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Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

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— 10 —<br />

lessness of despair, I aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> turned over <strong>the</strong> pages. I came to<br />

typhoid fever — read <strong>the</strong> symptoms — discovered that I had<br />

typhoid fever, must have had it for m<strong>on</strong>ths without know<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />

it — w<strong>on</strong>dered what else I had got; turned up St. Vitus’s<br />

Dance — found, as I expected, that I had that too, — began to<br />

get <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terested <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> my case, and determ<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed to sift it to <strong>the</strong> bottom,<br />

and so started alphabetically — read up ague, and learnt<br />

that I was sicken<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g for it, and that <strong>the</strong> acute stage would<br />

commence <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> about ano<strong>the</strong>r fortnight. Bright’s disease, I was<br />

relieved to f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d, I had <strong>on</strong>ly <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a modified form, and, so far as<br />

that was c<strong>on</strong>cerned, I might live for years. Cholera I had, with<br />

severe complicati<strong>on</strong>s; and diph<strong>the</strong>ria I seemed to have been<br />

born with. I plodded c<strong>on</strong>scientiously through <strong>the</strong> twenty-six<br />

letters, and <strong>the</strong> <strong>on</strong>ly malady I could c<strong>on</strong>clude I had not got was<br />

housemaid’s knee.<br />

I felt ra<strong>the</strong>r hurt about this at first; it seemed somehow to<br />

be a sort of slight. Why hadn’t I got housemaid’s knee? Why<br />

this <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>vidious reservati<strong>on</strong>? After a while, however, less grasp<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />

feel<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs prevailed. I reflected that I had every o<strong>the</strong>r known<br />

malady <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> pharmacology, and I grew less selfish, and determ<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed<br />

to do without housemaid’s knee. Gout, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> its most malignant<br />

stage, it would appear, had seized me without my be<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />

aware of it; and zymosis I had evidently been suffer<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g with<br />

from boyhood. There were no more diseases after zymosis, so<br />

I c<strong>on</strong>cluded <strong>the</strong>re was noth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g else <strong>the</strong> matter with me.<br />

I sat and p<strong>on</strong>dered. I thought what an <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terest<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g case I<br />

must be from a medical po<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>t of view, what an acquisiti<strong>on</strong> I<br />

should be to a class! Students would have no need to “walk <strong>the</strong><br />

hospitals,” if <strong>the</strong>y had me. I was a hospital <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> myself. All <strong>the</strong>y<br />

need do would be to walk round me, and, after that, take <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

diploma.<br />

Then I w<strong>on</strong>dered how l<strong>on</strong>g I had to live. I tried to exam<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e<br />

myself. I felt my pulse. I could not at first feel any pulse at all.<br />

Then, all of a sudden, it seemed to start off. I pulled out my<br />

watch and timed it. I made it a hundred and forty-seven to<br />

<strong>the</strong> m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ute. I tried to feel my heart. I could not feel my heart.

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