Abstract :
The North Pacific Surgical Association first met in Victoria in December, 1917, in the midst of World War I, or as it was known then, the Great War. On all sides, the toll in human life was staggering. Canada alone lost more than 60,000 men in the war. Our Association now returns to Victoria as the very last survivors of that generation pass into history. We honor the great sacrifice of the Canadian Army, recall the horrific conditions they endured, and honor the doctors and nurses who attended the countless wounded through the experiences of a Canadian surgeon from Calgary, Dr. Harold McGill, who served for 3 years in the thick of action on the Western Front.