Read the text and do the exercises that follow.

AT THE CHEMIST’S

Medicines are not meant to live on, an English proverb says. Good health is better than the best medicine. But sometimes we cannot avoid diseases, either infectious or noninfectious. So we go to the doctor’s or to the chemist’s hoping to get some medicine which will make all signs and symptoms disappear.

About 2000 different drugs are currently available for the treatment of illness, and new ones are being developed. There are a lot of chemist’s shops in our country. As a rule they include two main departments: the prescription department where drugs have to be ordered and the chemist’s department.

At the chemist’s department you can get some medicines right away. They don’t require a doctor’s prescription. Over-the counter remedies include different powders and pills, tablets for headache and stomachache, drops for eye irritation and earache, decongestants which may decrease nasal stuffiness, sedatives which are used to calm those who are excited, laxatives used to relieve constipation, healing ointments which are rubbed in to relieve pain and skin irritation, as well as sleeping-draughts, pain-killers, tonics, such as bromide, vitamins, cod liver oil and other remedies.

Many drugs are available by prescription only. These drugs are either strong effective or poisonous and may be dangerous. Their overdosage may cause untoward reaction and sometimes even death. Medical personnel should have a clear idea of how and why a particular drug works and what its side effects and contraindications are. Some drugs may cause sleepiness, dry mouth, weight gain or even depression. Some drugs are addictive; therefore, their use must be strictly controlled. A patient can buy these medicines only if a doctor writes a prescription for a chemist to fill. Antibiotic drugs are often called ― miracle drugs because they can bring rapid improvement and quick cures of some serious infections. Penicillin, a well-known antibiotic, is generally effective against a variety of bacterial infections.

Narcotic drugs such as codeine and morphine can also be obtained only with a prescription. They are addictive and thus can be used only in restricted dosages. They are excellent pain-killers, but in excessive amounts they can cause coma or death.

Other familiar drugs include digitalis (which helps strengthen the heart), anticoagulants (which prevent blood clots), and diuretics (which help remove excess fluid from the body). Insulin is used in the treatment of diabetes.

At the chemist’s they keep all drugs in drug cabinets. Every small bottle or box has a label with the name of the medicine stuck on it. There are labels of three colours: white ones are stuck to indicate drugs for internal use; yellow ones are stuck to indicate drugs for external use, and blue ones are stuck to indicate drugs for intramuscular and intravenous injections. The dose to be taken is usually indicated on a signature or a label. As a rule, the directions for the administration of a drug are written on the signature. It is also recommended to keep drugs in a dry and cool place. As for mixtures and solutions, they should be shaken before using. In case you want to get some medicine for injection you should also buy a little alcohol to sponge the skin and rinse the hands before giving injections.

At this chemist’s shop one can get drugs of all kinds, as well as bottles of iodine, tubes of healing ointment, ampules of glucose and camphor, mustard plasters, cups, hot-water bottles, medicine droppers, thermometers, syringes, dressing materials and many other things which are quite necessary for medical care.

The other day I went to the nearest chemist’s to order the drugs prescribed to my younger sister ill with quinsy. At the prescription department I ordered the prescription for 50 grams of alcohol to sponge her skin before giving injections. Then the chemist gave me some bottles of penicillin and streptomycin and several ampules of novocaine for intramuscular injections. I was also given an antiseptic mouth-wash to gargle the throat several times a day. The chemist recommended me to keep it in a cool place and shake it before using. He also advised me to buy mustard plasters to apply them to my sister’s back before going to bed to keep her warm at night.

I. Practice the pronunciation of the following words and word combinations.

a prescription - prescriptions, to write out a prescription for some medicine, to order the prescriptions

a chemist - to work as a chemist, the chemist’s, to work at the chemist’s, at the chemist's department

a label - labels of three colours, a white label, a yellow label, a blue label, to stick a label on a bottle, the dose of the drug is indicated on a label

to administer - to administer some medicine, to administer some drug orally, a doctor administers a proper treatment, administration, the administration of a drug, the directions for the administration of a drug

poisonous - a poisonous drug, a poisonous remedy, poisonous remedies may cause death, every nurse must know which drugs are poisonous

dose - (dosage) the dose to be taken, the dose is indicated on a label, overdosage of a drug may cause untoward [ʌn'touəd] reactions, take only the indicated dose of the drug

powder - powders for cough, powders for headache, take these powders three times a day, these are powders for internal use

an ampule - ampules, ampules of camphor, ampules of glucose l'glu:kous], glucose is kept in ampules

intravenous - intramuscular, intravenous injections, intramuscular injections, intravenous injections of glucose, intramuscular injections of vitamin ['vitəmin]

sedatives, tonics, cod liver oil, sleeping-draughts, laxatives, vitamins, iodine ['aiədi:n], codeine, morphine, to take sleeping-draughts before going to bed, to prescribe laxatives if something is wrong with the patient's stomach, to administer sedatives orally.

digitalis, anticoagulant, diuretic [ˌdaijuə'retik], insulin, to treat diabetes [ˌdaiə'bi:ti:z] with insulin, to strengthen the heart with digitalis

II. Discuss the following questions in pairs:

1. When do people go to the chemist’s?

2. How many departments are there in the chemist's shop?

3. How can you get drugs at the chemist’s department?

4. What do over-the-counter remedies include?

5. What are decongestants used for?

6. In what cases do doctors prescribe laxatives?

7. When are sedatives used?

8. What are healing ointments used for?

9. What drugs are available by prescription only?

10. What may overdosage of strong effective drugs cause?

11. Why are antibiotics sometimes called ―miracle drugs?

12. What is penicillin effective against?

13. Why should narcotic drugs be used in restricted dosages?

14. What is digitalis used for?

15. In what case are anticoagulants prescribed?

16. What are diuretics used for?

17. Where are all drugs kept?

18. What is stuck on every bottle and box containing some drug?

19. What labels are stuck to indicate drugs for internal use?

20. What drugs have yellow labels stuck on?

21. What is usually written on a signature or a label stuck on a bottle?

22. What types of injections do you know?

23. Where should medicines be kept?

24. What should you do before using a mixture?

25. What should be done before giving injections?

26. What things for medical care can be bought at the chemist’s?

27. What are medicine droppers used for?

28. What are syringes used for?

29. What are thermometers used for?

30. What are dressing materials used for?

III. Find English equivalents for the following word combinations or sentences:

1. передозировка может вызвать неблагоприятные реакции; 2. микстура от кашля; 3. иногда передозировка может вызвать даже смерть; 4. заказать лекарство по рецепту; 5. хранить лекарство в прохладном месте;
6. указания для употребления лекарства; 7. в рецептурном отделе;
8. необходимы для медицинского ухода; 9. все сильнодействующие лекарства; 10. лечебные мази, которые втираются, чтобы cнять боль или раздражение кожи; 11. слабительные, назначаемые внутрь; 12. белые этикетки наклеиваются, чтобы обозначить лекарства для внутреннего употребления; 13. взбалтывать его (лекарство) перед употреблением;
14. побочный эффект; 15. лекарства, вызывающие зависимость;
16. лекарства, доступные для лечения заболевaния: 17. вызвать coнливость; 18. принести быстрое улучшение; 19. ограниченная доза; 20. отличное болеутоляющеe средство; 21. укрепить сердце; 22. протирaть кожу перед уколами; 23. перевязочный материал; 24. полоскать горло.

IV. Translate the following sentences into English:

1. Полощите горло этим лекарством два раза в день и не забудьте взбалтывать его перед употреблением.

2. Доктор, сколько раз в день я должен принимать это лекарство? — Принимайте его по столовой ложке три раза в день перед едой.

3. Я пропишу вам порошки и микстуру от кашля. Они должны вам помочь.

4. После физикального обследования врач направит больного на рентгеноскопию.

5. Больному прописали тонизирующее и успокаивающее, так как он жаловался на слабость и бессоницу.

6. Сестра сделала больному инъекцию, так как он жаловался на сильную боль в загрудинной области.

7. В отделе ручной продажи я купила порошки от головной боли и две пипетки.

8. Что вы можете мне сказать об этом лекарстве? Это сильнодействующее средство, которое нужно принимать только по назначению врача.

9. Этa мазь от раздражения кожи.

10. Эти пилюли от болей в желудке.

11. Эти порошки от высокой температуры.

12. Эти таблетки от боли в сердце.

13. Эта микстура от кашля. 14. Эти таблетки от простуды.

15. Эта микстура для полоскания горла.

16. Медсестра протерла кожу спиртом, перед тем как сделать укол.

17. Это лекарство можно назначать как внутримышечно, так и для приема внутрь.

18. Принимайте это лекарство осторожно, следуйте указаниям врача, потому что передозировка может вызвать неблагоприятную реакцию.

19. Врач прописал мне микстуру, которая сняла кашель и помогла мне быстро поправиться.

20. Почему вчера вы не дали этому больному снотворного? Он ведь жаловался на бессоницу?

21. Чувствуете ли вы боль в правом боку при физическом напряжении?

22. Больной быстро успокоился и заснул, после того как сестра сделала ему укол.

23. Вы будете принимать эту микстуру и скоро перестанете кашлять.

24. Говорят, в этой ампуле содержится пять граммов глюкозы.

25. Продают ли новокаин в отделе ручной продажи?

26. Обнаружено, что у больного тяжелая форма стенокардии.

27. Это лекарство можно заказать в любой аптеке.

28. Предполагают, что жар спадет после приема этих порошков.

29. Оказалось, что что-то было не в порядке у него с желудком.

30. Хорошо известно, что маленьким детям необходимо принимать рыбий жир регулярно.

31. Есть ли в отделе ручной продажи пипетки и грелки?

32. Оказалось, что эта мазь вызвала раздражение кожи.

33. Нужно соблюдать строгую диету при расстройстве пищеварения.