Summary of the story of A. P. Chekhov “Surgery”


In the zemstvo hospital for the absence of a doctor who went to get married, the reception of a paramedic Kuryatin is taking. He is a fat man of about forty, wearing a worn vest and worn trousers. He has an expression of duty and pleasure on his face, and a cigar in his hand that publishes a stench.

At the reception comes the deacon Vonniglasov, a tall, stocky old man in brown cassock. He complains of a sick tooth, that his whole head hurts from this tooth and shoots in his ear. He sits down and opens his mouth for inspection.

A paramedic among others, yellowed by time and tobacco teeth, sees one, decorated with a hollow, and says that it must be torn out.

The sexton respectfully answers that the paramedic is better to know. After all, he is a person specially trained to know what and how to treat.

Feldsher Kuryatin modest and chooses the tools for tooth extraction, accompanying the search for memories of the landowner Alexander Ivanych of Egypt. Kuryatin

allegedly removed the tooth to this man, who lived seven years in Petersburg and took over all the professors.

But what exactly to take the instrument, he does not know, and, having put a goat’s leg, takes the forceps. He approached the sexton, who opened his mouth, and began to remove the tooth.

Cuts the gum and tries to pull the tooth out. The deacon screams in pain and grabs the paramedic with his hands. He is indignant that the deacon is hindering him, and continues to pull. Passing languidly for half a minute, the deacon’s eyes are out of pain, sweat on his crimson face, tears in his eyes, knees raised to the elbows – and the forceps break from the tooth. Vonmiglasov climbs into the mouth and gropes for the sick tooth in the old place.

The respectful attitude of the sexton to Churyatin turns into mockery, he snarls and repeats his attempt to wrest the sick tooth. Ask the sexton not to teach him and not to twitch. Pulling… Well… Well… A crunchy sound is heard. “So I knew!” exclaims the paramedic.

Vonmiglasov completely stunned. He climbs into his mouth and discovers, instead of a sick tooth, two pieces sticking out. To the address of the medical assistant there are frank curses. He responds with rudeness: “Little you in the bursa were treated with a birch… Nothing you, you will not kill!”

The deacon leaves, holding his hand to his sore cheek.


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Summary of the story of A. P. Chekhov “Surgery”