A Triumph of Surgery

A Triumph of Surgery

Introduction:

‘A Triumph of Surgery’ is the story of a woman who loved her pet dog so much that she nearly killed it by overfeeding. A doctor, who knew where the problem lay, takes the nearly dead dog to his clinic for surgery and the dog recovers amazingly after the ‘surgery!’ What surgery did the doctor do? Did he really do any surgery at all?

About the author:

James Herriot, also known as Alf Wight, was an English veterinary surgeon and writer. He is best known for his semi-autobiographical stories. In 1969, James Herriot wrote ‘If Only They Could Talk’. It was the first of the famous series based on his life working as a vet and his training in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. His books are often described as animal stories, obviously because they are about the life of a country veterinarian.

Summary

This story is about Tricki, a small dog who is over-pampered by his mistress Mrs Pumphrey. She overfed him to the extent that made Tricki look like a bloated sausage. She gave him food, rich in fats. She gave him cream cakes and biscuits, cod-liver oil and Horlicks and even wine. This made Tricki, greedy, fat and lazy. He became uninterested in things. He kept lying all day on the carpet. Moreover, he had some bouts of vomiting. So, Mrs. Pumphrey thought that he was seriously ill. She called Mr James Herriot who was a vet surgeon.

Mr Herriot knew that Tricki was suffering because of overeating. He had already made his plans. He said that Tricki must be admitted in the hospital for a fortnight. This suggestion made Mrs Pumphrey very sad. She thought that Tricki could not live even a single day without seeing his mistress. But Mr Herriot wrapped him in a blanket, took him out of the house and put him in his car.

When Herriot reached his home, the household dogs surrounded him. They sniffed Tricki and showed no interest in him. Till two days Herriot did not give him anything to eat. But, he gave him a lot of water to drink. Then the doctor started giving him some light food. He gave him no medicine. After two days Tricki had started taking interest in his surroundings.

He started mixing up with other dogs. He became a member of the gang. At home, he had almost no exercise but at the surgery, he had a lot of exercises and fun. The controlled diet and activities made him active. But, Mrs Pumphrey remained anxious about Tricki’s health. Every time she called, the doctor told her that Tricki was getting better. This made her think that he had gone through some surgery. So daily, she sent two dozen fresh eggs, wine, and brandy for him so that he might recover soon. But the doctor did not give those to Tricki because he really did not need this type of diet. The doctor and his partners enjoyed the eggs, wine, and brandy themselves. After a fortnight Mrs Pumphrey came to collect Tricki. When the doctor brought Tricki out, he immediately jumped into Mrs Pumphrey’s arms. She was surprised to see this. She said that it was a ‘Victory of Surgery.’

Word meanings:

Mistress– a woman in a position of authority or control.
Bloated- excessive in size or amount.
Sausage- an item of food in the form of a cylindrical length of minced pork or other meat encased in a skin, typically sold raw to be grilled or fried before eating.
Bloodshot- (of the eyes) inflamed or tinged with blood, typically as a result of tiredness.
Rheumy– watery.
Lolled- sit, lie, or stand in a lazy, relaxed way.
Hastened- be quick to do something.
Listless- lacking energy or enthusiasm.
Malnutrition- lack of proper nutrition
Cod liver oil- oil pressed from the liver of cod
Relent– become less severe or intense.
Lumbago– pain in the muscles and joints of the lower back.
Severe-  very great; intense.
Regime- a system or ordered way of doing things.
Tottering- move in a feeble or unsteady way.
Tweed- a rough-surfaced woolen cloth
Wardrobe- a large, tall cupboard or recess in which clothes may be hung or stored.
Harness- a set of straps and fittings
Distraught- very worried and upset.
Bouts- a short period of intense activity of a specified kind.
Rug– a floor covering
Panting- breathing with short, quick breaths; out of breath.
Fortnight- a period of two weeks.
Swooned- a partial or total loss of consciousness
Wailings- crying with pain, grief, or anger.
Marched-  walk quickly and with determination.
Roused- cause to stop sleeping.
Maids- a female domestic servant.
Rushed- done or completed too hurriedly; hasty.
Supper- an evening meal, typically a light or informal one.
Despairing- showing loss of all hope.
Glanced- take a brief or hurried look.
Patted- touch quickly and gently with the flat of the hand.
Wag- (especially with reference to an animal's tail) move or cause to move rapidly to and fro.
Surged- move suddenly and powerfully forward or upward.
Motionless- not moving; stationary.
Sniffing- the action of drawing in air audibly through the nose.
Whimper- make a series of low, feeble sounds expressive of fear, pain, or unhappiness.
Trotted- run at a moderate pace with short steps.
Engulfed- sweep over (something) so as to surround or cover it completely.
Slopped- spill or flow over the edge of a container, typically as a result of careless handling.
Liable-  likely to do or to be something.
Licking- pass the tongue over (something) in order to taste, moisten, or clean it.
Pleased- feeling or showing pleasure and satisfaction,
Jostling- push, elbow, or bump against (someone) roughly, typically in a crowd.
Scrimmages- a confused struggle or fight.
Trampled- tread on and crush.
Squashed- flat, soft, or out of shape as a result of being crushed or squeezed with force.
Shaggy- long, thick, and unkempt.
Hovered- to move to and fro near a place.
Anxiously-  feeling or showing worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.
Dozen- 12 in number
Bulletins- a short official statement or broadcast summary of news.
Convalescing- recover one's health and strength over a period of time after an illness or medical treatment.
Brandy- a strong alcoholic spirit distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice.
Constitution- the composition of something.
Reverently- with deep and solemn respect.
Temptation- the desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise.
Compelled- bring about (something) by the use of force or pressure.
Awaiting- wait for (an event).
Gleaming- reflecting light, typically because very clean or polished.
Chauffeur- a person employed to drive a private or hired car.
Clasped-  grasp (something) tightly with one's hand.
Trembled- shake involuntarily, typically as a result of anxiety, excitement, or frailty.
Fetch- go for and then bring back (someone or something) for someone.
Hurtling- move or cause to move at high speed, typically in an uncontrolled manner
Midst- in the middle of.
Lithe-  thin, supple, and graceful.
Startled- feeling or showing sudden shock or alarm.
Swarmed- move somewhere in large numbers.
Shone- a quality of brightness produced

Character Sketches:

Mrs. Pumphrey:

Mrs. Pumphrey was a rich lady, who had a small, dog named Tricki as a pet. Though she loved her pet dearly, she was being foolishly indulgent. She would pamper the dog by giving him chocolates, cakes, juice, eggs and wine. But, little did she know that the dog needed exercise too. And obviously, when Tricki fell sick due to all the overeating and lack of exercise, she became anxious and sad. Though, Mrs. Pumphrey was silly, she was tender-hearted. She cried bitterly when Tricki was taken to the hospital. She packed all of Tricki’s belongings to be taken to the hospital. She even sent eggs, wine and brandy to the hospital thinking that all of those would help Tricki recover from the surgery. She was happy and grateful to Dr. Harriot for making Tricki healthy. She went to the extent of calling it a Triumph of Surgery . So we can say that Mrs. Pumphrey was a rich, foolishly indulgent, ignorant, anxious, silly, tenderhearted, and a grateful person. 

Tricki, the dog:

Tricki was well aware of the fact that his mistress loves him dearly. But, sadly enough he gives in to the greed developed due to all the food given to him. Thus he becomes sick. At the hospital, he is well taken care of by Dr. Herriot and his staff. There, Tricki gels with all the other dogs. With a proper diet and a lot of exercise, he once again becomes fit and fine. At the end when Mrs. Pumphrey comes to collect him, he leaps from the arms of Dr. Herriot into his mistress’ lap. Thus, we see that Tricki is a lovable and faithful dog.

 Dr. Herriot:

Dr. Herriot was a duty-bound veterinary doctor. He used to visit Mrs Pumphrey’s house for the regular check-ups of her dog, Tricki. Dr Herriot was quite worried about the dog’s health as he knew that the dog was over-fed by his owner. He advised Mrs Pumphrey to keep him off the rich diet and give him a lot of exercise. But she didn’t bother. Hence, in order to improve Trick’s health, he decided to take him away from Mrs Pumphrey. He told her that the dog needed surgery. He made a Tricky cut down his diet and made him do certain exercises which improved his health. Although he knew Mrs Pumphrey was very rich and much attached to the dog, he did not take any advantage of it. He just performed his duties and eventually returned the dog to its rightful owner.  

The theme of the story:

The story ‘A Triumph of Surgery’ has much significance in our life as well. Not only adults but also children tend to put on weight and grow ill due to their parents’ over-protective nature. Many children become overweight and spoilt just because the parents try to meet every demand and fail to give them proper exercise for their body and mind. The story focuses on people who have disposable money with no avenues to spend. They probably don’t inculcate a pastime or a hobby. Obviously, they easily get bored and hence indulge in silly behaviours. These actions do more harm than good to the objective of affection. Loving and being affectionate towards a child or a pet is not wrong. But, not to the extent that they lose out on their basic understanding between the good and the bad. And, as far as pets are concerned, they are not objects to be shown around. They are real living creatures. As much as they need love and affection, they need a proper diet and a healthy lifestyle to survive well.

Read and Find Out (Answers to the questions given on Page 1)

1. Why is Mrs. Pumphrey worried about Tricki?

Mrs. Pumphrey is worried about Tricki because he is unwell. He has refused to eat food and had bouts of vomiting. She feels that he is suffering from a serious health issue such as malnutrition.

2. What does she do to help him? Is she wise in this?

Mrs. Pumphrey starts giving him extra snacks like malt, cod-liver oil, and Horlicks, apart from his main meals, to improve his condition. She also continues to satisfy his sweet tooth with cream cakes and chocolates. She does not give him any exercise, considering his listlessness as well. She is not wise in doing so because overfeeding Tricki is worsening his condition instead of improving it. It has made him very fat and lazy.

3. Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?

 ‘I’ refers to the narrator, Mr. James Herriot, a veterinary doctor.

Read and Find Out (Answers to the questions given on Page 3)

4. Is the narrator as rich as Tricki’s mistress?

No, the narrator is not as rich as Tricki’s mistress, Mrs Pumphrey. We can say so because the narrator seems fascinated by how lavishly Mrs. Pumphrey spends on the well-being and maintenance of her pet. He is unusually surprised by the enriching items she sends for Tricki, as he cannot afford them for himself.

5. How does he treat the dog?

James Herriot treats Tricki just like he would treat an overweight and lazy dog, which Tricki is. He cuts down his food intake and keeps him under strict observation for the initial days at the hospital. He gradually increases Tricki’s food and sets him free for physical activities to improve his health.

6. Why is he tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest?

Mr. Herriot is tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest because of the good food and wine he is enjoying in Tricki’s name. He does not want to lose the luxurious inflow of fresh eggs, wine, and brandy.

7. Why does Mrs. Pumphrey think the dog’s recovery is ‘a triumph of surgery’?

Mrs. Pumphrey thinks that Tricki’s recovery is a triumph of surgery because his illness was severe. She was of the opinion that there were very few chances of Tricki to improve and that he needed immediate medical attention. Thus, his revival without any medicinal treatment was a great achievement, according to her.