A Prescription for Life Summary (English)
The story is a humorous account of a man who visits the British Museum to research about hay fever. While reading a medical encyclopedia, he becomes convinced that he has almost every disease mentioned in the book. Starting alphabetically, he discovers symptoms of malaria, typhoid fever, cholera, diphtheria, and many other diseases in himself. The only disease he doesn't have is "housemaid's knee," which initially hurts his feelings.
Believing himself to be seriously ill, he visits his doctor friend. The narrator dramatically tells the doctor that he has every disease except housemaid's knee. After a thorough examination, the doctor writes a prescription. When the narrator takes it to the pharmacy, the chemist refuses to fill it, saying he's only a chemist, not a "co-operative store and family hotel combined."
Finally reading the prescription, the narrator discovers it contains simple advice: eat a balanced diet, drink water regularly, take a ten-mile walk every morning, go to bed at 11 PM, and don't worry about things you don't understand. Following this practical advice saves his life and teaches him an important lesson about health anxiety and overthinking.
സംഗ്രഹം (Malayalam)
പനിപ്പനി (hay fever) എന്ന അസുഖത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് പഠിക്കാൻ ബ്രിട്ടീഷ് മ്യൂസിയത്തിൽ പോയ ഒരു വ്യക്തിയുടെ തമാശയുള്ള അനുഭവമാണ് ഈ കഥ. മെഡിക്കൽ എൻസൈക്ലോപീഡിയ വായിക്കുമ്പോൾ, അതിൽ പറഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്ന മിക്കവാറും എല്ലാ രോഗങ്ങളും തനിക്കുണ്ടെന്ന് അദ്ദേഹം വിശ്വസിക്കുന്നു. അക്ഷരമാലാക്രമത്തിൽ വായിക്കുമ്പോൾ മലേറിയ, ടൈഫോയ്ഡ്, കോളറ, ഡിഫ്തീരിയ തുടങ്ങി നിരവധി രോഗലക്ഷണങ്ങൾ തന്നിലുണ്ടെന്ന് കണ്ടെത്തുന്നു. "ഹൗസ്മെയ്ഡ്സ് നീ" എന്ന രോഗം മാത്രമാണ് തനിക്കില്ലാത്തത്, ഇത് ആദ്യം അദ്ദേഹത്തെ വേദനിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.
താൻ ഗുരുതരമായി രോഗിയാണെന്ന് വിശ്വസിച്ച്, സുഹൃത്തായ ഡോക്ടറെ കാണാൻ പോകുന്നു. ഹൗസ്മെയ്ഡ്സ് നീ ഒഴികെ എല്ലാ രോഗങ്ങളും തനിക്കുണ്ടെന്ന് നാടകീയമായി ഡോക്ടറോട് പറയുന്നു. സമഗ്രമായ പരിശോധനയ്ക്ക്ശേഷം ഡോക്ടർ ഒരു കുറിപ്പടി എഴുതി നൽകുന്നു. ഫാർമസിയിൽ എത്തിക്കുമ്പോൾ, താൻ ഒരു കെമിസ്റ്റ് മാത്രമാണെന്നും "കോഓപ്പറേറ്റീവ് സ്റ്റോറും ഫാമിലി ഹോട്ടലും" അല്ലെന്നും പറഞ്ഞ് കെമിസ്റ്റ് മരുന്ന് തരാൻ വിസമ്മതിക്കുന്നു.
ഒടുവിൽ കുറിപ്പടി വായിക്കുമ്പോൾ, അതിൽ ലളിതമായ ഉപദേശങ്ങൾ മാത്രമേ ഉള്ളൂ എന്ന് മനസ്സിലാക്കുന്നു: സമതുലിതമായ ഭക്ഷണം, കൃത്യമായ ഇടവേളകളിൽ വെള്ളം കുടിക്കുക, എല്ലാ ദിവസവും രാവിലെ പത്തു മൈൽ നടക്കുക, രാത്രി 11 മണിക്ക് ഉറങ്ങുക, മനസ്സിലാകാത്ത കാര്യങ്ങളെക്കുറിച്ച് വേവലാതിപ്പെടരുത്. ഈ പ്രായോഗിക ഉപദേശങ്ങൾ പിന്തുടർന്ന് അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ജീവിതം രക്ഷപ്പെടുകയും ആരോഗ്യ ഉത്കണ്ഠയെക്കുറിച്ചും അമിത ചിന്തയെക്കുറിച്ചും ഒരു പ്രധാന പാഠം പഠിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു.
About Jerome K. Jerome
Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) was a famous English writer and humorist known for his witty and humorous writing style.
Key Facts:
- Born: May 2, 1859, in Walsall, England
- Died: June 14, 1927
- Background: Born into a poor family and faced financial difficulties throughout his early life
- Career: Despite hardships, he pursued writing and acting
- Writing Style: Warm, humorous, and engaging
- Most Famous Work: Three Men in a Boat (1889) - a comic masterpiece
- Recognition: His humor and storytelling won him great acclaim during his lifetime
This extract, "A Prescription for Life" is taken from his celebrated work Three Men in a Boat, which remains a classic of English humorous literature.
A Prescription for Life Questions and Answers
While Reading Questions:
Q1. Why did the narrator visit the British Museum?
Answer: The narrator visited the British Museum to research about an illness he thought might be hay fever. He wanted to learn more about this condition.
Q2. Do you think the narrator worries too much? Why?
Answer: Yes, the narrator worries too much. He reads about diseases in a medical encyclopedia and immediately convinces himself that he has every disease mentioned. This shows he has health anxiety and tends to overthink about his health unnecessarily.
Q3. Have you come across anyone who worries about their health just like the narrator? Share your experience.
Answer: (Personal answer will vary. Sample answer:) Yes, I have known people who constantly worry about their health. My uncle often reads health articles online and starts believing he has those symptoms. Like the narrator, he makes mountains out of molehills and creates unnecessary stress for himself.
Q4. How does the narrator describe his condition when he left the reading room?
Answer: The narrator describes himself dramatically. He says, "I had walked into that reading-room as a happy, healthy man. I crawled out a decrepit wreck." He felt physically and mentally exhausted after convincing himself he was suffering from numerous diseases.
Q5. Why did the narrator decide to visit the doctor?
Answer: The narrator decided to visit the doctor because after reading the medical encyclopedia, he believed he had almost every disease mentioned in it. He wanted to confirm his self-diagnosis and get treatment. He also mentioned wanting to give his doctor friend practice, as he thought he would be an interesting medical case.
Q6. What did the narrator tell the doctor about his illness?
Answer: The narrator dramatically told the doctor that he had every disease except housemaid's knee. He said, "I will not take up your time, dear boy, with telling you what the matter is. Life is brief, and you might pass away before I had finished. But I will tell you what is not the matter with me. I have not got housemaid's knee... Everything else, however, I have got."
Q7. Did the doctor take the narrator's concerns seriously? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer: No, the doctor did not take the narrator's concerns seriously. The doctor understood that the narrator was suffering from health anxiety rather than actual diseases. Instead of prescribing medicines, he gave practical lifestyle advice. This shows the doctor recognized that the narrator's problem was psychological - he was overthinking and worrying unnecessarily.
Q8. Why did the pharmacist return the prescription to the narrator?
Answer: The pharmacist returned the prescription because it didn't contain any medicines. It only had lifestyle advice like eating a balanced diet, drinking water, walking daily, and sleeping on time. The pharmacist humorously said he was "only a chemist" and not a "co-operative stores and family hotel combined," meaning he could only provide medicines, not food, water, or lifestyle guidance.
Let's Rewind Questions:
Q1. What happened when the narrator began reading the medical encyclopaedia?
Answer: When the narrator began reading the medical encyclopedia, he became convinced that he had almost every disease mentioned in it. Starting with hay fever, he went through diseases alphabetically and found symptoms of malaria, typhoid fever, Bright's disease, cholera, diphtheria, gout, and many others in himself. The only disease he didn't think he had was housemaid's knee. This reading experience transformed him from a happy, healthy man into someone who believed he was seriously ill.
Q2. How did the narrator's visit to the doctor change his perspective on life?
Answer: The doctor's prescription changed the narrator's perspective completely. Instead of medicines, the doctor prescribed simple lifestyle changes: a balanced diet, regular water intake, daily exercise (ten-mile walk), proper sleep schedule (bed at 11 PM), and most importantly, not worrying about things he doesn't understand. The narrator followed this advice and it saved his life. He learned that a healthy lifestyle and positive mindset are more important than worrying about imaginary illnesses. This taught him not to overthink or make mountains out of molehills.
Q3. What aspect of the narrator's character is revealed in the story?
Answer: The story reveals several aspects of the narrator's character:
- Over-anxious: He worries excessively about his health
- Hypochondriac: He imagines he has diseases just by reading about them
- Dramatic: He presents his situation in an exaggerated, theatrical manner
- Self-absorbed: He gets so caught up in his imaginary illnesses that he loses perspective
- Open to learning: He ultimately follows the doctor's advice and learns from the experience
- Humorous: He can laugh at himself and share his foolish experience with others
Q4. How does the narrator's experience bring out the risks of self-diagnosis and the benefits of taking medical advice?
Answer: The narrator's experience clearly shows the dangers of self-diagnosis:
Risks of Self-Diagnosis:
- Reading medical information without proper knowledge can create unnecessary anxiety
- People may misinterpret symptoms and convince themselves they are seriously ill
- Self-diagnosis can lead to stress, fear, and unhealthy overthinking
- It wastes time and energy worrying about imaginary problems
Benefits of Professional Medical Advice:
- Doctors have the training to properly diagnose conditions
- They can distinguish between real illness and health anxiety
- Professional advice focuses on practical solutions
- Doctors provide appropriate treatment - in this case, lifestyle changes rather than unnecessary medicines
- Medical professionals can calm fears and provide proper guidance
The story teaches us to trust medical professionals rather than diagnosing ourselves from books or the internet.
Q5. Have you heard of the saying, 'A healthy mind in a healthy body'. What do you think it means in the light of 'A Prescription for Life'?
Answer: The saying "A healthy mind in a healthy body" means that mental and physical health are interconnected and equally important.
In the context of this story:
Healthy Body: The doctor's prescription focuses on physical health - balanced diet, regular water intake, daily exercise (walking), and proper sleep. These habits keep the body healthy and strong.
Healthy Mind: The most important part of the prescription is "don't stuff up your head with things you don't understand." This addresses mental health. The narrator's problem wasn't physical illness but mental anxiety caused by overthinking.
The story shows that:
- Worrying and negative thinking can make you feel physically sick
- A positive, calm mind is essential for overall wellbeing
- Physical activities like walking and proper rest improve mental health
- Not overthinking and staying positive are as important as eating well and exercising
- True health comes from balancing both physical care and mental peace
The narrator learned that maintaining both physical fitness and mental calmness through simple, practical habits is the real prescription for a happy, healthy life.
Key Themes and Lessons
Main Themes:
- Health Anxiety/Hypochondria: The danger of self-diagnosis
- Humour in Human Nature: Finding comedy in our own foolishness
- Simplicity vs. Complexity: Simple solutions often work best
- Mind-Body Connection: Mental state affects physical health
- Importance of Professional Advice: Trust experts rather than self-diagnosis
Life Lessons:
- Don't make mountains out of molehills
- Maintain a positive and healthy attitude
- Follow a simple, balanced lifestyle
- Don't worry about things you don't understand
- Physical and mental health are equally important
- Professional advice is more valuable than self-diagnosis
Important Vocabulary
Idly - Without purpose; lazily
Indolently - In a lazy, relaxed manner
Plunged into - Started doing something suddenly
Dawned upon - Realized suddenly
Typhoid fever - A serious infectious disease
Malaria (Ague) - A disease caused by mosquito bites
Bright's disease - A kidney disease
Cholera - A serious intestinal infection
Diphtheria - A serious bacterial infection
Housemaid's knee - Swelling in the knee from kneeling
Pharmacology - The science of medicines and drugs
Gout - A type of arthritis causing pain
Zymosis - An infectious disease
Acquisition - Something gained or obtained
Diploma - A certificate of qualification
Decrepit - Worn out; weakened by age or illness
Wreck - Something destroyed or in very bad condition
Chum - Close friend
Chemist - Pharmacist; person who dispenses medicines
Co-operative stores - A shop owned by its members
💡 Activity Answer
Activity 1: Rewrite the events in correct order
- Jerome visits the British Museum to research about hay fever
- He reads the medical encyclopedia and believes he has almost every disease
- He decides to consult his doctor for help
- The doctor examines him and gives him a prescription
- Jerome takes the prescription to the pharmacy
- The chemist reads the prescription and refuses to fill it
- Jerome takes the prescription back and reads it for the first time
- He follows the simple lifestyle advice and his life is saved
🎓 Study Tips
- Remember the humor: This is a comic story meant to teach through laughter
- Focus on the moral: Don't overthink or worry unnecessarily about health
- Understand the contrast: Imaginary illness vs. simple lifestyle solutions
- Note the writing style: Jerome uses exaggeration and irony for comic effect
- Connect to real life: Think about how people today also self-diagnose using the internet
Quick Revision Points
- Genre: Humorous narrative, extracted from Three Men in a Boat
- Main Character: An over-anxious narrator (Jerome himself)
- Setting: British Museum (reading room) and doctor's office
- Central Problem: Health anxiety and self-diagnosis
- Solution: Simple lifestyle changes - diet, exercise, sleep, positive thinking
- Message: Maintain physical and mental health; don't worry unnecessarily
- Tone: Light-hearted, humorous, self-deprecating
- Literary Device: Irony, exaggeration, humor