Thomas Hodgkin is generally famous for the discovery of a lymphoma in 1837, but not for his remarkable relationship as physician and friend with the philanthropist, Sir Moses Montefiore (1784-1885), and their six shared journeys to Europe, the Near East and North Africa to alleviate the plight of religious and ethnic minorities. Also less well known are Hodgkin's humanitarian activities, inspired by his being a Quaker: his assistance of freed slaves, and his involvement in the movement for the abolition of capital punishment and in mental hospital and prison reform. His wide range of scientific interests included medical education, geography, ethnology and social anthropology. He is buried in Jaffa, Israel, where he died of dysentery while on a trip with Montefiore.