Zachary Cope

Sir Vincent Zachary Cope MD MS FRCS (14 February 1881 – 28 December 1974) was an English physician, surgeon, author, historian and poet perhaps best known for authoring the book Cope's Early Diagnosis of the Acute Abdomen from 1921 until 1971. the most recent one being the 22nd edition, published in 2010. Cope also wrote widely on the history of medicine and of public dispensaries.

Early life Cope was the youngest of ten children of a minister, Thomas John Cope and his wife Celia Anne Crowle. He was head boy at Westminster City School where he was awarded a gold medal in 1899 and then a scholarship to go to St Mary's Hospital Medical School. He passed surgery and forensic medicine with distinction in 1905 and became house physician to David Lees, author of The Abdominal Inflammations. Lees influenced Cope in his lifelong interest, the acute abdomen. 1957 – Sidelights on the History of Medicine 1959 – The Royal College of Surgeons of England, a history 1961 – Some Famous General practitioners and other Medical Historical Essays.

Legacy St Mary's Hospital, London has a ward named after Cope.

The Royal college of surgeons pays tribute to Cope with the Zachary Cope Memorial Lecture in abdominal surgical disease.