SIR FREDERICK, TREVES.

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, Volume VII, Issue 2, 1 November 1902, Page 132

SIR FREDERICK, TREVES.

The Greater*. - * geoii ol Siis dny.

By E NEVE.

fIR FREDERICK TREVES is one of the best living examples of that truth which he himself is never tired of reiterating, and which is being more and more brought home to us every day — that mere mentality, brains, natural ability, call it what you will, is not everything — something more is needed. No matter how gifted a man may be, if he has not the physical powers necessary to stand the stress and strain of modern life, his gifts will be but an aggravation to himself and his fellow men. There will be vain regrets of what might have been, or an early grave for him whose body cannot endure the pace set by the mind. Sir Frederick Treves has the physique of a prizefighter, and, indeed, uses the gloves like a professional. As a swimmer he has few equals, certainly not of his age, and in almost every otherbranch of athletics he is one of the first amateurs in the United Kingdom. The fact that he sat up seven days and seven nights with the King speaks for itself. His capacity for work is extraordinary. This is strikingly brought home to us when we consider that during the^ busiest parts of an exceedingly active life he found time to turn out a small library of books on surgery, including the Jacksonian Prize Essay on " Intestinal Obstruction—a Manual of Operative Surgery," one. of the handiest books of reference for an operator who has to undertake a difficult case at a moment's notice, and an essay on the " Surgical Treatment of Typhlitis," while lie has edited a

" System of Surgery " that has met with much success. In 1887 he interested himself in the Healtheries' Exhibition, and that in spite of the fact that at this time his private practice had assumed enormous proportions. In those days he often retired to rest at ten, was up at four to do his writing, and after that did his day's work. In spite of this vast expenditure of energy lie has always found time and inclination for enjoying life's lighter side, and his charm of manner in society is simply marvellous. He possesses that keen sense of humour that is rarely lacking in men who are truly great, and this has, no doubt, tided him over many a difficulty, and been of immense service in the practice of his profession. He is a splendid speaker, and a brilliant and entertaining conversationalist ; but can, when occasion warrants, use the most biting sarcasm.

This eminent surgeon was born in '53 in Dorchester, his family being of ancient Italian extraction, though resident for many generations in England. To show their appreciation of him the citizens of his native town presented him not long since with the freedom of the city ; and after his elevation to a baronetcy it was announced at a special meeting of the Town Council, convened for the purpose, that he had chosen to be known by the style of Sir Frederick Treves, of Dorchester. The letter conveying- the intelligence evoked loud applause. Sir Frederick was educated at Merchant Taylor's, where he had the reputation of he-

ing a pretty " hard case," though, ■even then, he exhibited that indomitable energy and keen perception which, combined with a .marvellous capacity for taking pains and attention to detail, have carried him right to the head of his profession. His escapades were many, and perhaps not altogether confined to his school days ; for tho London students, of the early 'eighties tell, with many a sly chuckle, how, on the afternoon of a certain day, two eminent surgeons might have been seen engaged in

the undignified proceeding of racing the costermongers' donkey-carts down the Whitechapel Road. This, however, only goes to show that he possessed, in common with all other healthy-minded youths, a capacity for enjoying a bit of fun. His medical education was received at the London Hospital, and he was trained under such men as Jonathan Hutchinson, Sir Andrew Clark and Heulings Jackson, tbe great brain specialist. Even in those days the London was the best practical medical school in tt

world, being then, as it is now, the only general hospital for the East End with its teeming millions. It has unrivalled opportunities for giving the student experience in every variety of disease from anthrax to hydrophobia ; and from its close proximity to the docks every tropical complaint of 'a malarial type is exemplified. Moreover, the immense number of accidents from the factories, as well as the docks, afford extraordinary facilities for gaining knowledge in all sorts of outside directions. In those days, however, the favourite hospitals were Bart's, Guy's and St. Thomas', and though they did not, even then, contain so many beds as the London, they had far more students. At this particular time probably not more than twenty joined the London in a year, whereas there are now, in ordinary years over a hundred, and that in spite of the fact that the length of the course has been increased to five years. The number of patients which was enormous even then, has now reached 200,000 per annum.

After qualifying Sir Frederick had some considerable experience in country practice, particularly at Derby, and it was due to his old friend and teacher, Sir J. Hutchinson, who told him he was throwing himself away, that he applied for and was selected to fill a vacancy as assistant visiting-sur-geon in the London Hospital. Not long afterwards he was appointed demonstrator of anatomy, and soon became most popular as a teacher. His style of exposition was clear and lucid, and when, in '84, he was made full surgeon, and shortly after lecturer in surgery, he would be attended by a following of between a hundred and a hundred and twenty students as he went the rounds of the beds ; and, though it was always possible to hear his clear, ringing voice, to catch a glimpse of the patient, or even of the bed, was virtually out of the question. He always went about

his work with the style of a master,, and no matter what he was doing, he did it well. Those who haveobserved him in the wards of the: hospital, in the theatre at an operation of great difliculty and danger,. at operations in private practice,, or at a sing-sing of the medical students, have never seen him embarrassed or ill at ease. Thestudents, while looking up to him with a respect that amounted almost to reverence, yet showed their affection by alluding to him among themselves as " Freddy." It was their pet name for him, and in no way derogatory to his digtnity ; for, if " Freddy " wanted anything done, you may be sure it was done, and done quickly. To show the immense interest he took in his profession, though he had his two days a week, he devoted Sunday morning to a quiet walk round thewards, carefully examining and taking notes on all his cases. This gave him more time and quiet than he could obtain on ordinary days, when surrounded' by a crowd of students ; but even on these occasions he allowed several enthusiasts who were personal friends of his own to accompany him, and gave them the full advantage of his ripe knowledge and experience. The position of lecturer was held by the great surgeon for about fifteen years, by which time his private practice had increased to such an extent that he found he could no longer do justice to hospital work.

When he was appointed assistantsurgeon to the London Hospital intestinal surgery was in its infancy, and the problems which it presented could only be solved by a combination of boldness and sagacity, resting on a fresh investigation of the anatomy of the abdominal region regarded from the new point of view.

By his writings on these subjects and by his example as a practical surgeon, he has had a large sharein placing this department of surgery on a sound basis. In the^ London Hospital days he might

have been seen cutting up aiid measuring bullocks' intestines, and taking the most careful measitfoments and observations of the abdominal organs of his subjects till he became what he is to-day, tlie greatest master of his time in this class of operation. Yet he does not believe in an undue use of instruments in diagnosis, as his magnificent address delivered at the yearly prize-giving of the Bristol Medical

School bears witness. While alluding to the Avonderful skill of Sir James Paget, he spoke in touching terms of the cold, white hand that he had seen lying still on the coverlet — that hand, whose marvellous sense of touch had only been acquired by long years of study and experience —he warned students against diagnosing by machinery, telling them to rely, as did this great master of surgery, on the

sense of touch that in time becomes an instinct, more unerring than all the instruments in the world.

No sketch of Sir Frederick's connection with the London would be complete without an allusion to Old Rampley, who was always in attendance with the instruments at all his great operations. He never by any chance had to be asked for the requisite instrument, but from among perhaps several hundred would unerringly select and hand to the surgeon the very one he needed. It was the usual custom for Rampley to take the students a few days before the examination and coach them up in their instruments, about which he knew as much as Sir Frederick himself. He took the greatest possible pride in the appearance and arrangement of the various instruments, and tells with great glee how Sir Frederick, while being driven to attend a most difficult and dangerous case, asked him for an instrument known as a " catheter," and after drawing out the wire ancl cleaning his pipe with it, handed it back to him to clean.

The nurse who was in attendance on Sir Frederick Treves durin 0, his operation on the King, was the special nurse who is always with the great surgeon on such occasions. This lady is Miss Alice Tarr, who received her training at the London Hospital. She left that institution some six or seven years ago in order to be always at Sir Frederick Treves' command, and in that time has established in surgical circles a unique reputation for her skill as an assistant in abdominal operations. With Miss McCaul she went to South Africa to help Sir Frederick, but unhappily contracted enteric there. Last year, at Marlborough House, she. received the war medal at the hands of the King, who, with his unfailing memory for faces, recognized her before the operation. Nurse Tarr's duties ceased shortly after this had been performed, but His Majesty asked to see her again, and one day she

was conducted by the Prince of Wales to the bedside of the King, who spoke very, kindly to her, while the Queen was pleased to ask many questions concerning her work in South Africa. It is a curious coincidence that, shortly before it was known that it would be necessary to operate on the King, Sir Frederick published in the " British Medical Journal " a long article on appendicitis, and the fact that his eldest daughter's death was due to the disease that had been her father's particular study, is sad enough During his visit to South Africa he did much to re-organize fieldhospitals at the front. lt was he who refuted many of Mr BurdettCoutts' allegations against the Medical Corps ; and by his eloquent praise of their arrangements he has earned the gratitude of the whole of the R.A.M. C. While acting as consulting surgeon to the Field Force he served with Buller's army in Natal, was present at the Battle of Colenso, and throughout the prolonged operations which resulted in the relief of Ladysmith. He gave most striking accounts of his experiences in a series of letters in the columns of the " British Medical Journal," and subsequently in a volume " The Story of a Field Hospital," which has delighted thousands of readers by the simple pathos of, its recital, and by the charm of its direct and graphic style. By his strictures on the " feminine butterflies," who fluttered in and out of South African hospitals, hindering instead of helping, he brought upon himself the black looks of the fairer sex ; but for this he cared not one jot, and attacked them yet more openly at the same time in the following words : " South Africa was at this time afflicted by two plagues — ' a plague of flies ' and a ' plague of women.' I was justified in entering a strong protest against the ' plague of women.' Capetown was, at the time of which I spoke, packed with women idlers, the

majority of them society or smart people, who, yearning for more excitement, had come out to South Africa to make holiday. 1 say, and 1 say it very earnestly, that the condition of affairs brought about by the presence of these ladies was an absolute disgrace to our country." He tells one story of a lady who went round with a bag of buns offering them, to enteric patients, and of another who asked a wounded " Tommy " if she should wash his face and hands for him, to which the soldier replied, with a look that was the embodiment of resignation : " You may if you like, mann ; especially if you think it will ho you any good ; but you're the seventh this morning."

Treves has always made a hobby of yachting, and in fact holds a yacht-master's certificate ; but with his usual utilitarianism turned his hobby to good account in Lhe matter of the North Sea fishingfleet — that fleet which supplies the fish to England's millions. His was the hand that got them a hospitalsmack containing a few cots with a qualified surgeon always in attendance. Roughly speaking about a thousand men arc engaged in this hazardous work of fishing in small

smacks in the North Sea, and naturally there was often need of medical attendance ; but before Sir Frederick took the matter in hand there was none whatever. He always took great personal interest in the hospital-boat, but was not, as London papers recently to hand state, in charge of it in his younger days. As a matter of fact he, on more than one occasion, took charge of the hospital-boat as a holiday during his busy life as one of the best known consultant surgeons in London, making, perhaps, at the time, an income second to no other surgeon of his day and age. in conclusion, there can he no hesitation in saying that at the present time he has no equal in the world as a surgeon, and certainly no man has had his opportunities for practical experience ; and it is not surprising that he was chosen to operate on the King in his dire necessity, for, combined with special knowledge of the very disease in question, he possesses nerves of steel, and would operate on His Majesty with the same coolness as on the poorest of his subjects brought into the London Hospital.