LESSON (8) HEALTH (Advanced)

TRUST ME – I’M A DOCTOR  (Advanced)

In 1812 a Young man called James Barry received his medical degree from Edinburgh University in Great Britain. After graduating, he moved to London where he studied surgery at Guy’s Hospital. After that, the popular young doctor joined the army and over the next forty years had a brilliant career as an army medical doctor, working in many far off counties and fighting successfully for improved conditions in hospitals. It was a remarkable career – made even more remarkable by the discovery upon his death that he was in fact a she. James Barry was a woman.

No one was more surprised at this discovery than her many friends and colleagues. It is true that throughout her life people had remarked upon her small size, slight build, and smooth pale face. One officer had even objected to her appointed as a medical assistant because he could not believe that Barry was old enough to have graduated from medical school. But no one had ever seriously suggested that Barry was anything other than a man.

By all accounts Barry was a pleasant and good humored person with high cheek bones, reddish hair, a long nose, and large eyes. She was well liked by her patients and had a reputation for great speed in the operating room – an important quality at a time when operations were preformed without anesthetic. She was also quick tempered. When she was working in army hospitals and prisons overseas, the terrible conditions often made her very angry. She fought hard against injustice and cruelty, and her temper sometimes got her into trouble with the authorities. After a long career overseas, she returned to London where she died in 1865. While the undertaker’s assistant was preparing her body for burial, she discovered that James Barry was a woman.

So why did James Barry deceive people for so long? At that time a woman could not study medicine, work as a doctor, or join the army. Perhaps Barry had always wanted to do these things and pretending to be a man was the only way to make it possible. Perhaps she was going to tell the truth one day, but didn’t because she was enjoying her life as a man too much. Whatever the reason, Barry’s deception was successful. By the time it was discovered that she had been the first woman in Britain to qualify as a doctor, it was too late, for the authorities to do anything about it.

QUESTIONS:

Decide if these statements are true or false:

(1) James Barry pretended to be a man  

      because there were no women   

      doctors.

(2) She worked to improve conditions in   

      hospitals. 

(3)  Many people suspected that she was 

       a woman.

 (4)  She performed operations very

       slowly and carefully.

 (5) The army authorities discovered  

       that she was a woman while she  

       was  working aboard.

  

Number the events in the order in which they happened.

1. James Barry joined the army.   _____
2. The undertaker’s assistant found out James Barry was a woman. ______
3. James Barry died. ______
4. James Barry graduated from medical school. ______
5. James Barry pretended to be man. __
6. James Barry wanted to be a doctor. _
7.  James Barry returned to London. ___

HEALTH   ISSUES

 Circle the correct definition for each of the health idioms highlighted.

If you are under the weather:

( A )   You are outside in the elements.

( B )    You are not felling well.

( C )    You are walking in the rain.

                                                       

If you are off color:

( A )   You are sun burnt.

( B )   You are color blind.

( C )    You look or feel ill.

If you are run down:

( A )   You are tired because you have been running.

( B )   You are in poor physical condition.

( C )   Your watch has stopped.

If you are back on your feet:

( A )   You are physically healthy again.

( B )   You have just stood up.

( C )   You have just put your shoes on.

If you have a clean bill of health:

( A )   You have a report or certificate saying that you are healthy.

( B )    You have received a bill from your doctor.

( C )     Your drycleaner has sent their invoice.

More Health Idioms:  

Hale and hearty

Someone who is hale and  hearty (especially an old    person)  is someone in who is in  excellent health   "My grandmother is  hale and hearty. She is ninety     years old."

Have a hangover

Someone who is suffering from the effects of drinking   too much alcohol is said to be suffering from a   hangover.   “I drank half a bottle of wine last night and now I am    suffering from a hangover!”

Touch - and - go

If something is touch-and-go, the outcome or result   is uncertain.   “John was very sick. It was tough and go for a while.    Everyone thought he was going to die. Fortunately     he is better now.”

In bad shape

A person who is in bad shape is in poor physical    condition.    “The hunter was found  in bad shape after spending      a week lost in the mountains.”

Land of the living

This is a humorous way of saying that someone is   still alive.   "Hi James! I haven’t seen you in years. It's good to    see you're still in the land of the living!"

HEALTH CARE

E

V

I

S

C

C

T

B

Y

R

J

R

G

M

T

P

N

H

P

E

R

G

R

H

R

I

W

N

E

Q

I

F

E

N

L

E

C

I

R

P

T

R

U

U

O

K

P

T

E

A

Z

D

G

A

N

U

T

D

E

O

A

S

T

A

Z

S

S

Q

H

M

I

L

S

Q

O

B

A

U

S

C

E

C

U

Z

G

A

P

C

D

C

T

T

O

C

U

V

B

D

C

S

H

B

W

R

L

E

L

I

I

F

E

N

N

N

J

P

L

Z

R

O

T

J

R

P

G

E

R

N

T

R

T

O

I

V

C

S

E

X

I

H

G

I

V

E

E

E

E

U

C

A

I

S

O

O

E

D

T

N

P

T

N

N

B

H

L

P

O

A

S

T

L

D

R

O

S

Q

E

P

T

E

I

J

W

V

U

L

S

N

A

S

B

W

E

M

R

R

G

B

I

T

T

E

J

Y

O

T

A

N

U

F

E

O

A

K

U

E

A

E

O

S

A

C

M

A

S

K

I

B

W

E

Z

R

P

R

N

G

D

Q

N

X

R

T

Z

B

E

M

F

U

N

V

Q

X

P

E

D

T

N

D

K

R

E

I

D

I

A

D

N

A

B

O

J

U

E

D

R

G

A

I

Y

D

P

O

B

X

L

O

O

W

N

O

T

T

O

C

O

A

B

G

L

L

O

N

E

A

D

H

E

S

I

V

E

T

A

P

E

O

T

J

L

S

G

A

U

Z

E

P

A

D

R

O

T

C

O

D

X

V

L

I

B

Z

K

P

E

T

Y

O

S

W

K

E

H

H

D

C

J

U

P

B

O

U

C

G

U

C

K

V

B

M

Q

C

K

H

C

L

M

Y

R

E

F

N

C

A

P

S

U

L

E

H

J

H

H

U

Y

T

X

L

S

M

U

R

  

ADHESIVE-TAPE	BANDAGE	BAND-AID
BLOOD-PRESSURE-GAUGE	CAPSULE	COTTON-BALL
COTTON-WOOL	CRUTCH	DOCTOR
EXAMINATION-COUCH	GAUZE-PAD	HOSPITAL-WARD
INJECTION	MASK	MEDICINE
NURSE	OINTMENT	OPERATING-THEATRE
OPERATION	PILL	PLASTER
PLASTER-CAST	PRESCRIPTION	SLING
STETHOSCOPE	SURGEON	TABLET

  

ANSWERS:

James Barry

Decide if these statements are true or false:

(1) James Barry pretended to be a man  

      because there were no women  

      doctors.  TRUE

(2) She worked to improve conditions in  

      hospitals.   TRUE

(3)  Many people suspected that she was 

       a woman. FALSE

 (4)  She performed operations very

       slowly and carefully.  FALSE

 (5) The army authorities discovered 

       that she was a woman while she 

       was  working aboard. FALSE

Number the events in the order in which they happened.

8. James Barry joined the army.   4.
9. The undertaker’s assistant found out James Barry was a woman. 7.
10. James Barry died. 6.
11. James Barry graduated from medical school. 3.
12. James Barry pretended to be man.  2.
13. James Barry wanted to be a doctor. 1.
14. James Barry returned to London. 5.

HEALTH   ISSUES

 Circle the correct definition for each of the health idioms highlighted.

If you are under the weather:

( A )   You are outside in the elements.

( B )    You are not felling well.

( C )    You are walking in the rain.

                                                       

If you are off color:

( A )   You are sun burnt.

( B )   You are color blind.

( C )    You look or feel ill.

If you are run down:

( A )   You are tired because you have been running.

( B )   You are in poor physical condition.

( C )   Your watch has stopped.

If you are back on your feet:

( A )   You are physically healthy again.

( B )   You have just stood up.

( C )   You have just put your shoes on.

If you have a clean bill of health:

( A )   You have a report or certificate saying that you are healthy.

( B )    You have received a bill from your doctor.

( C )     Your drycleaner has sent their invoice.

 TO PRINT