Summary of “A Triumph of Surgery”#
“A Triumph of Surgery” is the first chapter in the supplementary reader Footprints without Feet. Written by James Herriot, the story concerns a small dog named Tricki, who is excessively pampered and overfed by his wealthy mistress, Mrs. Pumphrey.
The narrator, a veterinary surgeon, observes Tricki looking hugely fat, like a bloated sausage, with bloodshot eyes and a lolling tongue. Mrs. Pumphrey explains she is worried because Tricki is listless and seems to lack energy. Believing he suffers from malnutrition, she has been giving him extra treats like malt, cod-liver oil, and Horlicks, and has not reduced his intake of sweet things like cream cakes and chocolates. She also mentions that Tricki is not getting much exercise because her gardener, who plays ring-throwing with him, is ill.
The narrator identifies Tricki’s main problem as greed and tells Mrs. Pumphrey she must significantly cut his food and increase his exercise, putting him on a very strict diet. Mrs. Pumphrey finds this very difficult.
Within a few days, Mrs. Pumphrey calls, distraught, as Tricki has stopped eating, is vomiting, and lies panting, refusing to do anything. The narrator, who had anticipated this, suggests hospitalising Tricki for a fortnight for observation. Despite Mrs. Pumphrey’s distress, the narrator insists this is the only way to save the dog.
At the surgery, the narrator gives Tricki no food but plenty of water for two days. The other dogs initially ignore Tricki. On the third day, Tricki starts showing interest in his surroundings and joins the other dogs. He begins running and playing with them, joining in their friendly scrimmages. He receives no medicinal treatment; his recovery is due to his changed diet and increased exercise. He learns to compete for food and becomes an accepted member of the pack, having the best time of his life.
Mrs. Pumphrey anxiously calls frequently for updates. Upon hearing that Tricki is “convalescing rapidly”, she starts sending eggs, wine, and brandy to build his strength. The narrator and his staff enjoy these provisions. The narrator is tempted to keep Tricki as a permanent guest.
After two weeks, the narrator calls Mrs. Pumphrey to tell her Tricki has recovered. She arrives in a large car. The narrator brings out Tricki, who has been transformed into a “lithe, hard-muscled animal”. Tricki, upon seeing his mistress, leaps excitedly into her lap. Mrs. Pumphrey, seeing the dramatic improvement, declares the recovery “a triumph of surgery!”.
Questions and Answers#
Here are the questions from the chapter and their answers, drawn from the provided text:
Read and Find Out
Why is Mrs Pumphrey worried about Tricki?
Mrs. Pumphrey is worried about Tricki because he seems listless and has no energy. She believes he must be suffering from malnutrition.
What does she do to help him? Is she wise in this?
To help him, she gives him “little extras” between meals, such as malt, cod-liver oil, and a bowl of Horlicks at night. She also does not cut down on sweet things like cream cakes and chocolates. No, she is not wise in this. The narrator believes Tricki’s only fault is greed, caused by her not being able to refuse him food, which has made him “hugely fat”.
Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
‘I’ refers to the narrator, who is a veterinary surgeon.
Read and Find Out
Is the narrator as rich as Tricki’s mistress?
No, the narrator is not as rich as Tricki’s mistress. Mrs. Pumphrey is able to provide Tricki with a whole wardrobe of coats, has staff who bring numerous beds, bowls, toys, and cushions for him, arrives in a large, expensive car with a chauffeur, and sends luxurious food and drink like eggs, wine, and brandy for the dog during his recovery.
How does he treat the dog?
He treats the dog by initially giving him no food but plenty of water for two days. He provides a bed in a warm loose box alongside other dogs. He encourages him to run and play with the other dogs, allowing him to recover through exercise and a proper diet rather than medicinal treatment.
Why is he tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest?
He is tempted to keep Tricki as a permanent guest because Mrs. Pumphrey starts sending lavish provisions like eggs, wine, and brandy for Tricki, which the narrator and his partners enjoy immensely. These supplies make their meals much more enjoyable.
Think About It
1. What kind of a person do you think the narrator, a veterinary surgeon, is? Would you say he is tactful as well as full of common sense?
The narrator appears to be a highly competent and practical veterinary surgeon with a good understanding of animal behaviour and welfare. He quickly diagnoses Tricki’s problem as overfeeding and lack of exercise. His treatment plan involves simple, common-sense measures: controlling diet and providing exercise, which proves highly effective. He is arguably both tactful and full of common sense. He shows common sense in his medical approach. While he is initially severe in his advice to Mrs. Pumphrey, he later handles her anxious calls by avoiding specific questions about Tricki’s comfort (like cushions and coats) while reassuring her about his recovery. He also takes a “firm line” to hospitalise Tricki despite her distress, suggesting he prioritises the dog’s health even if it means upsetting the owner.
2. Do you think Tricki was happy to go home? What do you think will happen now?
Tricki seemed very happy to go home. He had clearly bonded with the other dogs and enjoyed his time at the surgery, but his tremendous leap into Mrs. Pumphrey’s lap upon seeing her shows his strong affection for his mistress. Now, it is possible that Mrs. Pumphrey will return to her old habits of overfeeding and pampering Tricki, as she seemed unable to refuse him previously and interprets his recovery as a “triumph of surgery” rather than a result of his changed lifestyle. This could potentially lead to Tricki becoming ill again.
3. Do you think this is a real-life episode, or mere fiction? Or is it a mixture of both?
Given that James Herriot wrote numerous stories about his life as a veterinary surgeon (mentioned in suggested reading), this episode is likely a mixture of both real-life experiences and fiction. The detailed descriptions of veterinary practice, animal symptoms, and interactions with owners suggest a basis in reality. However, the extreme portrayal of Mrs. Pumphrey’s wealth and indulgence and the slightly dramatic resolution might be embellished for storytelling purposes.
Talk About It
1. This episode describes the silly behaviour of a rich woman who is foolishly indulgent, perhaps because she is lonely. Do you think such people are merely silly, or can their actions cause harm to others?
Based on the story, Mrs. Pumphrey’s actions were not merely silly; they caused significant harm to Tricki’s health. Her foolish indulgence led to him becoming dangerously overweight and unwell. This demonstrates that the actions of individuals, even if stemming from misguided affection or loneliness, can have detrimental consequences for those they care for.
2. Do you think there are also parents like Mrs. Pumphrey?
(Drawing on interpretation of the text’s themes): The story highlights extreme overindulgence. While the source text doesn’t explicitly compare her to parents, the intensity of her care and distress when Tricki is ill or away is reminiscent of parental concern. The question invites the reader to consider if similar patterns of excessive pampering exist in the context of human families.
3. What would you have done if you were: (i) a member of the staff in Mrs Pumphrey’s household, (ii) a neighbour? What would your life have been like, in general?
(i) As a member of Mrs. Pumphrey’s staff, life would likely involve catering to Tricki’s elaborate needs, such as handling his extensive wardrobe of coats and numerous beds and bowls. Witnessing his overfeeding and lack of exercise would be common. The staff seem accustomed to her ways, bringing out all of Tricki’s belongings when he is hospitalised and being in tears when he leaves. Life would probably be busy managing the eccentricities of the household centered around Tricki. (ii) As a neighbour (not explicitly mentioned in the sources), one might observe Mrs. Pumphrey’s lifestyle and perhaps Tricki’s condition from a distance. Without direct interaction, it’s difficult to say more based solely on the provided text.
4. What would you have done if you were in the narrator’s place?
The narrator’s actions were to identify the problem (diet and exercise), insist on removing the dog from the harmful environment, provide a simple, corrective regimen at the surgery, and return a healthy dog. Given the success of this approach in the story, following a similar plan would be a sensible course of action: prioritising the animal’s health over the owner’s misguided desires, getting the animal into an environment conducive to recovery, and implementing a basic, effective treatment based on diet and exercise.
Suggested reading
This section lists other works that might be of interest to the reader:
- ‘Rikki Tikki Tawi’ by Rudyard Kipling
- Dog Stories by James Herriot
- ‘A Zoo in My Luggage’ by Gerald Durrell
- ‘A Tiger Comes to Town’ by R.K. Narayan