Question

A doctor was often stopped by one of his patients in the street and asked for his medical advice free of charge. The doctor didn’t like it and decided to put an end to this practice. One day a patient stopped him again and exclaimed, “Oh, doctor! I’m so glad to see you. I have such a bad headache.” The doctor seemed very much interested and said, “Close your eyes, open your mouth and show me your tongue.” The patient did so. Then the doctor quickly went away leaving the patient with his mouth open and tongue out. 1. Why did the patient ask the doctor for advice in the street? 2. In what way did the doctor put an end to this practice?

Answer 1

1. The patient wanted to get medical advice free of charge

2. The doctor asked the patient to close his eyes, open his mouth and show his tongue. The patient did so. Then the doctor quickly went away leaving the patient with his mouth open and tongue out.

Answer 2

1. The patient asked the doctor for advice in the street because he was taking advantage of the doctor's presence outside of his clinic or office. It seems that the patient was seeking free medical advice without making an official appointment or visiting the doctor's practice, which likely caused inconvenience to the doctor.

2. The doctor put an end to this practice by using a humorous and clever tactic. When the patient stopped him in the street and complained about having a bad headache, the doctor acted as if he was genuinely interested in helping. He asked the patient to close his eyes, open his mouth, and show his tongue, which is a typical way doctors examine patients. However, instead of providing medical advice, the doctor quickly went away, leaving the patient standing with his mouth open and tongue out. This humorous response likely embarrassed the patient and discouraged him from seeking free medical advice in the street again. By doing so, the doctor cleverly discouraged the patient from approaching him outside of his professional setting.