Darcy Cowan was Australian born of a distinguished father who, after migrating from Ulster to South Australia in 1852, proceeded to make two modest fortunes in flour milling and investment in Broken Hill and became a member of parliament. He lived as a boy with his four brothers in the fine old home, `Erindale', which was adjacent to `Undelcarra', then owned by the Simpson Newland family. Darcy was educated with his brothers at Prince Alfred College and the Newland boys at St Peter's College. Inter-school rivalry was fierce and rife as the horse carts bore the respective families to and from school. Darcy excelled at sport, and was a triple blue of the University of Adelaide. He was the honorary organiser of the 1952 Davis Cup Challenge Round in Adelaide.

His life's work was in the field of tuberculosis and chest diseases. His rugged personality and refusal to accept defeat in the medico-political world brought about many triumphs and he came to be regarded as a boisterous spirit in this field. Many were the arguments in the public press and at professional gatherings. He never gave up the fight for what he felt was right in principle and as a result was not popular with some of his colleagues.

He served his teaching hospital for many years as an honorary physician until his appointment as the first senior physician to the Chest Clinic in South Australia. He was a founder of the National Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis in Australia. He was also a founding member of the Laennec Society in South Australia and still found time to be president of the South Australian branch of the BMA in 1935-36 and to found Bedford Industries which became the largest chest rehabilitation centre in Australia.

His endless endeavours in the field of public health were promoted with an acid and critical tongue and he was a master at out-manoeuvring his opponents at many a professional or public meeting. Politicians came to fear and respect his pronouncements both at Federal and State level. He was a foundation Fellow of College in 1938 but his energies were spent entirely in his chosen field of chest disease and its public health aspects.

His teaching life was latterly much in the Chest Clinic and the associated Frome ward for tuberculous patients. His introduction of Mantoux testing and BCG vaccination for nurses at the Royal Adelaide Hospital found a deal of opposition among the honorary staff but he persisted, to the benefit of the nurses and medical students. He was much loved by his patients and his contribution to the control of tuberculosis in Australia was a momentous one in the public health field, which will ensure his place in the medical history of South Australia.