The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-09-27
Or. BRYAN TELLS OF
WORK At THE FRONT
Total losses of All Participants Have
Exceeded Eleven Millions
of Men.
AVINTORs' HEROIC WORK
Highest Example of Self Sacrifice
Dr.. Mcclure Tells of Bringing Down
OF Attacking iirship Which He
Witnessed In London.

DR., Robert G. Bryan. who recently
returned from hospital duty near the
fighting line in France. made the
principal address at IL meeting of the
Richmond Academy of Medicine and
Surgery last night on the roof garden
OF the Westmoreiand club, in which
he told in detail of the conduct of
the war and his experiences while
serving with the American ambulance
DR.. Stuart Mcclure, who has been In
England also made an address, re-
lating his observations while in Lon
don, and his difficulties in getting to
Paris from that city, where he was
to meet DIR. Bryan
Or. Bryan has been doing duty with
the ambulance at JULY, which is the
nearest base of the Somme front, and
he had many opportunities of getting
an intimate idea of the fighting He
brought back with him many SOU
venirs from the battlefelds. one OF
the new steel helmets being worn by
the French several large shells, two
types of hand grenades and many
pieces of shrapnei
Staggering Losses.
The allies are spending sixty mil
lion dollars a day to win the war"
said DR.. Bryan. land the Germans are
spending forty millions. Already the
losses of the allies has amounted to
5,125000 dead. wounded and missing
and the German figures are 100000
The most courageous and heroic
work being done in the war. I think.
Is being done by the aviators Their
performance has been wonderful
example of sacrifice. and shows "a
manliness unequalled. / have seen
aviators single-handed attack German
craft. Some emerge victorious and
others fall in their duty
In speaking of the hospitals. Or
Bryan did not tell Of his own work.
but spoke of the general scoupe OF
the medical activities He stated that
there were about 5000 hospitals in
France, and innumerable small pri-
vate hospitals converted from private
residences by persons who wanted to
do something for their country. and
this was all they could offer. He told
his audience that the physicians Of
France had discovered mathe-
NAUTICAL formula which would indicate
the exact time shell wound would
heal and that it was being success
fully worked daily. He stated that
the highest mortality of the war was
among stretcher bearers who risk
their lives going on the field to bring
the wounded to the rear of the lines.
Tells of Trench Work.
DIR. Bryan dealt with interesting
detail on the trenches and how they
were made, the condition of the men.
the placing of guns, and the many
phases of the war that came within
his observation All of these thing
were seen with difficulty, some more
than others, but he was quizzed on all
sides asking to state his reasons for
seeking permission to get to an OBJ
Jective, what he would do after ar
irving, his length of stay and many
ether questions that at times required
about two hours to answer. DR.. BRYAN
told of his first ascent in an aeroplane.
the sensation being such that he told
his hearers that he would never do il
again.
DIR, Mcclure, in his address. stated
that 1t was not the idea of the allies
TO invade Germany. since thew realized
that she must be killed gradually. 1t
is the concensus OF opinion, nc said,
that the war will last eighteen months
longer.
While he was in London. DR. Nc
CURE witnessed a Zeppelin attack on
the city. and the bringing down OF
the drigible. He described graph
ically the play of the searchlights in
the sky, the discovery Of the Yep
pelin, and the boom OF thousands OF
guns. Suddenly. he said, the immense
airship burst into flames. lighting the
sky, and slowly falling to the earth.
AS 1t did the whole of London cheer
ed, cheering so long and loud the
like of which he never heard before.
DR.. Mcclure also told of his visits
to the hospitals especially to that of
Mrs. Waldorf Aston formerly Miss
Mamie Langhorne, at Cliveden. In
speaking of London. he said that the
city was entirely changed, it's life
gone. a reflection of the war having