I sat and pondered (я сидел и размышлял; to sit; to ponder — обдумывать, взвешивать, размышлять). I thought what an interesting case I must be from a medical point of view (думал /о том/, каким интересным случаем я, должно быть, являюсь с медицинской точки зрения; to think), what an acquisition I should be to a class (каким приобретением я был бы для группы /студентов/)! Students would have no need to "walk the hospitals," if they had me (студентам не нужно было бы «обходить больницы», если бы у них был я; need — необходимость, надобность, нужда; to walk — идти, ходить пешком; делать обход; to walk the hospitals — проходить студенческую практику в больницах). I was a hospital in myself (я сам по себе был больницей). All they need do would be to walk round me, and, after that, take their diploma (все, /что/ им нужно было бы сделать, — обойти вокруг меня и после этого получить свои дипломы).

invidious [n'vds] grasping ['r:sp] malignant [m'lnnt] seized [si:zd]

I felt rather hurt about this at first; it seemed somehow to be a sort of slight. Why hadn't I got housemaid's knee? Why this invidious reservation? After a while, however, less grasping feelings prevailed. I reflected that I had every other known malady in the pharmacology, and I grew less selfish, and determined to do without housemaid's knee. Gout, in its most malignant stage, it would appear, had seized me without my being aware of it; and zymosis I had evidently been suffering with from boyhood. There were no more diseases after zymosis, so I concluded there was nothing else the matter with me.

I sat and pondered. I thought what an interesting case I must be from a medical point of view, what an acquisition I should be to a class! Students would have no need to "walk the hospitals," if they had me. I was a hospital in myself. All they need do would be to walk round me, and, after that, take their diploma.