Meaning of the phrase "treats of" in the title of chapter 1 of Oliver Twist?

Question

The title of chapter 1 of Oliver Twist is as follow:"Treats of the place where Oliver Twist was born...".What is the exact meaning of the plural word "treats"? I assume it means something like "argumentation" however I have not been able to find the exact word (in plural form) in any dictionary. Is it an archaic word?Thanks for the help.

Answer 1

If you have carefully read any of the chapters that starts with "Treats of" for example:

Chapter 1 Treats of the Place Where Oliver Twist was Born and of the Circumstances Attending His Birth.

Chapter 2: Treats of Oliver Twist's Growth, Education, and Board.

Chapter 11: Treats of Mr. Fang the Police Magistrate

The context clues can lead to a couple of logical choices which are: discussion (speaking), explanation (speaking and writing) or discourse (speaking and writing) , which are all pretty similar. And isn't that what takes place in those chapters through the characters, settings, and dialogues? This meaning is a bit archaic.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/treat#Verb

2.(intransitive) To discourse; to handle a subject in writing or speaking; to conduct a discussion. [from 14th c.]