OBITUARY NOTICE

OF

DR. HENRY BRYANT,

PREPARED BY A SPECIAL COMMITTEE, AND

READ AT THE ANNUAL MEETING, IN MAY, 1867.

Dr. Henry Bryant was born in Boston, May 12th, 1820. He received his early education here at Mr. Thayer's school, and was prepared for college at Mr. Welles' school in Cambridge. He entered Harvard University in 1836 and graduated in 1840, and immediately commenced the study of medicine in the Tremont Medical School and the Medical School of the University, from the latter of which he received the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1843. Soon afterwards he went to Europe to prosecute his professional studies still farther in Paris. Some time in the year 1845 he received the appointment of Interne in the Hospital Beaujon in Paris, an appointment specially honorable, as it is only obtainable as the result of a severe competitive examination. The close confinement and laborious duties of this office broke down his health, and he was in consequence obliged to resign his position a few months afterwards. Availing himself of an opportunity which was offered to him, through the kindness of some French army officers whose acquaintance he had made, and seeing in it a probable means of restoring his health, he joined the French army in Africa as a volunteer surgeon, and served in this capacity during a winter campaign in Algeria in 1846. It is probable that this experience, by fitting him for the responsible duties of an

army surgeon, had an important influence in leading him to offer his services in this capacity at an early date during the recent war in this country.

From Europe Dr. Bryant returned home in October, 1847, and commenced the practice of his profession in Boston, associating himself with Dr. Henry J. Bigelow as surgeon to a private dispensary for surgical cases. In carrying out the plan of this arrangement he again made a trip to Europe, where he remained for a few months. Shortly after his return home his health again failed him, under his assiduous application to his duties, and he was finally obliged to abandon the practice of his profession; this he was enabled the more readily to do, as his circumstances in life were such as not to compel him to rely upon his profession for support.

Dr. Bryant was married January 6th, 1848, to Elizabeth B. Sohier, daughter of William D. Sohier, Esq., of Boston.

After giving up the practice of his profession, Dr. Bryant devoted himself with more or less assiduity to the study of Ornithology, which had been a favorite pursuit with him from boyhood. It was at about this period that Dr. Bryant met with a severe accident, causing alarming symptoms at the time, and, as he thought himself, having much to do with the subsequent attacks of indisposition from which he suf fered very frequently to the close of his life. In landing from his boat at Cohasset his foot slipped on some wet seaweed and he fell with great violence upon a rock, receiving a severe blow in the region of the stomach. He was taken up insensible, and was confined to his bed for several weeks, suffering very severely. The precarious state of his health compelled him to take a great deal of out door exercise; and his active, energetic temperament led him often to the most distant parts of this country in excursions for the purpose of collecting specimens of ornithology and other objects of natural history; and on which he was often exposed to great hardship and privation, but which only seemed to invigorate him. He had a singular power of endurance, and, invalid as he was, a most stoical indifference to considerations of personal comfort on these expeditions. Thus he passed his time, partly at his summer residence at Cohasset

in this State, partly at his house in Boston, at short intervals disappearing from sight for a few weeks or months, to return from the extreme north or south laden with the spoils of his campaign. Of late years he made quite frequent visits to the West India islands during the winter seasons, for the same purpose.

Subject to this necessity of prolonged excursions from home and an active life in the open air, the outbreak of the civil war in this country found him untrammelled by professional bonds, and prepared by a previous experience of army life to enter at once upon the arduous and responsible duties of an army surgeon. It was a time when the number of medical men thus qualified, in this country, was extremely small, and the demand for them was the most urgent. It was all the more honorable, therefore, to the subject of our notice, that, uninfluenced by any pecuniary necessity, and unstimulated by any professional ambition, with the leisure and opportunity of devoting his time in the pleasantest way to the delightful branch of natural history which he had made his special study, he yet felt it his duty to come forward early and offer his services to his country. Not content with the appointment which the necessity of the case or the influence of friends might easily have secured for him, he went to Washington and offered himself as a candidate for the office of assistant surgeon in the regular army. As might have been anticipated the severe ordeal of examination to which he was subjected was no obstacle to him, and he returned home with the commission for which he had offered himself. Without waiting for the position which this appointment might give him in the regular army, which was then dwindling into insignificance in point of numbers in comparison with the volunteer host which was mustering, he accepted the appointment of Surgeon to the 20th regiment of Massachusetts volunteers, and was commissioned in that capacity, July 1st, 1861. He was promoted to be Brigade Surgeon, September 10th, but remained with his regiment until after the disaster of Ball's Bluff in October, when he joined General Lander in the Shenandoah valley, and served on his staff until the death of that officer. He next

He

joined the command of General Shields in the same department, in the capacity of Medical Director. While engaged in this service he received a severe injury of the knee from his horse falling with him on icy ground. From this accident he suffered many months, part of the time being confined to his bed in extreme pain, and much of this period being unable to set his foot to the ground. His injury was so severe that the question of amputation was at one time entertained; yet during the whole of this term of service he continued on duty and did not ask for leave of absence until his convalescence was fully established. It was while suffering in this way that he organized the military hospitals in Winchester in addition to his other arduous duties. accompanied General Shields' command to Fredericksburg in August, 1862, and in the same month was ordered to take charge of a small military hospital near Washington, known as Cliffburn hospital. Having thoroughly organized it, and put it in successful operation, he left it, by orders from Government, for Washington, December 23d, 1862, where he took charge, on the 30th, of the Lincoln Hospital, one of the first of the large army hospitals, at a time when the elaborate system under which so many were subsequently planned and put in operation by the Medical Department of the army was as yet in embryo. Upon him individually, therefore, rested the whole labor of planning and putting into execution the multitude of details involved in so responsible an experiment. That his efforts were crowned with the most complete success is the verdict of every medical man who had an opportunity of visiting his well-ordered establishment. In fact the Lincoln Hospital under his administration was regarded as a model hospital. But here, as on every occasion before, where he had been exposed to the exhaustion attendant upon close confinement and excessive mental labor, his strength and health failed him, and finally, completely broken down, he was compelled to throw up his commission and resign his place in the army in the month of May.

A characteristic extract from a letter to a friend, dated

May 1st, 1863, shows his determined spirit, and to what an extremity his indisposition had brought him. He writes:

"I am as nearly dead as a man can be without stopping his breath. I have not touched a morsel of food for seventy-two hours; and for the week previous did not eat more than three ounces a day. I can not at times drink a mouthful of cold water without suffering excruciating pain. I am so weak that I can hardly stand, but I have to work all the time. If I don't get better shortly I shall leave and let everything go."

After the establishment of peace in this country, he visited Europe once more, accompanied by his family, whom he left there after a few months, returning to this country en route of another ornithological excursion to the warmer latitudes of North America. Again he crossed to Europe, and again returned to Boston towards the close of 1866. He sailed for Porto Rico, December 1st, and arrived there on the 9th, intending to proceed to St. Thomas, but which he was deterred from doing by the reports of the prevalence of cholera and yellow fever in that island. He remained, therefore, at Porto Rico, and on the 28th of January, 1867, after travelling in the island, he reached Utuado. On the 29th he shot for an hour or two in the afternoon in this mountainous region without fatigue and slept well. On the 30th he was taken sick with what he regarded as rheumatism, suffering excruciating pain in his back and limbs. According to the statement of his companion, his pain was such as to compel him to leave the house and walk the street to relieve his intolerable restlessness; a circumstance which indicates that his suffering must have been very great, as he had, on ordinary occasions, an uncommon power of endurance and self-control. A large dose of opium quieted him at last, and he passed a comfortable night. On the 1st of February, finding that his symptoms were no better, he determined to go to Araceibo, a distance of twenty-five miles, on horseback. His pain was excessive, but at ten o'clock he and his companion mounted their horses and rode until one. Although suffering intensely, with characteristic energy he dismounted at a bridge at one o'clock for the purpose of shooting some swallows which were flying over the river, and fired twice.