What the white man learns is wrong with Diamelen when he arrives at Arsat's cabin is that she is deathly ill with fever.
The white man came to Arsat's cabin to visit him, because they met and became friends a long time ago. Upon his arrival, Arsat asks him whether he brought any medicine by chance, because his wife is sick and dying because of the high fever.
Answer: Based on the table of contents, I would expect to learn about different medical terms, the origin of the bird flu, and how food can affect the spread of diseases.
Answer: The answer is Higgins doesn't understand that her worrying has just begun.