DOCTOR IN THE ARCTIC.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9165, 13 August 1908, Page 3

DOCTOR IN THE ARCTIC.

Dr James F. Rymer, who is a native of Croydon, and graduated at the Royal College of Surgeons in 1887, will shortly gain the distinction of heing the first fully qualified English medical man to take up permanent residence and carry on professional work within the Arctic Circle (says the London "Daily Mail.") After serving eight years as medical officer at the Carthusian Monastery in Sussex, Dr Rymer wunt to Canada, and for the past six months has lived at Edmonton, Alberta. A few days ago he left there on a lonely journej of 1,800 miles along the Athabasca and Mackenzie Rivers his d3s ination Fort Good Hope, which is about 100 miles within the Arctic Circle. He does not propose to return to civilisation for at least three years. He has sufficient medicine in concentrated form 3 to last a year, and had arranged for more to be forwarled latter. His clients for medical and surgical treatment will be the Indians and Esquimaux in the vicinity of Fort Good Hope and Fort Macpherson. Several forms of disease and fevers often break out aim? "these natives, and as they ha/.; on skilful attention in the past th-i loss of life h-\s been enormous. Dr Rymra will endeavour to persuade the.n to obey the laws of health, and .will care for them when sick. He can sp°ak French, which is the only language other than their own that the Indians understand, and intends at once studying the language of Indians and ? Esquimaux as soon as rn arrives. At his headquarters he Will not have more than five white companions, these being connected with a Roman Catholic mission and a trading post. Dr Rymer'a hobby will be photography, and as opportunity offers he proposes to go prospecting in some of' the districts .of the Far North hitherto unexplored.