

P: Oh, yes. I’m an April baby. I was always an April baby. Not an April fool, not the 1^st of April, you know.

D: How old will you be now, do you think?

P: I’ve retired now. I must be about 69, I think.

D: Well, there’s no doubt the years go by. What year is it this year? Do you know that?

P: Well, this’ll be about 1989 now, I suppose.

D: Fine, and what month are we in?

P: Oh, now let me see. I can’t remember, doctor.

D: Well, tell me, is it summer or winter?

P: I suppose it’s so cold it must be the winter time. It’ll be January. Is that right?

D: Well, actually it’s February now, but it feels as though it was January, doesn’t it? Do you remember what day of the week it is? Or do the days not mean a great deal to you now that you’re not working?

P: Oh, you’re right the days seem to run into each other, but this’ll be Tuesday, I think. No, it’ll be Wednesday, isn’t it?

D: I suppose that Wednesday or Thursday, one day tends to become much the same as the other when we’re not working. Isn’t that right?

P: Oh, you’re right there.

Date: 2016-01-03; view: 3002