Philip Hack, the eldest child of Lewis Joel Hack, a merchant, was born on 25 May 1900 at Saduve, Lithuania. The family soon moved to Irene, Transvaal, South Africa. Philip was educated first at Hope Mill School, Cape Town, and then at Pretoria Boys' High School before entering the University of Cape Town where he began his medical studies before proceeding to Guy's Hospital. After qualifying in 1923 he was house surgeon to Leonard Joyce at Reading before returning to South Africa where he practised as a surgeon in Pietersburg. On the outbreak of the second world war he joined the South African Army Medical Corps, serving in Egypt and Italy as well as on a hospital ship. After the war he settled in Pretoria as a surgeon and in a general practice partnership and continued working up to the age of 81. He was highly regarded as a conscientious and devoted doctor to a wide spectrum of patients. A lively interest in philately led to a collection of stamps of particular medical concern from which he derived biographical, historical and pharmaceutical knowledge of medical history. He was also keen on golf and bowls. He married Sylvia Noviss in 1932 and they had three daughters, Denise and Maureen who qualified in medicine and Audrey who became a nurse. He was survived by them when he died on 25 May 1981.