Transcript

Treves’ Famous Cases DCH 175 Treves Trail

YouarenowstandingoutsidetheCollitonClub,thisbuildingwashereatthe3mewhenFrederick

TreveshadasurgeryonHighWestStreet.

TrevesperformedthefirstappendectomyinEnglandonthe29thJune1888.His'appendici3s'surgerygavehimanenormousdevelopmentofhisprivate

prac3ce.HebecamethemostsuccessfuloftheLondonsurgeons,receivingmoreoJenthanothers

the100-guineafee.Atthis3methiswastheupperlimitofsurgicalfees.Here3redin1898tofocusonhisprivateworkduetothevolumeofprivatepa3entshereceived.Thisshowsusjusthowsuccessfulhe

wasasasurgeon!

TheElephantMan

TrevesalsotriedtohelpJosephMerrick,or'TheElephantMan',madefamousmorerecentlybythe1977playbyBernard

Pomerance.In1886FrederickTrevesfoundJosephMerrick,or‘theelephantman’inapennypeepshow.Merrickwas24years

oldanddisfigured.Hewassufferingfromcongenitalhypertrophyofcertainbones,withpachydermatoceleandpapillomaoftheskin.Ithasrecentlybeensuggestedthathe

sufferedfromararecongenitalhamartomatousdisordercalledproteussyndrome.TheBMJrecordsthathiscountenancewasso

hideousthatheworeamask.

Trevesshowedhimkindnessandsoughttohelphim

medically.Trevessoughttogethimintovarioushospitalsbuttheywouldnottakehim.

Finally,however,aspecialroomwasbuiltforMerrickata

Londonhospitalandtherehelivedfortherestofhislife.HewasforevergratefultoTreves.Merricksadlydiedin1890,followingcon3nuedgrowthoftheskull,whichbecamesoheavythatitfell

backwardwhilehewasasleepanddislocatedhisneck.

ARoyalPa3ent

EdwardVIIandAlexandrawerecrownedatWestminsterAbbeyon9thAugust1902.

Edward'scorona3onhadbeenscheduledforthe26thJune,buttwodaysbeforeonthe24thJune,Edwardwasdiagnosedwithappendici3s.Appendici3swasgenerallynottreatedopera3vely

andcarriedahighmortalityrate,butdevelopmentsinanaesthesiaandan3sepsisinthepreceding50yearsmadelife-

savingsurgerypossible.

Treves,withthesupportofLordLister,performedathen-radicalopera3onofdraining

theappendixabscessthroughasmallincision.Thenextday,Edwardwassi^ngupinbed,smokingacigar.Twoweekslater,itwasannouncedthattheKingwasoutofdanger.Treveswashonouredwithabaronetcy(whichEdwardhad

arrangedbeforetheopera3on)andappendix

surgeryenteredthemedicalmainstream.

KingEdwardVIIincorona3onrobes

ASuccessfulCareerFurtherevidenceofTreves’successasasurgeoncanbeseenby

thisextractfromtheGalvestonDailyNewsin1911:

‘SirFrederickTrevesissergeantsurgeontothekingandwassurgeonextraordinarytoQueenVictoria.HehasfortwentyyearsbeenoneoftheforemostsurgeonsofEngland.Hewasbornin1853andbecameamemberoftheroyalcollegeof

surgeonsin1874.Hehaslongbeenrecognisedasanauthorityondiseasesoftheabdomen.IntheBoerwar,hewasconsul3ng

surgeontotheBri3sharmy.’


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