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the Royal Academy of arts, he was also appointed, by his majesty to the office of professor of anatomy. This appointment opened a new field for his abilities, and he engaged in it, as he did in every other pur suit of his life, with unabating zeal. He now. adapted his anatomical knowledge to objects of painting and sculpture, and the novelty and justness of his observations proved at once the readiness and extent of his genius. In January, 1781, he was unanimously elected to succeed the late Dr. John Fothergill, as president of the society of physicians of London. But as his name and talents were now known and respected in every part of Europe, so the honours conferred on him were not limited to his own country. The Royal Medical Society of Paris, elected him as one of their foreign associates; and, in 1782, he received a similar mark of distinction, from the Royal Academy of Sciences. in that city.

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. The most splendid of Dr Hunter's medical publica tions, was "The anatomy of the Human Gravid Uterus". The appearance of this werk, which had been begun so early as the year 1751, at which time ten of the thirty four plates it contains, were completed, was retarded till the year 1775, only by the author's desire of sending it into the world, with fewer imperfections. In his preface to this great work, we find the author very candidly acknowledg ing, that, in most of the dissections he had been assisted by his brother Dr. John Hunter," whose accuracy" he adds, "in anatomical researches is so well known, that to omit this opportunity of thanking him, for that assistance, would be in some measure to disregard the future reputation of the work itself. He, likewise, confesses his obligations to the ingeni ous artists, who made the drawings and engravings, "but particularly to Mr. Strange, not only, for having by his hand, secured a sort of immortality to two of the plates, but for having given his advice and assistVOL. III. No. 18. - M

ance in every part with a steady and disinterested friendship." Amongst Dr. Hunter's papers, were, likewise, found two introductory letters, which are written out so fairly, and with such accuracy, that he probably intended no further correction of them, before they should be given to the world. Besides these manuscripts he also left behind him a considerable number of cases of dissection The same year, in which the Tables of the Gravid Uterus made their appearance, Dr. Hunter communicated to the Royal Society" An Essay on the Origin of the Venereal Disease." In these papers he attempted to prove, that this dreadful malady was not brought from America to Europe by the crew of Columbus, as had been commonly supposed; although it made its first appearance about that period. After this paper had been read to the Royal Society, Dr. Hunter, in a conversation with the late dr. Musgrave, was convinced, that the testimony, on which he placed his chief de pendance was of less weight, than he had at first imagined, as many of Martyr's letters afford the most convincing proofs of their having been written a considerable time after the period of their dates. He, therefore, very properly laid aside his intention of giving his essay to the public. His next publication was his "Reflections on the Section of the Symphysis Pubis," which appeared in 1778.

We must now go back a little into the order of time, to describe the origin and progress of Dr. Hunter's museum, without some account of which the history of his life would be very incomplete.

When he began to practice midwifery, he was desirous of acquiring a fortune sufficient to place him in easy and independent circumstances. Before many years had elapsed, he found himself in possession of a sum, adequate to his wishes in this respect; and this he set apart as a resource of which he might avail himself, whenever age or infirmities should oblige him to retire from business. After he had obtained

this competency, as his wealth continued to accumu late, he formed the laudable design of engaging in some scheme of public utility, and, at first, had. it in contemplation, to found an anatomical school.in Edinburgh. For this purpose, about the year 1765, during the administration of Mr. Grenville, he pro sented a memorial to that minister in which he re quested the grant of a piese of ground for the site of an anatomical theatre. Dr. Hunter undertook to expend 31,080 dollars on the building, and to endow a professorship of anatomy in perpetuity. This scheme did not meet with the reception it deserved For ministers had other things to attend to, and Dr. Hunter's letter was buried among a multiplicity of silly negociations, or the bustle of contested elec tions.

Conscious of the eminence, on which he stood. which placed him as a benefactor to mankind, far above courtiers or kings, he took fire at the treatment, addressed the secretary in manly, bold, but respect ful language, told his lordship, he was not asking a favour, but conferring one, and that he would give him no farther trouble on the subject, being resolved to rely rather on his own private resources, than public generosity. He accordingly purchased a spot of ground, in Great Wind Mill Street, where he erected a spacious house, to which he removed in 1770. In this building, besides a handsome amphitheatre, and other convenient apartments for his lectures and dis sections, there was one magnificent room fitted up with great elegance and profusion as a museum. Ô₤ the magnitude and value of his anatomical collection, some idea may be formed, when we consider the... great length of years he employed in the making of anatomical preparations and in the dissection of mor bid bodies, added to the eagerness, with which he procured additions from the different collections, which were, from time to time, offered for sale in the metropolis. His specimens of rare diseases, were,

likewise, frequently increased by presents from his medical friends, who, when any thing of this sort occurred to them, very justly thought they could not dispose of it more properly than by placing it in Dr. Hunter's museum. Speaking upon an acquisition in this way in one of his publications, he says, "I look pon any thing of this kind, which is given to me, as a present to the public; and consider myself as thereby called upon to serve the public with more diligence.'

Before his removal to Windmill-street, he had confined his collection chiefly to specimens of human and comparative anatomy, and of diseases; but now he extended his views to fossils, and, likewise to the promotion of polite literature and erudition. In à short space of time, he became possessed of the most magnificent treasure of greek and latin books, that was, perhaps, ever accumulated by an individual. A cabinet of ancient medals, likewise, greatly contributed to the richness of his museum, which, in 1781, received a valuable addition of shells, corals, and other curious subjects of natural history, which had been collec ed by the late worthy Dr. Fothergill, who gave directions by his will, that his collection should be appraised after his death, andthat Dr. Hunter should have the refusal of it at 2220 dollars under the valuation. This was accordingly done, and Dr. Hunter purchased it for the sum of 5328 dollars. The lame of this museum spread through Europe. Few foreigners, distinguished for their learning, visited the metropolis without seeing it. Men of science in Britain always had easy access to it-considered in a collective point of view, it is, perhaps, without

-a rival..

Dr. Hunter, at the head of his profession, and in possession of every thing, that his reputation and wealth could confer, seemed now to have attained the summit of his wishes. But these sources of gratification were embittered by a disposition to the gout,

which harrassed him frequently, during the latter part of his life, notwithstanding his very abstemious manner of living. Yet, notwithstanding this valetudinary state, his ardour seemed to be unabated. In the last year of his life, he was as eager to acquire new credit, and to secure the advantage of what he had before gained, as he could have been at the most enterprizing part of his life. At length, on Saturday, March 15, 1783, after having, for some time experi enced a sort of wandering gout, he complained of a great head ache and nausea. In this state he went to bed, and, for several days, felt more pain than usual, both in his stomach and limbs. On the Thursday following, he found himself so much recovered, that he determined to give the introductory lecture to the operations of surgery. It was to no purpose, that his friends urged to him the impropriety of such an attempt. He was determined to make the experiment, and accordingly delivered the lecture; but towards the conclusion, his strength was so exhausted, that he fainted away and was obliged to be carried to bed by two servants. The following night and day, his symptoms were such as indicated danger; and on Saturday morning, Mr. Combe, who made him an early visit, was alarmed on being told by Dr. Hunter himself, that, during the night, he had certainly had a paralytic stroke. As neither his pulse nor his speech were affected, and he was able to raise himself in bed, Mr. Combe encouraged him to hope, that he was mistaken. But the event proved the doctor's idea of his complaint to be but too well founded; for he died March 30, following, being then in his 66th year. By his will, the use of his museum, under the direction of trustees, devolves to his nephew, Mr. Matthew Baillie, and in case of his death, to Mr. Cruckshank for the term of thirty years, after which period, the whole collection is bequeathed to the university of Glasgow.

Dr. Hunter has been accused of affectation in his