Nicolaas Marinus Josephus Jitta studied medicine in Leiden, where he sat for his medical finals on 2 October 1884. He obtained his doctoral degree on 9 July 1885 in Amsterdam on his thesis 'On experimental haemoglobinuria and haemoglobinaemia'. Nicolaas Marinus Josephus Jitta specialised to be an ophthalmologist and he settled in Amsterdam, where he practised medicine in the Institute for Ophthalmic Care and in the Dutch-Jewish Hospital.
From 1899, Nicolas Marinus Josephus Jitta was a councillor for the Liberal Party. In 1905, he became an alderman for public health and the poor. At that time, he brought his practice to an end. In 1918, he became chairman of the Central Health Council (initially based in Utrecht and from 1919 the Health Council in The Hague).
Nicolaas Marinus Josephus Jitta was chairman of the Prophylaxefonds (Prophylaxis Fund), the Association for Public and School baths, the Association for sending Dutch Children Abroad, of the League against Rheumatism, of the Safety museum and of the Institute for Preventive Medicine. He was made Great-Officer in the Order of Oranje Nassau, Knight of the Dutch Lion, Commander of the Legion of Honour in France and awarded the silver medal, among other things, by the City of Amsterdam.
J.H. Coppenhagen, Anafiem Gedoe‘iem. Overleden joodse artsen uit Nederland 1940-1945 (Rotterdam 2000) 105
Nicolaas Marinus Jitta died of general debility early in the occupation.
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