Sir Frederick Treves, 1st Baronet GCVO CH CB FRCS (1853-1923) was a prominent British surgeon and an expert in anatomy. He was renowned for his surgical treatment of appendicitis, and is credited with saving the life of King Edward VII in 1902 for which he was honoured with a baronetcy. He is also widely known for his friendship with Joseph Merrick, dubbed "The Elephant Man" for his severe deformities. Treves was the author of a number of books, among them this collection of reminiscences published in 1923 which includes an account of his first encounter with Merrick whom he mistakenly names John instead of Joseph, an error widely recirculated by biographers of Merrick.