A Triumph of Surgery

Mrs Pumphrey is worried because Tricki looks seriously ill. He has become hugely fat, looks listless, has no energy, and later even refuses food, vomits, lies on a rug, and pants. She thinks he is suffering from malnutrition and wants to make him strong again.

She tries to help him by giving him extras between meals such as malt, cod-liver oil, Horlicks, cream cakes, and chocolates. She also gives him little walks. No, she is not wise in this, because she keeps overfeeding him instead of cutting down his food and giving him proper exercise, which only makes his condition worse.

‘I’ refers to the narrator, who is the veterinary surgeon James Herriot.

No. The narrator is a veterinary surgeon, but he is not as rich as Tricki’s mistress, Mrs Pumphrey. The story clearly shows her luxurious lifestyle and his simpler professional life.

He treats the dog with care and firmness. At first he warns Mrs Pumphrey strictly about cutting down food and increasing exercise. When Tricki is brought to the surgery, he gives him no food for two days, only water, keeps him under observation, and lets him mix with the other dogs so that he becomes active and healthy again.

He is tempted to keep Tricki as a permanent guest because Tricki is being very well looked after in a luxurious way by Mrs Pumphrey. The dog gets eggs, wine, and brandy, and the narrator and his partners even enjoy some of the extra food meant for Tricki. So the arrangement is pleasant and amusing, making it hard to send him back.

Mrs Pumphrey calls it a “triumph of surgery” because she believes the veterinary treatment has completely cured Tricki. In reality, the real cure was not surgery at all but exercise, proper food control, and living with other dogs. She misunderstands the actual cause of his recovery.