Text №4 «Improper Cure»
Words for the text:
- suffer from — страдать от
- properly — как следует
- condition — состояние
- sigh — вздыхать
- severely -сильно ( от severe — сильный)
- inprovement — улучшение
- co cup (cupping) — ставить банки
- draw out — вытягивать
- cause — вызывать
- bleed — пускать кровь
By Wednesday, 12 January, the Duke was unable to speak, suffering from severe pains in his chest. He couldn’t breathe properly. Dr Wilsom put leeches to his chest but his condition only worsened. The Dutchess was terrified. «I am doing as much as I can,» she sighed. She felt helpless in a freezing house with a severely ill husband and a baby who had also had fallen sick. After a week with no improvement, Dr Wilson took a decision of cupping his patient. He made cuts all over the Duke’s body, covering each with a hot cup. When the cup cooled, blood was drawn out, causing strong pain. «For four hours they have been doing this to him,» the dutchess was hardly able to watch. When cupping seemed to have no effect, they began to bleed him again, and even cut and cupped his head.
- doubt — сомневаться
- hardly — едва
- spot — место
- exausted — измученный
- grave danger — смертельная опасность
- conscious — в сознании
- managed — смог
- appoint — назначить
- guardian — опекун
- property — собственность
- signature — подпись
The Dutchess cried, «My poor Edvard has to suffer so much». She doubted that it could be good for the patient to lose so much blood, when he was already so weak. She was very worried. Next day the Duke was running a temperature and hardly able to breathe. Next day the Duke was bled for the sixth time. «It was too terrible,» the Dutchess agonised. «There was hardly a spot on his dear body which hasn’t been touched by cutting. He was very exhausted yesterday after all that had been done to him by those cruel doctors.» On Friday ten days after the Duke took to his bed, Sir William said that the royal family should be informed that he was in grave danger. He told the Dutchess the truth: «human help could no longer needed.» Still conscious, the Duke managed to ask for his will to be written, appointing the Dutchess the only guardian of their child and leaving her property. He tried to hold the pen, worrying that his signature might not be clear.