h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ron,

It was boring, self-indulgent, charmless.

And tripe is notoriously indigestible too, Chips!

You might not believe this, but it's quite true:

After my first two stomach operations I developed a bowel blockage and had to have a third operation to cut away adhesions to release the blockage. About 3 days after the operation they gave us tripe for 6pm dinner. That was OK for those with good digestions, but it made me dreadfully ill with severe acid production over a number of hours, and then constant vomiting. The consultant surgeon was angry and said that tripe, being the lining of an animal's stomach which is impervious to attack by acid and therefore itself quite indigestible, certainly wouldn't be digestible to anyone with a gastrectomy and therefore low in acid producing capability. Crazy world, especially in the 1960s, when the kitchens were not involved directly with patient's dietary needs, it seems.

Ron

That should have been 'partial gastrectomy'... the 'full' one was in 1996!

Ron !!!!!!!!!!

I don't believe you.

You are joshing me aren't you ?

C

Naturally, I was referring to your being fed tripe

Thought that was just me

No Chips; It is quite true! The incident was at the now long demolished Sefton General Hospital near Liverpool in 1962.

Tripe and Chips? No; tripe and bloody onions too; neither of which agree with me in digestive terms!

Ron

Surely nobody eats tripe any more

Tripe tripe tripe. Lovely word

Tripe trots trippingly off the tip of the tongue Chips!

Toodleoo!

farewell felonious friend