A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY

Q1. Dr. Herriot knew his patients as well as their owners really well. Discuss.
Ans: Dr. Herriot definitely knew his patients as well as their owners really well in “The
Triumph of Surgery”. It can be supported by an example wherein he saw Tricki in the market
and was able to correctly make out that she needed help. This depicted that Dr. Harriot was
able to understand that Tricki needed help and was probably in pain, just by glancing at her
when in the market. Moreover, despite knowing that Mrs. Pumphrey was at fault for Tricki’s
condition; he never blamed or spoke harsh words to her.

Q2. Describe the ‘parting scene’ between Tricki and Mrs. Pumphrey’s household.
Ans: During the ‘parting scene’ Mrs.Pumphrey is seen to be wailing. The whole staff is
awakened. We also see the maids rushing in and out to bring Tricki’s beds, bowls and other
unnecessary things that he is made to use to the doctor’s car. When the doctor drives away
the whole household is seen in tears bidding goodbye to their beloved dog.

Q3. Why was Dr. Herriot tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest?
Ans: Mrs. Pumphrey, in her love for her dog, used to send a lot of things like wine, brandy,
eggs among other things for Tricki. However, due to her ill health these were not consumed
by her and instead were consumed by Dr. Herriot along with his partner. Thus, he was
tempted to keep Tricki as his permanent guest.

Q4. “You must harden your heart and help him on a strict diet.” Why does Mr. Herriot
suggest this to Mrs. Pumphrey?
Ans: Throughout the story Dr. Herriot knew that the real and primary cause of Tricki’s
problem and illness was Mrs. Pumphrey’s overindulgence in feeding and pampering Tricki.
Tricki’s only fault was his greed for food. Thus, Dr. Harriot asked Mrs. Pumphrey to harden
her heart and help him on a strict diet, which later did not prove any helpful since Tricki’s
health deteriorated further to the point that Dr.Herriot had to hospitalize him.

Q5. Do you think Dr. Herriot was a clever, pragmatic and a sensible person? How?
Ans: Yes, I do believe that Dr. Herriot was a clever, pragmatic and a sensible individual. He
was sensible to understand Mrs. Pumphrey’s unconditional but destructive love for Tricki
and Tricki’s greed for food. He was pragmatic in the sense that he knew that it was difficult
for Mrs. Pumphrey to part with her dog and thus, suggested to hospitalize Tricki instead to
save him.

Q6. Why did Tricki become an uninteresting object for other dogs at the surgery?
Ans: When Tricki first entered the surgery, he was hospitalized for a fortnight and was
gasping for his breath. Initially the dogs did surround him so as to see the new member in
the surgery, but Tricki looked down at the noisy dogs helplessly. He was motionless on the
carpet. However, due to his condition the dogs sniffed him and declared him as an
uninteresting object and informed him.

Q7 How did the word ‘convalescing’ affect Tricki’s mistress, Mrs. Pumphrey?
Ans:The moment Dr.Herriot announced that Tricki was ‘convalescing’ or recovering, his
mistress Mrs. Pumphrey was excited. Her excitement again turned into overindulgence
when she started sending eggs, wine and brandy to enrich Tricki’s blood.
 A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY
Q8. What was the only fault of Tricki as diagnosed by Dr. Harriot?

Ans: According to Dr. Herriot the only fault of Tricki was his greed for food. Dr. Herriot knew
that Mrs. Pumphrey was completely at fault for Tricki’s overindulgence and pampering. She
therefore only created problems for him.He was never refused food, even when he did not
feel hungry and this overindulgence thus, made him obese and sick.

Q9. What special diet did Mrs. Pumphrey give to build Tricki up?
Ans: After discovering that Tricki was becoming listless, Mrs Pumphrey deduced by herself
that Tricki was suffering from malnutrition, due to his low energy levels. To build up his
strength Mrs.Pumphrey decided to give him special meals. The meals primarily included
malt,cod liver oil, and a bowl of Horlicks at night. In addition to this she also gave Tricki
cakes and chocolates since she just couldn’t refuse him.

Q10. How was Tricki accepted as the member of the gang and other dogs started
enjoying his company?

Ans: Once Tricki was out of danger and was under the care of Dr.Herriot, he then started
taking interest in his surroundings. It was on the third day that Joe the Greyhound along with
other dogs of the household surrounded him, rolled him over and inspected him to get
familiar with him and his scent. He then followed them to the garden and continued playing
with the gang and was thereby, accepted as a member of the gang.

Class 10 Triumph of Surgery Long Answer Questions

Lesson 1

Q1. Herriot enjoyed the lavish (costly) meals during Tricki’s stay but still, he felt
compelled (forced to do something) to inform Mrs. Pumphrey about the recovery of
Tricki. Why did he not keep Tricki for a longer time? Did he feel concerned for Mrs.
Pumphrey? Discuss the values he possessed.

Ans:: It is true that Dr. Herriot enjoyed the lavish meals during Trickis’s stay that he got
through Mrs. Pumphrey. Tricki was an obese dog; the pet of Mrs. Pumphrey. Due to his
weight he slowly became listless, and seemed to have no energy and fell ill. It was at this
point that Mrs. Pumphrey decided to get the help of Dr. Herriot. Dr. Herriot decided to take
Tricki to his surgery to prevent his health from getting deteriorated further. He decided to
keep an eye on him for two days and gave him no food and just water to help him get
better. It was on the third day that he started to show some interest in his surroundings and
tried mingling with other dogs in the surgery.
It was after Dr. Herriot informed Mrs. Pumphrey of the dog’s recovery that she started
bringing him eggs, wine and brandy among other things to improve Tricki’s blood. Herriot
did enjoy Tricki’s stay considering that fact that all the things send by Mrs. Pumphrey were
consumed by him and his partner, however he did not want to keep him for long as he felt
concerned for Mrs. Pumphrey and he did not want to separate them from each other.
 A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY
Q2. The chapter shows the silly and negligent behavior of rich people like Mrs.
Pumphrey who may harm their near and dear ones by their extra caring nature.
Tricki’s declining health was the outcome of Mrs. Pumphrey’s over-caring nature. Do
you think such people’s actions can prove to be fatal for the health of their kind?
What values would you suggest to such people to emulate in themselves and why?

Ans:: It is indeed true that Mrs. Pumphrey was a wealthy woman who with her extra care
and love for her pet dog Tricki, neglected the health of him and led him to become obese
and ill. Tricki; the dog was pampered with all kinds of comforts that were not required for
his survival. He had many coats which were worn according to the weather, had different
cushions to sit on and had various dishes to eat. Extra meals were common for him, which
included stuff like malt, cod-liver oil, and a bowl of Horlicks. ALong with this, he was also
given cakes and chocolates since Mrs. Pumphrey just could not refuse him such things.
All these habits imbibed by Mrs. Pumphrey and Tricki made him obese, lethargic, listless
with no energy to even walk around. Her actions thus proved to be fatal for his health. It is
thus important that we do not over care for individuals or our pets. Give our pets proper
and healthy meals, take them for walks, help them exercise so as to keep them in good
health

Q3. “He had never been known to refuse food; he would tackle a meal at any hour of
the day or night.” Herriot believed that Tricki’s problem was his greed. Did he lack
tolerance? What values would you like Tricky to imbibe? Elucidate.

Ans: According to Dr. Herriot the only fault of Tricki was his greed for food. Dr. Herriot knew
that Mrs. Pumphrey was also partly at fault for Tricki’s overindulgence and pampering. She
therefore only created problems for him. He was never refused food, even when he did not
feel hungry and this overindulgence thus, made him obese and sick. Moreover, Tricki’s bad
health made him concerned. He had to immediately cut down on the dog’s diet and make
sure that he exercised more. It is indeed true that Tricki also lacked tolerance as his greed
for food always won over.
Therefore, Tricki should have been less greedy and luxury-loving and should have behaved
more like a dog.

Q4. Herriot seems to be a duty-bound doctor who values others ’emotions’ than his
personal interests. Elucidate the above statement. Mention those values of Herriot
which you would like to emulate in yourself also and give reasons for the same.

Ans: Herriot was definitely a duty-bound doctor. This can be seen in instances such as when
he used to visit Mrs. Pumphrey’s house regularly for Tricki’s check-up. He was also a doctor
who worried immensely about his patient’s health, like his worry for Tricki’s health. Since he
knew that the dog was over cared for by his owner, he advised Mrs. Pumphrey to harden
her heart and check his diet strictly. However, when his health deteriorated further, he
without any hesitation decided to take the dog away from the owner and even lied to her by
telling her that the dog needed surgery. Herriot then cut down on Tricki’s diet, made him
exercise more, eat healthy and let him mingle with other dogs. He knew that Mrs. Pumphrey
was rich and attached to Tricki and still he did not take any advantage of it and just
performed his duties as a veterinary doctor,therefore giving some values that one should
emulate in oneself.
 A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY

Q5. Give a brief character-sketch of Mrs. Pumphrey.

Ans: Mrs. Pumphrey was a rich and resourceful woman who had a large number of maids
and servants. She had a dog named Tricki who she over cared for and was passionately
attached to. The dog was pampered with all kinds of comforts that were not required for his
survival. He had many coats which were worn according to the weather, had different
cushions to sit on and had various dishes to eat. Extra meals were common for him, which
included stuff like malt, cod-liver oil, and a bowl of Horlicks. ALong with this, he was also
given cakes and chocolates since Mrs. Pumphrey just could not refuse him such things.
All these habits imbibed by Mrs. Pumphrey and Tricki made him obese, lethargic, listless
with no energy to even walk around. Her actions thus proved to be fatal for his health. Her
over caring nature extende to such extent that she ignored Dr. Herriot’s advice about the
dog’s strict diet, thus worsening his health.
Mrs. Pumphrey can be described as an impractical but compassionate and caring person in
the sense that she definitely cared for Tricki by her way of showing her care was impractical
and was harming Tricki’s health.

Q6. Describe Tricki’s stay at Dr. James Herriot’s surgery, highlighting his behavior and
his rapid recovery.

Ans: Dr. Herriot discovered quite early on what Tricki’s real problem was. He knew that
Tricki’s only weakness was his craving for food. Therefore, he wanted Mrs. Pumfrey to feed
Tricki a strict diet and get plenty of exercise. Dr. Herriot ordered the dog to be taken to the
hospital and observed for two weeks. During surgery, Tricky looked down at the noisy dogs
with dull eyes. He lay still on the carpet.Other dogs ignored him as an uninteresting object. A
bed was made in a warm box next to the other dogs. For two days, Dr. Herriot has been
watching over him. He gave him nothing to eat, but gave him plenty of water. He gave Tricky
no treatment.
Dr. Herriot’s hands-on treatment worked well. First, Tricki began to take an interest in his
surroundings. His appetite returned. He ran around the yard with the other dogs and joined
in with the friendly barking. After that, practicing Tricki became a lot of fun. His spoiled
mistress gave him fresh eggs, wine and liquor. Even Dr. Herriot wanted to keep Tricki as a
permanent guest. However, Tricky recovered fairly quickly and was handed over to his
beloved. Mrs. Pumfrey gratefully thanked Dr. Herriot calls his achievement a “Triumph of
Surgery”.

Q7. Tricki was more than a dog. He was more like a spoilt child of an overindulgent
mistress, Mrs. Pumphrey. Comment.

Ans: It is true that Tricki was much more than a dog to Mrs. Pumphrey. In fact he was a
pampered child of hers. However, it is important to note that the only fault of Tricki
throughout the story was his greed for food. The dog was pampered with all kinds of
comforts that were not required for his survival. He had many coats which were worn
according to the weather, had different cushions to sit on and had various dishes to eat.
Extra meals were common for him, which included stuff like malt, cod-liver oil, and a bowl of
Horlicks. A Long with this, he was also given cakes and chocolates since Mrs. Pumphrey just
could not refuse him such things.
 A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY
All these habits imbibed by Mrs. Pumphrey and Tricki made him obese, lethargic, listless
with no energy to even walk around. Her actions thus proved to be fatal for his health. Her
over caring nature extended to such an extent that she ignored Dr. Herriot’s advice about
the dog’s strict diet, thus worsening his health. The dog became a victim of his mistress’s
overindulgence and overfeeding. However, with the help of Dr. Herriot’s recovery was rather
fast with The doctor changing his diet, making him exercise more, giving him plenty of
water, etc to aid his recovery which worked well and was fast.

Q8. Mrs. Pumphrey says, “This is ‘A Triumph of Surgery’. Why did she say so? Did she
know what Tricki’s ailment was?

Ans: Tricki was in critical condition and refused to eat. He vomited several times which
concerned Mrs. Pumphrey about him. She contacted Dr. Herriot, a veterinary surgeon to
help the dog. Tricki’s disease was known to Dr. Herriot. He took the dog to the vet and
denied Tricki food for two days,but gave him plenty of water. He made sure that the dog
mingled with other dogs in the surgery and got enough exercise. Mrs. Pumphrey returned
Tricki to Dr. Herriot’s surgery to find him completely transformed. He’d been sluggish,
listless, panting, gasping, energyless and flabby but he’d been transformed into a lean, hard-
muscled beast. “This is ‘A Triumph of Surgery,'” were the words exclaimed by Mrs. Pumphrey
was unaware of Tricki’s condition when she first saw him after his transformation, making
us believe that she had no idea how he had been cured.

Q9.Tricki was more a member of Mrs. Pumphrey’s family than a mere dog. Explain,
giving an example from the text.

Ans: Tricki was not just a mere dog or pet of Mrs. Pumphrey’s family was more than that
and was more like a member. The way in which Tricki was coddled and treated are some
examples of this statement. The dog was pampered with all kinds of comforts that were not
required for his survival. He had many coats which were worn according to the weather, had
different cushions to sit on and had various dishes to eat. Extra meals were common for
him, which included stuff like malt, cod-liver oil, and a bowl of Horlicks. ALong with this, he
was also given cakes and chocolates since Mrs. Pumphrey just could not refuse him such
things.
All these habits imbibed by Mrs. Pumphrey and Tricki made him obese, lethargic, listless
with no energy to even walk around. Her actions thus proved to be fatal for his health. Her
over caring nature extended to such an extent that she ignored Dr. Herriot’s advice about
the dog’s strict diet, thus worsening his health.

Q10. The foolish indulgence and pampering of the rich mistress, Mrs Pumphrey was
the real cause of Tricki’s miserable condition. Give a reasoned answer.

Ans: Beyond a certain point, indulgence and pampering are ineffective. Discipline is crucial
for everyone, including children and pets. The main reason Tricki was in such terrible shape
was because of his obscenely wealthy and resourceful mistress. To tend to Tricki’s needs,
the entire staff and maids were present. He always had a ready supply of his day bed, night
bed, cushions, toys, rubber rings, breakfast bowl, lunch bowl, and dinner bowl. Dr. Herriot
correctly concluded that Tricki’s only mistake was his gluttony. Tricki became extremely
bloated and listless from overindulging in desserts, cakes, and chocolates. Mrs. Pumphrey
 A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY
could have prevented the current state of affairs if she had sincerely followed Dr. Herriot’s
instructions.
Tricki should follow a strict diet and get plenty of exercise, the doctor advised her. It was
also important for him to cut down on his sweets. However, the impractical mistress
ignored Dr. Herriot’s advice resulting in the worsening of Tricki’s health, with him losing his
appetite, panting, gasping and vomiting. The doctor changed his diet, made him exercise
more, gave him plenty of water to aid his recovery which worked well and was fast.