for his posthumous fame. It is hoped, that mediocrity in the first may be compensated by an undisputed portion of the latter, as it is scarcely possible to hear an incident or a character described, without, in some measure, participating in the feelings of the narrator.

"Such must be the apology for offering a life which has already *been written by an enemy and by a friend, a relation and disciple; besides having appeared in various compilations of Biographies, Dictionaries, and Encyclopædias. But the only one entitled to any credit, was written at an early period after the writer and the world had sustained so heavy a loss. At such a time, the relation of many events might appear less important from their supposed notoriety; nor was it possible to calculate how new and how interesting they might prove to the rising generation. Moreover, there are so many errors, even in the dates of Sir Everard Home, as can only be apologized for by the haste with which the Memoirs are put together. Let me plead lastly, that a new edition of Mr. Hunter's great work has appeared, without a republication of his life. to

"Twenty years have passed since we have lamented his loss. From that time, instead of being forgotten, we find his fame gradually increasing. It is already disputed what were his opinions, with a warmth which evinces their importance, and how much they add, by their authority, to the doctrines of others. To what are we to impute this increasing posthumous fame? Not, surely, to those labours which he left unfinished; few of them have appeared, and those few have not always tended to increase our opinion of his perspicuity, whatever they may do of his diligence. His reputation has

grown like that of other original geniuses. In as we have

since improved in our knowledge of Nature,

force of, be cause we understand, what he taught. In other words, when we make a discovery in pathology, we only learn what we have overlooked in his writings, or forgotten in his lectures."

Some particulars follow relative to Mr. Hunter's ancestry, and the other branches of his family, after which we have an account of

Mr. Hunter's Education.

"John Hunter being the youngest child, and born when his father was nearly arrived at his 70th year, was very likely to be a favourite with the whole family. Ten years after his birth, his mother was left a widow. He was now the only son at home, and one or both her surviving daughters were married. It cannot be questioned, that, at this age, he must have been, on all other accounts, extremely interesting. Who shall say that this interest was not increased by the very sound of his name, as associated with the recollection of her late husband at an early period of life, The vigour of his judgment, and the benevolence of his disposition, must have appeared in a thousand juvenile observations.

"Few readers are ignorant that each parish in Scotland is furnished with a grammar-school. These seminaries, fortunately, are not like many of our foundations in England, supported by a specific annuity, which, from the diminished value of money, is scarcely sufficient

3

sufficient to afford the school-master a daily breakfast. In Scotland they are usually under the government of the nearest police, and supported by those who have an interest in their good management; add to this, the Scotch are generally the best grammar-masters. I speak it, to their honour, and with heartfelt gratitude, that they are usually conscientious in fulfilling this nost sacred duty. But the necessary severity and uniformity of life in a grammarschool are not calculated for every genius. Thus we find some of the men who have most distinguished themselves in after-life, have been the most impatient under scholastic restraint. This is not intended as an apology, but as a friendly caution, should these pages accidentally meet the eye of a school-boy. Irksome as the restraint may be, and dull as the employment of construing may seem, they are absolutely necessary for acquiring what can only be acquired at that age; and the want of which becomes, as we advance in life, a perpetual source of regret. Had Captain Cook submitted to this early toil, his writing would have had the charms of polish, as welk the dignity of truth, to recommend them. Had Howard received the education to which his paternal inheritance entitled him, what graces might have adorned the memoirs which even now are a national boast! Had Horne Tooke been sooner aware of the impor→ tance of words, he would not have wanted a Wakefield, to complete a work which may form a new era in philosophy! Had Mr. Hunter availed himself less of maternal tenderness, his style might have been perspicuous, easy, and full of force, without losing any of its accuracy. It is true, in the instance of Mr. Tooke, and still more of Deau Swift, we find that subsequent application may supply the want of early diligence; but this can seldom happen to those whose occupations are constantly and necessarily connected with the busy scenes of life. བ་

as

"The partiality of a father to a child born in his 70th year, and afterwards the indulgence of a widowed mother to the only remaining boy at home, were not likely to sharpen the industry of John,

Τον δ' ετι πατερ είασκε μάχεσθαι

Ούνεκα οι μετα τοισι νεωτατος έσκε γονόμο Τα 10

Και οι φίλτατος έσκε,

* Hence, we are not surprized to learn, that, from the period John was sent to school to his seventeenth year, his life passed without any improvement from education. At this time an event occurred which is only important as connected with such a character.

"There is a general report, that Mr. Hunter was destined to be a carpenter; and one of his biographers goes so far as to say, wheelwright or a carpenter he certainly was.' Had he really been a wheelwright, a carpenter, and the son of a carpenter, his discoveries would not be less brilliant, nor his industry less meritorious.. Sir Everard Home tells us, that about this time Mr. Buchanan, who had lately come from London to settle at Glasgow as a cabinetmaker, paid his addresses to Mr. Hunter's sister Janet; and, having many agreeable qualities, she was induced to marry him, although contrary

contrary to the advice of her relations. This marriage gave the family great concern for the qualities which had rendered Mr. Buchanan agreeable, led him into dissipation, and made him neglect his business, Mr. John Hunter, who was now seventeen, went to Glasgow upon a visit to his sister, for whom he had the greatest affection, to comfort her in her distress, and endeavour to assist her husband in extricating himself from bis difficulties; but finding, after some time, all his ef forts ineffectual, he returned to Long Calderwood,'

"When a youth of seventeen is sent to comfort his married sister, and to extricate her husband, it seems to follow, that he was to take some active share in the business. Even if this was no part of the original intention, those who were acquainted with John's temper, will hardly believe that he could keep from the glue-pot, v when orders where pressing, and when the completion of them promised the means of relieving difficulties. In short, there is no doubt, as far as probability and local tradition may be admitted, that John worked at his brother-in-law's trade.".

After-Life.

"Mr. Hunter was too honest to devote his valuable time to the gaudy trappings of science. Had he cultivated school-learning at the proper age, he might have written with more confidence, fluency. and perspicuity, but his reasoning could not have been closer, nor his descriptions more correct. In searching for records, we think it right to examine the earliest. In pathology, these are contained in the book of Nature, our researches into which are assisted by the labours of our predecessors. What then must have been the pene tration of that man, who in the study of nature has brought into no tice passages from writers he was unable to read, and which had been overlooked by profound scholars! By thus resorting to the original source, he collected honey without robbing the hive, or en cumbering himself with the wax. Of this I shall at present offer a single example, and also an instance in which he has shown a cor rectness in the choice of words, which could only be derived from a correct mode of thinking.

To prove that he discovered in nature what had been overlooked by profound scholars, though accurately remarked by the ancients, it will be surely enough to produce a passage from a scholar and al teacher of medicine, by whom Mr. Hunter is accused of plagiarisms from the Greek writers. Hood ad glo

That people were disposed," says the learned Dr. Crichton, 'to certain diseases from birth, as well as from the operation of racea cidental causes, was an observation or a mere matter of fact, which was taken notice of by the Greek physicians, who denominated this cause of disease ponyeμty; but a certain inaccuracy of expression in regard to predisposition, has introduced itself into the writings of many medical men since these early times, and has induced them to call certain diseases hereditary diseases. This inaccuracy has probably been caused by the constancy with which hereditary disposiLotfimbe

tion

3

tion operates; but it gave occasion to the late Mr. J. Hunter to ri ~ dicule the expression, and to assume the old observations of the Greeks as one of his own discoveries. by

*** Thus an observation, or mere matter of fact, taken notice of by the Greek physicians,' was overlooked by the most profound scholars for nearly two thousand years, and at length revived by Mr. Hunter. Justly as my departed friend is entitled to this com pliment, I should almost have suspected my own partiality, had not the fact been confirmed by Dr. Crichton. I would not, however, have the reader to suppose, that, like Dr. Crichton, Mr. Hunter confuses disposition with predisposition; both of them with accidental causes;' or that he ever uses such an expression as the constant operation of hereditary disposition! Like all those philoso phers who have improved science, he saw the necessity of first attending to accuracy in the use of terms, and with him all the terms: thus jumbled by others have an appropriate and well defined meaning. Equally unjust is the accusation, that he ridiculed the expressions of other writers.' Habitually correct himself, he gave others credit, as far as possible, for the same accuracy; and when he differs, seems to do it with some expression of doubt on his own part.

I shall now produce an example of a reformation in our la lan guage, in which he may be as fairly accused of plagiarism, from a standard work on etymology, published nearly twelve years after his death, as of assuming for his own the expressions of the Greek fathers."

1

The term coagulable lymph has been adopted by all the later physiologists, whatever may have been their opinion concerning the properties of the blood. Mr. Hunter's objection to it is so pointed, that it might serve as a grammatical example. The term coagu lable,' says he, is more properly applied to substances which might be made to coagulate (are coagulable) only by chemical means. Perhaps, continues he, coagulating might be better applied to, what is usually called coagulable lymph, and the epithet coagulable might be reserved for those fluids which require a chemical process. to produce that effect.'

Mr. Horne Tooke calls these terminations in able the potential passive participle. Nothing can be more exact than Mr. Hunter's illustration in restraining the word coagulable to substances requiring archemical process to produce that effect. Potential, inasmuch as it is a condition in which they may be found; Passive, inasmuch as they have not the power of assuming that condition, but only suffer such a change by force; and a Participle, inasmuch as the abbrevia tion, or winged word, is most conveniently added to a verb.*

It may be urged, that usage has long ceased to confine this ter mination to a passive signification. Though this apology, may be

Treatise on the Blood, p. 16, edit. 1794; Diversions of Putley, Vol. II. chap. viii, anno 1805,

admitted

admitted in looser compositions, it is altogether inconsistent with philosophic correctness. As the above etymologist remarks To say that the same word was used with two almost opposite ideas, viz. To feel, and To be felt; To beat, and To be beaten; would be just as rational as to say, that the same word should be purposely employed in speech, to signify the horse which is ridden, and the man who rides him.'

"This is only one of numerous instances which might be produced, and many of which have been produced, in which Mr. Hunter's accuracy of thinking induced, as it always must, a corresponding accuracy of language. The student, who feels dissatisfied with undefined expressions, can alone estimate the importance of such accuracy; and to him it will become familiar, with only the trouble of re-perusing the above passages.

"These two examples are enough to shew, that if his language was not always strictly grammatical, it was perspicuous to those who knew the value of his facts, and were willing to explore them; and that he was much better employed than in studying the classics."

The Subject continued in the Appendix, with Remarks on the Decline of Mr. Hunter's School under Sir Everard Home, though a King's Scholar at Westminster, and "elected off to Trinity College, Cambridge."

"We have seen, that when Mr. Hunter made a discovery, in which he had been anticipated by his contemporary, he readily relinquished his claim. In reviving the forgotten discoveries of the ancients, he might have supported his observation with all the triumph of remote antiquity and learned lore; for the coincidence of his remarks with those of the Greek physicians has been already noticed. I shall offer only a few other instances, which, being contained in his lectures, are not accessible to every reader.

"Whilst every Register of Medicines was crowded with cases of lock-jaw, and with successful modes of treatment, no one that I know of, between Celsus and Hunter, paid sufficient attention to one prognostic; yet without attending to this, it is impossible to ascertain what is due to the various and contradictory remedies, and what to the progress of the disease. Mr. Hunter, in his lectures remarked, that, if the spasm is confined to the neck, and the patient survives the fourth day, a favorable prognostic may formed. That, if it extends beyond the muscles of the neck, and the patient survives the fourteenth day, a favorable change usually commences at that time. Celsus remarks, Ea sæpe intra quartum diem tolunt; si hunc evaserunt sine periculo sunt,' In this he is less guided by the Greek physicians than usual, probably trusting to his own observation in Rome, where the disease might be less fre

་

* See the Appendix: also Introduction to Morbid Poisons. "† Lib. IV. cap. iii. line 5, page 42, ed. Almaloven.

be

quent,