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.

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
 A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY
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.

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.
 A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY
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.

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.
 A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY
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.
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 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.