At the doctor's

If we caught cold, have a splitting headache, have a clogged nose, cough, are running high temperature, we must go to the policlinic. First we come to the registry. The registry clerk on a duty asks our name, address, age and occupation. He writes out some slips because several specialists will examine us. Some of them will listen to out heart and lungs, some will check up our kidneys, liver, stomach, eyesight, and hearing. The others will make our blood analysis, take our blood pressure and x-ray us.

Our district doctor sees his patients in consulting room 4. A nurse gives us a thermometer to take our temperature. We must keep it under an armpit. Last time my temperature was 37, 9. The doctor asked what my trouble was. He offered to sit down in a chair and to strip to the waist. He felt my pulse. It was faint and accelerated. Then I lay on the examination couch and the doctor palpated my abdomen. He asked me from what disease I suffered in my childhood. I suffered from scarlet fever. Now I felt dizzy and was damp with sweat. The doctor filled in my card and diagnosed the case as the flu.

Then he wrote out a prescription for some medicines: pills, powder, drops, and mixture. He also advised me to take a scalding footbath, to put a hot water bottle to my feet, to have hot tea with raspberry jam. That would keep my fever down. The result of my x-ray examination and blood analysis was normal. I had the prescription made at the chemist's. I followed the prescribed treatment to avoid complications. Every day I took a tablespoonful of mixture 3 times a day and some pills. In two days I was better and in a week I recovered from my illness. I began to take care of myself. Now I go in for sports because sports make me strong, healthy and cheerful. Every day I do my morning exercises and have a cold rubdown to prevent myself from catching cold. There is a good proverb: ”An apple a day keeps the doctor away“. That's why I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.

In case of sudden and severe illness or an accident calls are made to the first aid station. There the doctors are on duty all day long. There are many ambulances there. The ambulances are equipped with everything necessary to give the first aid. The patient is transported to hospital. There he is taken to the reception ward first. After questioning and examination the doctor fills in the patient's case history. Then a patient is given special clothes and is put to some ward for treatment. The doctors make their daily round there. They examine patients and prescribe different medicines and treatments.

When a patient is completely cured, he is discharged from the hospital. There are different departments in the hospital. They are: a surgical department, therapy, and the department of infectious diseases.

Exercise 1

Find in the text English equivalents of the following words and word combinations:

простудиться; слушать сердце и легкие; делать анализ крови; измерять кровяное давление; измерять температуру; поставить диагноз; выписать рецепт; избежать осложнений; выздороветь; станция скорой помощи; история болезни; хирургическое отделение.

Exercise 2

Complete the sentences:

1. If we …, …, …, …, we must go to the policlinic.

2. The registry clerk on a duty asks our …

3. Several specialists will examine us: …

4. The doctor wrote out a prescription for some medicines: …

5. I followed the prescribed treatment to …

6. In case of sudden and severe illness or an accident...

7. The ambulances are equipped with …

Exercise 3

Answer the questions:

1. What do you usually do if you caught cold?

2. What does the doctor usually do before examining you?

3. How does he examine you?

4. What shall we do in case of sudden and severe illness or an accident?

5. What departments are there in the hospital?