Gustaaf Adolf Ootmar

528 THE CANADIAN MEDICAL AssocIATION JOURNAL [May 1939 In the death of Dr. Gustaaf Adolf Ootmar at Okanagan Mission, British Columbia has lost a most valued citizen. Dr. Ootmar was not a native of this country, having been born in Haarlem, Holland, but, coming here in 1922, he speedily became the best sort of citizen, the man who makes the place where he happens to be his country, and proceeds to give himself and all he has to its service. Dr. Ootmar came here for his health, as he suffered from "sleeping sickness", or its sequela. As soon as he recovered from the effects of this, he began to work, and offered to equip a room in the Kelowna Hospital for bacteriology and pathology, "just to keep up his interest" in these subjects. The medical men and hospital embraced this offer eagerly, and in a few years Dr. Ootmar had built up this service to such a high level of excellence that the Provincial Board of Health, under Dr. H. E. Young, who never misses anything of this kind, decided to form a health unit in South Okanagan, and put Dr. Ootmar in charge. A qualified technician, an assistant, nurses, and so on, were added, and most valuable work has been done in this community as a result. Typhoid, which was formerly very prevalent in the Okanagan, diphtheria, infantile paralysis, have all been reduced to vanishing point by the work of this group under Dr. Ootmar; well-baby clinics have been inaugurated, and altogether this most welcome guest of our country has given in return for the hospitality he received acknowledgment far beyond anything he ever owed. He was a doctor of medicine all his active life. He had many honours, was honoured by royalty, was a writer of note, and all his life he served others. He was a most worthy member of the great profession which he adorned. Gustave A. Ootmar, M.D., Okaneyan Union, B. C., Canada, Medical Health Officer, Kelowna Health Unit; Director, Provincial Board of Health Laboratories