Francis Scrimger: Beyond the Call of Duty

John H. Gryfe is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon practicing in
Toronto.

In this, the fifth volume of the Hannah Institute’s series, freelance
writer Suzanne Kingsmill explores the life of the former
surgeon-in-chief of Montreal’s Royal Victoria Hospital. Unlike
previous physicians featured in this collection, Scrimger’s
recognition stems less from his medical uniqueness than from
acknowledgment of a singular award.

In 1915, during the second Battle of Ypres, Scrimger became the first
Canadian physician to be awarded the Victoria Cross. Despite a lethal
gas attack and amid numerous shellings, he continued to demonstrate
unfailing care for the wounded without a break for more than 48 hours.
In the final hours of the battle, despite heavy shelling and in view of
the advancing German soldiers, the slight (5'8") sugreon dragged Capt.
Harold F. MacDonald of the 16th Canadian Scottish Regiment to safety,
shielding the gravely injured officer with his own body.

Following demobilization in 1919, at age 39, he returned to Montreal to
continue a career in surgery at both the Montreal Children’s and Royal
Victoria hospitals. Kingsmill gives us a perfunctory overview of the
practice and politics of medicine in Montreal over the next 17 years.
Scrimger’s career seems to have been professionally successful if not
outstanding. The author of numerous papers, he nonetheless seems to have
had a less-lasting impact than his contemporary, Norman Bethune.

Usually the 100-page limit for the books in this series is an ideal
length for the necessary narrative. In this case, however, 16 pages of
pictures affirms the inappropriateness of assigning a full volume to
Scrimger—no doubt a fine example of a Canadian medical figure, but
hardly a unique one.