What an interesting article, Suzannah. Thanks for all the time you put into running this excellent list. Best Wishes, Norma & Mick In a message dated 22/04/2006 23:58:48 GMT Daylight Time, suzannah.foad@btopenworld.com writes: An eminent surgeon interred at Margate cemetery is William Knight Treves, older brother of Frederick Treves, medical investigator and later mentor of Joseph Merrick (The Elephant Man) and pioneer of abdominal surgery, performing a successful appendectomy on King Edward VII in 1902, a year after he had been knighted by him. He as appointed Surgeon in Ordinary to the Duke of York in 1897 and to the Queen, Victoria in 1900.and later, in 1901 he was appointed Sergeant Surgeon to King Edward VII. A Man of great achievement, if somewhat difficult of character, Sir Frederick Treves owed much to his older brother William, for his inspiration. The family came from Dorchester, where William Knight Treves was born on the 2nd of August 1843. He studied medicine at St Thomas's Hospital and went on to become a General practitioner, but his interest in the treatment of Scrofula (Tuberculosis) led him to move to Margate, where he became resident surgeon at the Sea Bathing Infirmary. This was the national hospital for the treatment of Scrofula. Frederick entered into business with William Hunter and William Thornton. In August, 1876 Frederick Treves arrived to start a five month stay at the Sea Bathing to study Scrofula and became an expert on the subject. For William Treves, the life here was good, with plenty of wealthy private patients to provide the high income, and it was the treatment of the disease which would win him acclaim. He perfected his technique to mitigate the awful disfiguring scarring which inevitably accompanied the disease which, although, seldom fatal in its external abscess form, was unpleasant in that its scarring led to recovered patients being ostracised by society. In 1901, William was appointed to the post of Consultant Surgeon to the Hospital. William was a very busy and well respected man in Margate. On the establishment of the Cottage Hospital in Victoria Road in 1876, he was appointed its first Medical Superintendent, having a ward extension of 1897 named in his honour. Twelve patients were treated in the first year with only one dying. Having given up his private practice to devote his time to researching Scrofula, he nonetheless maintained his interest in the hospitals, and became District Medical Officer and Medical Officer of Health. he remained in Margate for the rest of his life, his son Frederick Boileau Treves, being a Margate Doctor also. William Knight Treves passed away on 14th October 1908, his funeral service being attended by many medical men and dignitaries. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.5/321 - Release Date: 4/21/06