▁as ▁a ▁ship ' s ▁medical ▁officer ▁to ▁pay ▁his ▁way ▁to ▁London , ▁where ▁he ▁attended ▁the ▁London ▁School ▁of ▁Trop ical ▁Medicine , ▁gradu ating ▁with ▁a ▁Di pl oma ▁of ▁Trop ical ▁Medicine ▁and ▁H yg iene ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 3 ▁and ▁winning ▁a ▁W and sw orth ▁scholar ship . ▁ ▁Cook ▁joined ▁the ▁Commonwealth ▁Public ▁Service ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 . ▁ ▁He ▁worked ▁at ▁the ▁Australian ▁Institute ▁of ▁Trop ical ▁Medicine , ▁Town sv ille . ▁ ▁Le pro s y ▁survey ▁ ▁As ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁MD ▁studies , ▁Cook ▁conducted ▁a ▁major ▁ep ide mi ological ▁study ▁of ▁le pro s y ▁in ▁Australia . ▁He ▁published ▁this ▁report ▁as ▁his ▁MD ▁th esis ▁The ▁Ep ide mi ology ▁of ▁Le pro s y ▁in ▁Australia ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 7 . ▁The ▁newly ▁established ▁Federal ▁Health ▁Council ▁subsequently ▁adopted ▁le pro s y ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁concerns . ▁ ▁Northern ▁Australia ▁App oint ment ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁the ▁Chief ▁Medical ▁Officer , ▁Chief ▁Health ▁Officer , ▁Chief ▁Prote ctor ▁of ▁Ab orig ines ▁and ▁Qu ar antine ▁Officer ▁for ▁North ▁Australia ▁( then ▁separate ▁from ▁Central ▁Australia , ▁later ▁the ▁Northern ▁Territ ory ) ▁on ▁ 1 ▁March ▁ 1 9 2 7 . ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁first ▁six ▁months ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁medical ▁pract ition er ▁in ▁the ▁state , ▁and ▁after ▁that ▁he ▁focused ▁on ▁establish ing ▁a ▁public ▁health ▁system . ▁ ▁From