wrote out a prescription, and folded it up and gave it me, and I put it in my pocket and went out.
I did not open it, I took it to the nearest chemist's, and handed it in. The man read it, and then
handed it back. He said he didn't keep it.
I said:
"You are a chemist?"
He said:
"1 am a chemist. If I was a co-operative stores and family hotel combined, 1 might be able to
oblige you."
I read the prescription. It ran:
"1 lb.16 beefsteak, with
1 pt.17 bitter beer
every six hours.
1 ten-mile walk every morning.
1 bed at 11 sharp every night.
And don't stuff up your head with things you don't understand."
I followed the directions with the happy result that my life was preserved and is still going
on.
NOTES ON SYNONYMS
1. (See Note 1 on p. 18.) Synonyms may also differ by the degree or intensity of the
phenomenon described or by certain additional implications conveyed by their meanings. E. g.
malady describes a more dangerous illness than disease, sometimes a fatal one, whereas ailment
mostly refers to a slight disorder. Malady implies a lasting, sometimes a chronic illness, whereas
ailment is short and temporary. Illness is the most general word in the group (the synonymic
dominant).
2. Synonyms may differ by their stylistic characteristics. E. g. chum is a colloquial synonym
of Mend, to fancy sounds less formal than to imagine. To pass away is a bookish synonym of to die.
TEXT B. A VISIT TO THE DOCTOR
— Well, what's the matter with you, Mr. Walker?
— You'd better ask me what is not the matter with me, doctor. I seem to be suffering from all
the illnesses imaginable: insomnia, headaches, backache, indigestion, constipation and pains in the
stomach. To make things still worse, I've caught a cold, I've got a sore throat and I'm constantly
sneezing and coughing. To crown it all, I had an accident the other day, hurt my right shoulder, leg
and knee, and nearly broke my neck. If I take a long walk, I get short of breath. In fact, I feel more
dead than alive.
— I'm sorry to hear that. Anyhow, I hope things aren't as bad as you imagine. Let me
examine you. Your heart, chest and lungs seem to be all right. Now open your mouth and show me
your tongue. Now breathe in deeply, through the nose... There doesn't seem to be anything radically
16 lb. (pound): a measure of weight = 453.6 g
17 pt. (pint) [paint]: a measure for liquids = 0.57 1
wrong with you, but it's quite clear that you're run down, and if you don't take care of yourself, you