Dr. John Harper Comack

1866 - 1950  (84 years)

• Name	John Harper Comack
  Prefix	Dr.
  Born	1866	Kingston, Frontenac Co., Ontario, Canada
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	1913	New Dundee, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Doctor
  Residence	1913	New Dundee, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Occupation	1918	Elmira, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Doctor
  Residence	1918	Elmira, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-487935
  Died	9 Dec 1950	Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada
  Person ID	I487935	Generations
  Last Modified	19 Dec 2024

  
  

• Notes

  CORMACK, JOHN HARPER was born in Kingston and graduated in medicine from Queen's University in 1893. He practised for a time in Ottawa, and in 1907 was listed in St. Thomas, In September 1913 He first appeared in Waterloo County when he purchased the practice of Dr. Stauffer in New Dundee. At that time he was described as Dr. Cormack of Toronto. The length of his stay in New Dundee is unknown, but he was next found in Oakwood, Ontario. He returned to Waterloo County in December 1918, purchasing the property of the late D. Faulds of Elmira. His card in the Elmira Signet of April 15, 1920 read: Dr J. H. Cormack, M. J. C. M., M. C. P. S. O., L. M. C. C. Physician and Surgeon, formerly Attending Physician to St. Luke's Hospital, Ottawa, Attending Surgeon to Children's Hospital, Ottawa, Consulting Surgeon to the General Hospital, St. Thomas, Graduate of the Eye, Ear and Throat College, Chicago. Office of the late Dr. Faulds, Elmira, Ont. This type of notice is designed to impress, rather than inform, as it does not really indicate eminence in the profession. Dr. Faulds had been highly regarded in Elmira, and any effort to fill his shoes would be viewed very critically. There are some suggestions that he did not find universal favour. Shortly after he had left Elmira he sued a patient in the Division Court for nonpayment of a note for S250, one of a series of such notes, for a treatment which he had guaranteed to cure. Such a guarantee is at best an error in judgement, and further, the fee appears exorbitantiUnfort- unately the judgement was not reported. One rather startling item in the Elmira news of the Daily Telegraph appeared on January 15, 1921, regrettably the only reference to this project: "The address by Dr. Cormack, Chairman, was full of interesting remarks. It is easily seen that Dr. Cormack has his whole heart and soul in the work of founding a Memorial Hospital in Elmira." (To be the Elmira and Woolwich Memorial Hospital) In June 1922 he sold his practice to Dr. H. J. McPherson of Galt. He went to Toronto where he died on December 9, 1950, aged 83, after a lengthy illness, having practised in the east end of Toronto for nearly 30 years. Dr. Alexander D. Campbell, Doctors in Waterloo County 1852-1925 ____________ Cormack\emdash Medical practitioner for fifty years, Dr. John Harper Cormack, Med. '93, died at his home in Toronto, Ontario, on December 9, 1950. Dr. Cormack graduated from Queen's with a degree in medicine in 1893. He practised in Ottawa for a time and then specialized in eye, ear, nose and throat in New York City. He settled in Toronto thirty years ago. Among the survivors are a son and a brother. Queen's Review, Official Publication of the General Alumni Association of Queen's University, 1951 __________ In late January and early February 1911 league umpires called on doctors in their hometowns for the required eye examination. On February 10 Emslie went to the office of Dr. John Harper Cormack. Cormack was not a certified ophthalmologist, there being no ophthalmological training in Canada until the 1940s, but the eye, ear, and nose physician was knowledgeable about optic issues. He was also familiar with his patient he lived at 47 Queen, across the street from the Emslies. In the most detailed report Lynch received, Cormack found Bob's vision "better than normal," adding the exam "tends to convince me that the out-of-door life, wide vistas and instant vision required of the baseball devotee must increase the efficiency of the visual function. At least, this theory offers another argument in favor of the great American game." As Bill Brennan recalled, Lynch stipulated that it was to be "a real examination" and the umpires were not to go to "some friendly oculist," but there is no reason to think Emslie passed the exam because of neighborly benevolence, as it likely consisted of a basic eye chart reading. Sporting News opined that the tests would "not be so severe but that a person with normal eyes can pass it."To ward off any question of favoritism from hometown doctors, Lynch submitted the examinations for review to Dr. Royal S. Copeland, preeminent New York City ophthalmologist, who concluded every test had been conducted according to "universally employed" standards and "indicate normal vision in every case, and, in several instances, vision far above the average." O' Day had "perfect vision," Klem "above normal," Rigler "unusually acute." Lynch hoped all umpires' passing scores would convince owners, players, and fans that if an arbiter made a mistake "as they are bound to do" it was not because of faulty eyeesight. Lion of the League: Bob Emslie and the Evolution of the Baseball Umpire, By Larry R. Gerlach

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 1866 - Kingston, Frontenac Co., Ontario, Canada Occupation - Doctor - 1913 - New Dundee, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1913 - New Dundee, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Doctor - 1918 - Elmira, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1918 - Elmira, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 9 Dec 1950 - Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth