CH 6 : "The Man Who Was a Hospital" : Book 2

 CH # 6     The Man Who Was a Hospital

                                                                                          (Jerome K. Jerome)

Word	Meaning	Synonyms
Symptoms	indications	Manifestation, indication, sign
Extra- Ordinary	Remarkable	Amazing, astonishing, stunning
Impelled to	Force or urge to do something	Compel, require, drive
Fanciful	Unrealistic	Imaginative, unrealistic
Virulent	Extremely harmful or severe	Poisonous, toxic, lethal, deadly
Diagnosis	The identification of the nature of an illness	Detection, recognition, identification
Devastating	Highly destructive	Ruinous, catastrophic, calamitous
Scourge	Whip someone	Flog, whip, beat, lash
Severe	Very great; intense	Acute, critical, terrible, dire
Conscientiously	Thorough, in responsible way	Thorough, careful, diligent
Malady	A disease	Ailment, illness, infection
Malignant stage	Very virulent	Infectious, uncontrolled, virulent
Ponder	Think about	Consider, evaluate
Acquisition	The learning of a skill	Gain, addition, purchase
Chum	Friend	Buddy, pal, mate, friend
Hamper	Basket for storage	Basket, pannier

 Introduction to the essay:

Jerome K Jerome, a famous humorous writer of our times, presents his experiences of imaginary diseases. Men like Jerome are difficult to find. However, when we find them we laugh at them with sympathy.

The title & Theme of the essay:

The story is about a strange man who began thinking that he had several of his diseases that people going to a hospital suffer from. He began feeling that he was a hospital. By looking at or reading about this man we begin feeling as if we are in some hospital.

Answer the Questions:

Q1. How did Jerome K. Jerome come to suspect that his liver was out of order? What were the diseases he thought he was suffering from on reading a book on the treatment of diseases?

According to the writer, Jerome K. Jerome, he began feeling that he had a liver disease when he read about its symptoms (sign) in an advertisement. He thought that he had other diseases like typhoid, St. Vitus’s Dance, Cholera, etc.

Q2. What was the disease he discovered he didn’t have?

According to the writer, Jerome K. Jerome, he found in the British Museum library that he had every disease except housemaid’s knee (swelling at the knee joint). He was disturbed and somewhat unhappy to find that he was not suffering from this disease. Now, psychologically, he wanted to have this disease as well.

Q3. Was he pleased to find he didn’t have it?

“Housemaid’s knee” is a swelling at the knee joint. According to the writer, Jerome K. Jerome, he could himself examine his knee’ joint. He must have done it. But he was unhappy to find that he did not have this disease.

Q4. What was his first reaction?

When, the writer, Jerome K. Jerome, read an advertisement of a patent medicine about a disease, he began thinking that he had it. When he read about the symptoms (signs) of other diseases, in a book, he felt that he had them, too. He felt this when he read the book on disease in the library of the British Museum.

Q5. Why should he be an acquisition to the medical class?

According to the writer, Jerome K. Jerome, he thought that he was a valuable asset (a thing or person of value) for the medical profession. He thought he had so many diseases that medical students could learn much by looking at and examining him. They could research on him and find new cures for his diseases. But this was all humor and fun.

Q6. Describe his visit to the medical man.

According to the writer, Jerome K. Jerome, he went to his medical man who was his old chum. The doctor felt his pulse and looked at his tongue. He examined him by holding his wrist tightly., hitting over his chest and striking him on the chest. Then he wrote a prescription from him, which was about proper food and exercise only.

Q7. He thought he was doing the doctor a good turn by going to him. Why?

 Jerome K. Jerome thought that the doctor would get a lot of knowledge and practice by getting him as an ideal patient. The doctor would gain more experience and get practice of hundreds of patients as he thought he had the disease of all of them.

Q8. What was the prescription given to him by the doctor?

According to the writer, Jerome K. Jerome, the prescription given to him was as follows “1 lb. Beefsteak, every 6 hours. Ten miles walk every morning, Bed at 11 sharp every night. And don’t stuff your head with things you don’t understand.”

Q9. Describe his visit to the chemist?

According to the writer, Jerome K. Jerome, he went to the chemist who was surprised and shocked. The chemist told him that he, being a chemist, did not have that cooperative store and a family hotel combined, he might able to oblige him.  He did not want his time to be wasted by the writer.

Q10. What is the significance of the doctor’s advice: don’t stuff your head with things you don’t understand?

The moral is that we should not try to learn or remember whatever we read or hear. We should not fill our minds with stuff that we cannot understand well. SO the doctor advised the writer not to have any worries about his health. He asked him not to think about matters that he did not understand. He really kept healthy when he acted on the doctor’s advice.