BIRTH

.QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK

1. “I have done something; oh, God! I’ve done something real at last.” Why does
Andrew say this? What does it mean?
The young doctor Andrew Manson had done a commendable work. His
exclamation is justified. He had not only helped the middle-aged lady in the safe
delivery of a male child but also restored them to perfect health. Susan Morgan’s
strength was ebbing after the delivery. She was almost pulse less. Andrew gave
her an injection and worked severely to strengthen her heart.
The major achievement of Andrew was to resuscitate the stillborn child. First, he
laid the child on a blanket and began the special method of respiration. Then he
tried the hot and cold water treatment dipping the baby alternately. He laboured in
vain for half an hour. He then made another last effort. He rubbed the child with a
rough towel. He went on pressing and releasing the baby’s little chest with both his
hands. At last the baby responded. His chest heaved. Andrew redoubled his
efforts. The child was gasping now. A bubble of mucus came from his tiny nostril.
The pale skin turned pink. His limbs became hard. Then came the child’s cry.
Andrew called upon God as witness of his act which was no less than a miracle. It
was not mere theoretical talk but a practical achievement—something real and
solid.

Question 2:
‘There lies a great difference between textbook medicine and the world of a
practising physician.’ Discuss.
Normally, the medicines prescribed in the textbooks are used by the practising
physicians. However, in extreme cases of emergency, the physician’s experience,
resourcefulness and practical approach become far more important than the
theoretical knowledge. For example, a victim of bum-injury, snakebite or suffocation
through drowning needs immediate help. The nearest available doctor may not
have all the facilities needed for the case. In such a situation first-aid is a must to
save the patient’s life before rushing him to the hospital for proper care. With limited
resources at his command, the practising physician exercises all his practical
experience to control the damage to the minimum and check the victim’s state from
further deterioration. A stitch in time does save nine in such cases. The practical
help comes as a boon.

Question 3:
Compare and contrast Andrew’s emotional, mental and physical state at the
beginning of the story and at the end.
At the beginning of the story Andrew is physically tired and emotionally upset. He
has just returned from a disappointing evening with Christine, the girl he loved. His
thoughts are heavy and muddled. The episode he had witnessed at Cardiff station
still filled his mind with sadness. Though he thought of marriage as a blissful state,
he couldn’t help remembering the miserable failure of many marriages.
At the end of the story, Andrew is physically exhausted but emotionally cheerful
and mentally alert. His mind is filled with joy and self-satisfaction. He has performed
an unusual feat, no less than a miracle. He calls upon God as witness that he has
done something real at last. This sense of achievement helps him to overcome
physical fatigue. His sense of duty towards his patients helps him to attend them
whole-heartedly. He forgets his personal feelings and thinks only of reviving the
patients.

Question 4:
What impression do you form of Andrew Manson on the basis of the story ‘Birth’?
Andrew Manson is a young man who has recently qualified as a doctor and started
his medical practice as an assistant to Dr Edward Page in the small Welsh mining
town of Blaenelly. He is in love with Christine and thinks of marriage as an idyllic
state. His heart is overflowing with love. His steady mind and reason help him see
the marriages of many persons as dismal failures.
Andrew is mature enough to keep his private and professional flves apart. Once
confronted with his responsibility, he discharges his obligations to the utmost
capacity. He is duty conscious. He is not a theorist only. He believes in practical
approach. He is pragmatic and is not afraid to try unique methods. Andrew has a
tender heart. He is aware of the feelings of others. He knows how deeply Susan
loved her coming baby. He has polite manners and reassuring tone. On the whole,
Andrew impresses us as a dedicated doctor.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

1. Who was Joe.Morgan? Why had he been waiting for Dr Andrew Manson?
Joe Morgan was a driller in Blaenelly, a mining town. He was a big, strong and
heavy middtggttgttgle-aged person. Joe and his wife Susan, who had been married
nearly twenty years, were expecting their first child. Joe was waiting for the doctor
to help Susan in the delivery of the child.

2. Where did Joe lead Andrew? Why did he not go in with the doctor?
Joe Morgan led Andrew to his house, 12, Blaina Terrace. His wife was about to
deliver her first child after being married for nearly twenty years. Joe was quite
tensed. He refused to go inside the house. Even his voice showed signs of strain.

3. “Don’t fret, mother, I’ll not run away”. Why do you think Andrew say so?
Mrs Morgan’s mother offered to make a cup of tea for the doctor. The experienced
woman had realized that there must be a period of waiting. She was afraid that the
doctor would leave^ the case saying that he would return later.

4. Why did Andrew decide to remain there until everything was over?
Andrew had reached Bryngower at about midnight. He was very worried and upset.
He needed some rest and sleep. He knew that he could not sleep even for an hour
if he went home. Secondly, he knew that the case would demand all his attention.
He felt lethargic and decided to remain there until everything was over.

5. What was Andrew’s view of marriage? Why was he resentful and confused?
For Andrew marriage was a peaceful and beautiful state. He loved Christine. The
conflict between his steady mind and overflowing heart left him resentful and
confused.

6. Why did a shiver of horror pass over Andrew?

7. What efforts did Andrew make to revive Susan Morgan?

8. In what state did Andrew find the newborn child? What did he conclude?
Andrew found the baby amongst wet newspapers under the bed. Its limp warm
body was white and soft. Its head lolled on the thin neck. The limbs seemed
boneless. The whiteness over the body meant suffocation caused by the lack of
oxygen.

9. What was the state of the room after the resuscitation of mother and child? .
The room was littered with blankets, towels, basins and soiled instruments. The
hypodermic syringe was impaled in the linoleum by its point. The ewer was
knocked over. The kettle lay on its side in a puddle of water.

10. Why did Andrew say, “ I’ll fetch my bag later, nurse.”?
Andrew had worked hard single-handedly and constantly to save the mother as
well as the stillborn child from the jaws of death. The constant efforts, tension,
desperation caused by failure combined to make him weak and dazed. His throat
was dry.