Sir Frederick Treves, 1st Baronet (15 February 1853 – 7 December 1923), was a prominent British surgeon, and an expert in anatomy. Treves was renowned for his surgical treatment of

appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a ru ...

, and is credited with saving the life of

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...

in 1902. He is also widely known for his friendship with

Joseph Merrick Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890), often erroneously called John Merrick, was an English man known for having severe deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "the Elephant Man" and then wen ...

, dubbed the "Elephant Man" for his severe deformities.

Life and career

Frederick Treves was born on 15 February 1853 in

Dorchester, Dorset Dorchester ( ) is the county town of Dorset, England. It is situated between Poole and Bridport on the A35 trunk route. A historic market town, Dorchester is on the banks of the River Frome to the south of the Dorset Downs and north of the ...

, the son of William Treves, an

upholsterer Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word also refers to the materials used to upholster something. ''Upholstery'' comes from the Middle English wor ...

, of a family of Dorset

yeomen Yeoman is a noun originally referring either to one who owns and cultivates land or to the middle ranks of servants in an English royal or noble household. The term was first documented in mid-14th-century England. The 14th century also witn ...

, and his wife, Jane (''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' Knight). As a small boy, he attended the school run by the Dorset dialect poet

William Barnes William Barnes (22 February 1801 – 7 October 1886) was an English polymath, writer, poet, philologist, priest, mathematician, engraving artist and inventor. He wrote over 800 poems, some in Dorset dialect, and much other work, including a co ...

, and later the Merchant Taylors' School and London Hospital Medical College. He passed the membership examinations for the

Royal College of Surgeons of England The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wales. The ...

in 1875, and in 1878 those for the fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS). He was a

Knight of Grace of the Order of St John The Order of St John, short for Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (french: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a British British monarchy ...

Eminent surgeon

Sir Frederick Treves, Bt by Sir (Samuel) Luke Fildes

Treves began his medical career as a general practitioner, becoming a partner in a medical practice in

Wirksworth Wirksworth is a market town in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England. Its population of 5,038 in the 2011 census was estimated at 5,180 in 2019. Wirksworth contains the source of the River Ecclesbourne. The town was granted a mark ...

, Derbyshire. His daughter was born in Wirksworth in 1878. The house he lived in on Coldwell Street is called Treves House. He moved to London where he became a surgeon, specialising in abdominal surgery, at the

London Hospital The Royal London Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is part of Barts Health NHS Trust. It provides district general hospital services for the City of London and Tower Hamlets and spe ...

in the late 19th and early 20th century. On 29 June 1888, he performed the first

appendectomy An appendectomy, also termed appendicectomy, is a surgical operation in which the vermiform appendix (a portion of the intestine) is removed. Appendectomy is normally performed as an urgent or emergency procedure to treat complicated acute append ...

in England. In 1884, Treves first saw

, known as the Elephant Man, being exhibited by showman

Tom Norman Tom Norman, born Thomas Noakes, (7 May 1860 – 24 August 1930), was an English businessman, showman and the last exhibitor of Joseph Merrick who was otherwise known as the "Elephant Man". Among his later exhibits were a troupe of midgets ...

in a shop across the road from the London Hospital. Treves brought Merrick to the London Hospital in about 1886, having him live there until his death in April 1890. Treves' reminiscences mistakenly name Joseph Merrick as "John Merrick", an error widely recirculated by biographers of Merrick including the account rendered in the 1980 film. During the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

(1899–1902), Treves volunteered to work at a field hospital in South Africa, treating the wounded. He later published an account of his experiences in ''The Tale of a Field Hospital'', based on articles written at the time for the ''

British Medical Journal ''The BMJ'' is a weekly peer-reviewed medical trade journal, published by the trade union the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world's oldest general medical journals. Origina ...

''. Treves was also Medical Officer to the

Suffolk Yeomanry The Duke of York's Own Loyal Suffolk Hussars was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army. Originally formed as a volunteer cavalry force in 1793, it fought in the Second Boer war as part of the Imperial Yeomanry. In the World War I the regiment ...

until he resigned in May 1902, and he accepted the appointment as Honorary Colonel of the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps a ...

(

Militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

) on 30 August 1902. Vanity Fair - Spy - Freddie - M 0784 - 1900-07-19

In March 1900, Treves was appointed one of the Surgeons Extraordinary to

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

, and after her death the following year, he was appointed one of several Honorary Serjeants Surgeon to her successor, Edward VII. In May 1901 he was knighted as a

Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, or ...

(KCVO). The King's Achilles tendon was treated in January 1902, and then in June he found a "hard swelling in the abdomen". Treves did not remove the abscess, which was perityphlitis, an inflammation around the appendix which required draining. The

coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of ot ...

of the new king was scheduled for 26 June 1902, but on 24 June, Edward was diagnosed with

. Treves, with the support of the leading surgical authority,

Lord Lister Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, (5 April 182710 February 1912) was a British surgeon, medical scientist, experimental pathologist and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery and preventative medicine. Joseph Lister revolutionised the craft of s ...

, performed a then-radical operation of draining the infected appendiceal

abscess An abscess is a collection of pus that has built up within the tissue of the body. Signs and symptoms of abscesses include redness, pain, warmth, and swelling. The swelling may feel fluid-filled when pressed. The area of redness often extends b ...

through a small incision and leaving the appendix intact. This was at a time when appendicitis was generally not treated operatively and carried a high mortality rate. The operation was carried out on a table in the Music Room at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ha ...

. The King had opposed surgery because of the upcoming coronation, but Treves insisted, stating that if he was not permitted to operate, there would instead be a funeral. The next day, Edward was sitting up in bed, smoking a cigar. Treves was honoured with a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14t ...

cy on 24 July 1902 (which Edward had arranged before the operation), and appendix surgery entered the medical mainstream in the UK. He was granted the use of

Thatched House Lodge Thatched House Lodge is a Grade II-listed building, dating from the 17th century, in Richmond Park in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in London, England. It was the home of British prime minister Sir Robert Walpole and, since 1963 ...

Richmond Park Richmond Park, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is the largest of London's Royal Parks, and is of national and international importance for wildlife conservation. It was created by Charles I in the 17th century as a deer par ...

and was subsequently able to take early retirement. He published a book about his experiences of the king's illnesses, shortly after the coronation. Treves continued to serve the royal family as Serjeant Surgeon to the King and to the Royal Household from July 1902 until 1910. In November 1905 the King fell down a rabbit hole, straining his Achilles tendon, for which he was fitted with an iron splint. Treves received the

Freedom of the Borough The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...

from his native town of Dorchester in July 1902.

Author and legacy

Treves' ability as an author was discovered by Malcolm Morris of Cassell & Co. He wrote many books, including ''The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences'' (1923), ''Surgically Applied Anatomy'' (1883), ''Highways and Byways in Dorset'' (the county in which he was born) (1906), ''A Student's Handbook of Surgical Operations'' (1892), ''Uganda for a Holiday'', ''The Land That is Desolate'', and ''The Cradle of the Deep'' (1908). This last volume is an account of his travels in the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater ...

, interspersed with portions of their histories; describing (among other things) the death of

Blackbeard Edward Teach (alternatively spelled Edward Thatch, – 22 November 1718), better known as Blackbeard, was an English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North American colonies. Little is known about ...

the pirate, an eruption of

Mount Pelée Mount Pelée or Mont Pelée ( ; french: Montagne Pelée, ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Montann Pèlé, meaning "bald mountain" or "peeled mountain") is an active volcano at the northern end of Martinique, an island and French overseas departme ...

(which destroyed the city of St. Pierre, Martinique), and a powerful earthquake at

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Interna ...

, shortly before he landed there. He was also chairman of the Executive Committee from 1905 to 1912 of the

British Red Cross The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom body of the worldwide neutral and impartial humanitarian network the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with more ...

, and was the first president of the Society of Dorset Men. From 1905 to 1908, he was

Rector of the University of Aberdeen The Lord Rector of the University of Aberdeen is the students' representative and chairman in the University Court of the University of Aberdeen. The position is rarely known by its full title and most often referred to simply as " Rector". The ...

. Around 1920, Sir Frederick went to live in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

, where he died in Lausanne on 7 December 1923 at the age of 70. He died from

peritonitis Peritonitis is inflammation of the localized or generalized peritoneum, the lining of the inner wall of the abdomen and cover of the abdominal organs. Symptoms may include severe pain, swelling of the abdomen, fever, or weight loss. One part or ...

, which in the days before

antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention ...

s commonly resulted from a ruptured appendix. His funeral took place at St Peter's Church, Dorchester, on 2 January 1924, and the King and Queen were represented by the Physician-in-Ordinary, Lord Dawson. His lifelong friend

Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. A Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry of William Word ...

attended and chose the hymns. Hardy also wrote a poem for the occasion which was published in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fo ...

''. It begins with the words: "In the evening, when the world knew he was dead". His ashes were buried in Dorchester (Weymouth Avenue) cemetery.

Family

In 1877, Treves married Ann Elizabeth, daughter of Alfred Samuel Mason, of Dorchester.Visitation of England and Wales, vol. 13, ed. Frederick Arthur Crisp, 1905, p. 176. They had two daughters, Enid Margery Treves – who married in 1902 Lt-Col Charles Delmé-Radcliffe, CMG, MVO – and Hetty Marion Treves (1882–1900).

Fictional portrayals

Treves is one of the main characters in ''

The Elephant Man Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890), often erroneously called John Merrick, was an English man known for having severe deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "the Elephant Man" and then wen ...

'',

Bernard Pomerance Bernard Pomerance (September 23, 1940 – August 26, 2017) was an American playwright and poet whose best known work is the play '' The Elephant Man''. Biography Pomerance was born in Brooklyn, New York City in 1940. He studied at the University ...

's 1977 play about Joseph Merrick's life, as well as

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...

's 1980 film, in which he was portrayed by

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...

. In that film, the English actor Frederick Treves, Sir Frederick's great-nephew, plays an alderman. Working at the London Hospital and coming into contact with criminal cases, he is also depicted by

Paul Ready Paul John Ready (born 1977) is a British actor. In 2013–2014, he played Lee in ''Utopia''. In 2016, he played Kevin in '' Motherland''. In 2018, he played the role of Rob MacDonald in the BBC television series '' Bodyguard'', and Harry Good ...

in the BBC historical crime drama ''

Ripper Street ''Ripper Street'' is a British mystery drama television series set in Whitechapel in the East End of London starring Matthew Macfadyen, Jerome Flynn, Adam Rothenberg, and MyAnna Buring. It begins in 1889, six months after the infamous Jack ...

'', set in the

East End The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...

in the 1890s. A fictional version of ''The Tale of a Field Hospital'' and Treves are featured in an episode of horror fiction podcast ''

The Magnus Archives ''The Magnus Archives'' is a horror fiction podcast written by Jonathan Sims, directed by Alexander J. Newall, and distributed by Rusty Quill. Sims narrated the podcast in-character as the main character, Jonathan Sims, the newly appointed Hea ...

'' by Jonathon Sims. In real life, Sir Frederick Treves appeared as himself amongst other society Britons helping out with the war effort in

D. W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the n ...

's lost silent film '' The Great Love'' (1918).''The Films of D. W. Griffith'' by Edward Wagenknecht and Anthony Slide, p. 97, c. 1975, Retrieved 22 October 2015.

References

Sources

* * * * * * *

External links

* * * *
''The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences''

at Surgical-tutor.org.uk {{DEFAULTSORT:Treves, Frederick 1st Baronet 1853 births 1923 deaths Royal Army Medical Corps officers Military personnel from Dorset British military personnel of the Second Boer War Alumni of the London Hospital Medical College Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Companions of the Order of the Bath Deaths from peritonitis English Christians English surgeons English writers Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour People educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood People from Dorchester, Dorset Rectors of the University of Aberdeen Burials in Dorset Suffolk Yeomanry officers Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons British expatriates in Switzerland Residents of Thatched House Lodge Knights of Justice of the Order of St John