I believe that this question is asking about the opening pages of the story. The narrator, J., tells readers that he, Harris, and George were all in "bad form." All of the men are sitting around smoking (which could be a cause for feeling unhealthy) and discussing how lousy feeling they each have been.
We were sitting in my room, smoking, and talking about how bad we were—bad from a medical point of view I...
I believe that this question is asking about the opening pages of the story. The narrator, J., tells readers that he, Harris, and George were all in "bad form." All of the men are sitting around smoking (which could be a cause for feeling unhealthy) and discussing how lousy feeling they each have been.
We were sitting in my room, smoking, and talking about how bad we were—bad from a medical point of view I mean, of course.
The narrator then tells readers that all three men had been feeling "seedy" recently. The narrator goes into the most detail about himself, and it's clear to readers that the narrator is a hypochondriac. Any disease that he hears about or reads about causes him to immediately feel as if he has that particular disease in its worst form.
It is a most extraordinary thing, but I never read a patent medicine advertisement without being impelled to the conclusion that I am suffering from the particular disease therein dealt with in its most virulent form. The diagnosis seems in every case to correspond exactly with all the sensations that I have ever felt.
Over the next few pages, it becomes clear that all three men imagine that they are worse off than they actually are. In reality, nothing is wrong with these three men. They are most likely suffering from a bit of restlessness. They have too much time on their hands, and that causes them to dwell on everything that could be wrong with them.
The men conclude that they have been overworked and are in desperate need of some rest.
What it was that was actually the matter with us, we none of us could be sure of; but the unanimous opinion was that it—whatever it was—had been brought on by overwork.
“What we want is rest,” said Harris.
The men agree that they need a "change of scene" in order to restore their "mental equilibrium." The men discuss several options, and they finally decide to take a boat trip on the river. They all agree that the fresh air, changes in scenery, and exercise will get them out of their depressed and restless mental state.
“Let’s go up the river.”
He said we should have fresh air, exercise and quiet; the constant change of scene would occupy our minds (including what there was of Harris’s); and the hard work would give us a good appetite, and make us sleep well.
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