History of Tropical Medicine: William Ernest Cooke, FRCSI (1879–1967) and his Asian tour of 1929–1930

Dr. W.E. Cooke was not one of the most distinguished of tropical physicians, but the specialty was heavily dependent on his likes. After several junior appointments, he was Superintendent of the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London. He carried out an extensive tour of Asia in 1929–1930 and kept careful daily notes throughout this period, giving a valuable insight into the challenges faced by the pioneering tropical physicians and surgeons from European countries.