“Surgeon lived here” proclaims the Sir Frederick Treves Blue plaque. It marks 6 Wimpole Street. This seemingly simple inscription tells a tale of ambition. It also speaks of medical innovation.
Sir Frederick Treves was no ordinary surgeon. He lived here from 1886 to 1907. His story is interwoven with London’s medical history. It is also connected with one of fiction’s most famous characters.
Treves reached the peak of his profession in 1887. At 34 he moved his family to this elegant Georgian house. It was number 34 Wimpole Street back then. Today it is number 6. Here Sir Frederick Treves lived in style. He would soon command the highest fees of any London surgeon. Annie Treves his wife also enjoyed the change. They looked back with relief and good humor to their impoverished Hackney life.
But who was Sir Frederick Treves before Wimpole Street? He was born in Dorchester in 1853. His father was an upholsterer. Treves was educated at Merchant Taylors’ School. He then attended the London Hospital.
He qualified as a surgeon in 1875. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1878. Treves quickly gained a reputation for his skill and knowledge. He based his surgery on anatomy. He also practiced at a time when Lister’s teaching allowed a great extension of abdominal surgery.
Treves rose early to write. He illustrated with facility. He also added anecdote. He operated neatly. He also worked quickly and cautiously. He was myopic and generally wore spectacles. He laid aside his spectacles. He held his head close to his work. That was especially the case in the days of the spray. He taught without elaboration.
Treves’s career was marked by innovation. He published “Surgical Applied Anatomy”. It became a medical classic. He also wrote about intestinal obstruction. He also described mechanical disarrangements of the intestines.
About 1888 Joseph Merrick visited this house. He was the famous Elephant Man. Treves had cared for him in the London Hospital. Their relationship brought Treves both fame and compassion. It highlighted the plight of those with disfigurements.
Treves’s skills were called upon for King Edward VII’s coronation. The King suffered an abdominal attack. Treves operated. He laid open an abscess containing decomposing pus. He inserted two large drainage tubes. The King recovered. The coronation took place later. Treves was made a Baronet.
Treves also served as a civilian consulting surgeon. He was in the South African War. His “Tale of a Field Hospital” described his experiences. He noted bullets caused little damage. Enteric was the great enemy.
He was also Chairman of the Executive Committee. That was for the British Red Cross Society. He was also involved with the Radium Institute.
After retiring from practice, Treves devoted himself to public work. He also traveled and wrote books. His literary genius shone through in works like “The Other Side of the Lantern”. It was an account of a tour around the world.
Sir Frederick Treves died in Switzerland in 1923. His ashes were buried in Dorchester Cemetery. Treves’s life was one of service. It was also one of skill and compassion.
So when you look at this Sir Frederick Treves Blue plaque remember more than a surgeon. Remember a man who combined skill with empathy. Remember a writer who captured the world. Consider a life dedicated to healing and understanding.