I passed into the next room, where I found a man, also in a green
uniform, but with different facings from those worn by Inspector of
Foreigners Stiff. "National Councillor Ming," he said, "allow me to
make my necessary medical examination." I wondered how he had got my
name so pat. Then I remembered that immediately before passing me into
the next room, Inspector Stiff had put a card into a pneumatic tube
by the side of his desk. The doctor led me out of his office into a
small bedroom, next to which stood a bathroom fitted with various
apparatus. After undressing in the bedroom, I was ordered to step into
the bathroom, where first of all I was carefully measured in at least a
score of places: head, ears, arms, hands, legs, feet, chest, etc. etc.
Thumb-prints and foot-prints were taken; I was weighed; my chest was
sounded; my organs were investigated with various curious instruments;
a record of my speaking voice was taken, for which purpose I had to
pronounce several long sentences in Meccanian and in my own language. A
lock of my hair was cut off, and finally I was photographed in several
different positions. I was then ordered to bathe, at first in water,
afterwards in a fluid which was evidently some sort of disinfectant.
At the end of about an hour and a half the doctor pronounced me to be
"disease-free," and asked me to dress myself in some garments specially
used on these occasions. The garments were made either of paper, or
of some substance like paper, and were intended to be destroyed after
use. I was now in the bedroom. The doctor had disappeared, but a sort
of orderly in a grey uniform knocked at the door and brought in a tray
with some food and coffee. He announced that Inspector of Foreigners
Stiff would be ready to see me again in fifteen minutes. I was very
glad of the food, the first I had eaten since my arrival, and at the
end of the fifteen minutes I was again led into Mr. Stiff's room, still
wearing my paper suit.
"Now," said he, "you will remain in your room until morning, when
your own clothes will be restored to you after having been thoroughly
disinfected. You can have supper supplied to you in your room, and
as you will have a few hours to spare I should advise you to make
yourself acquainted with the contents of these documents. You will find
they contain all the instructions you require for the first few days."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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