Analysis of A Lesson for the Intern

A Lesson for the Intern
The patient did not want the language line and had no relative to interpret.  
And so—the intern took the history in the patient's heavily accented English and presented that the patient was—as the term goes—a poor historian.
When I spoke to him in his native language---he was alert and focused.  He was rich in detail and appreciation.
The intern asked me if the patient had become suddenly more alert.
I admitted that certainly that was possible---but that more likely---as with us all---he didn’t think with an accent.