Clinical Endocrinology (1979) 11,245.

OBITUARY Rofessor Bernard Pimstone Bernard A’mstone has died after a long illness and South Africa has lost one of its ablest medical research workers. Bernard qualified in Cape Town in 1955 as top student of his year. My own close friendship with him started when he joined me in a newlyapened laboratory as an M.D. student to ‘sort out’ the problems of endocrine exophthalmos. Neither of us had much experience of laboratory work and I recall the delight we felt when our first McKenzie bioassays for TSH and LATS began to yield results. Out attempts to assay the postulated exophthalmosproducing substance in goldfish were less successful but the tanks of pop-eyed fish became a compulsory stopping-point for all visitors to our department. These were very happy years and it soon became clear that Bernard’s flair for research was exceptional. After a spell in London with Russell Fraser and in California with Gilbert Gordan, Bernard returned to Cape Town where he established what I believe was South Africa’s first successful radioimmunoassay-for growth hormone. He promptly recognized the high values found in the serum of children with protein-calorie malnutrition and from this developed a major study of the endocrine changes of malnutrition, a field in which he soon became internationally recognized. This early interest in growth hormone led him into what was to become his most fruitful area of work, the physiology and control of somatomedin and somatostatin. Never afraid to tackle new techniques and always able to instil fresh ideas, he steadily built up an outstanding reputation in this field and was much in demand as a speaker at meetings all over the world. Bernard’s skill, energy and willingness to help others led to the creation of a highlyproductive group in Cape Town which generated excellent research in calcium metabolism, diabetes, gonadal endocrinology, growth and other aspects of endocrinology. Young workers came to recognize him as the leading investigator in endocrinology in South Africa-industrious, intelligent, meticulous and far-sighted-and he attracted many extremely bright postgraduate students, all of whom he guided wisely into the forefront of medical research. Some 5 or so years ago Bernard realized he had an illness that would prove fatal. He accepted this with great fortitude and made a deliberate decision not to slow down his activities in any way as long as he was well enough to keep going. The productive drive was sustained and his reputation continued to grow. The end came quite quickly about a month after a successful visit to the U.S.A. To his wife, Millie, and his three young children, Bernard’s loss must be hard t o accept, and his many friends will share in their sorrow. He was such a warm, friendly llkeable man. Cape Town and South Africa cannot afford to lose a man of his calibre; indeed, Endocrinology cannot. This journal owes Bernard a particular debt. From its inception he supported it. Some of his best and most exciting papers have been published in Clinical Endocrinology, and he was a valuable member of its Overseas Advisory Panel. He will be missed by all of us.

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Obituary.

Clinical Endocrinology (1979) 11,245. OBITUARY Rofessor Bernard Pimstone Bernard A’mstone has died after a long illness and South Africa has lost one...
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