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



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.




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