may have a nervous breakdown and have to go to hospital. I advise you, first of all, to stop worrying.
Take a long rest, have regular meals, keep to a diet of salads and fruit, and very little meat Keep off
alcohol. If possible, give up smoking, at least for a time. Have this tonic made up and take two
tablespoonfuls three times a day before meals. If you do this, I can promise you full recovery within
two or three months.
— And if I don't, doctor?
— Then you'd better make your will, if you haven't yet done so.
— I see. Well, thank you, doctor. 1 shall have to think it over and decide which is the lesser
evil: to follow your advice or prepare for a better world.
TEXT C. AT THE DENTISTS
Nell: Hello, is that you Bert? Nell here. I'm so glad I've found you in.
Bert: Hello, Nell. How's things?
N.: Fine. Listen, Bert. I'm bursting with news. Just imagine: yesterday I had the first real
patient of my own.
В.: You don't say! Who was it?
N.: A nice old dear with a lot of teeth to be pulled out. It's such wonderful practice for me!
В.: Are you quite sure that some of his teeth couldn't be filled?
N.: None of them! I sent him to have his teeth X-rayed, so it's all right.
В.: How did you manage to get such a marvellous patient, I wonder?
N.: He came with a bad toothache. It had been bothering him for a day or two already.
В.: Were there no other dentists in the surgery?
N.: No, I was the only one. It was Sunday.
В.: Poor old thing! I hope you didn't try to pull out all his teeth at once, did you?
N.: Don't be silly. I just chose the easiest one to begin with.
В.: I see... And how did you get along?
N.: Wonderfully. I tested his blood pressure and gave him a couple of injections, though he
said that my smile worked better than any injection.
В.: Oh, he did, did he? And he didn't have heart attack after the tooth was taken out? It would
have been natural for an old man.
N.: No, he just felt a bit sick and giddy. I gave him с tonic and told him to stay in bed for a
while and take his temperature.
В.: Perhaps I'd better drop in and check his heart? I'm on sick leave now and can do it at any
time.
N.: You needn't. I'll ring him up and in case he's running a high temperature I'll let you know.
But I do hope he won't. The day after tomorrow he's coming again,
В.: Are you sure he's not going to make an appointment with some other dentist?
N.: I don't think he will. When he was leaving he said he looked forward to having all his
teeth pulled out and he would keep them all as souvenirs to remember me by.
В.: Well, I wish you good luck. Hope to hear from you soon. Bye for now, Nell.