Volume 2 > Half-Volume 4

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left chained in an outhouse, had broken from their
confinement and got into the yard among some dogs,
which they immediately attacked ; the howling this
produced alarmed the whole neighbourhood. Mr.
Hunter ran into the yard to see what was the matter,
and found one of them climbing up the wall to make
his escape, the other surrounded by the dogs; he
immediately laid hold of them both and carried them
back to their den. But as soon as they were secured,
and he had time to reflect on the risk of his own
situation, he was so much agitated that he was in
danger of fainting."
This year, by a strong exertion in dancing, Mr.
Hunter unfortunately broke the tendo Achillis (the
strong and broad tendon felt at the back of the foot),
in consequence of which he introduced an improve-
ment on the mode of treating this accident, which
was superior to that recommended by Dr. Alexander
Munro, who had himself at a more advanced period
of life experienced a similar misfortune.
We have no account from Sir Everard Home of
Mr. Hunter's town residence, until his brother,
having completed his house in Windmill Street,
assigned over to him the lease of his house in Jermyn
Street. It is presumed by one of his biographers,
that on his first arrival in London he lodged in
Covent Garden, for the purpose of being near to his
brother's dissecting-rooms, and another informs us
that on his return from abroad he resided in Golden
Square. Be this as it may, he appears to have lived
in Jermyn Street until the expiration of the lease in
1783, a period of fifteen years. Whatever may have
been the slight difference which existed between him
and his brother, the latter appears still to have in-
terested himself in his welfare, as we find that,
chiefly through his interest, he was in 1768 (on the
authority of Dr. Symmons) elected surgeon to St.
George's Hospital. He had now acquired the de-
sired means for giving his talents and industry full
scope; for, as fellow of the Royal Society, he gained
the earliest notice of every scientific discovery and
improvement which might take place in Europe; and
as surgeon to this hospital he had the means of ex-
tending his observations and confirming his patho-
logical doctrines. His whole time was now devoted
to the examination of facts, and the patient accumu-
lation of such knowledge as he could gradually
attain ; nor did he, as many others have done, cap-
tivated by love of fame, rush prematurely before
the notice of the public. Herein he showed very
considerable wisdom, and well would it have been
for many authors had they, like him, persevered
even in obscurity in maturing their knowledge before
surrendering themselves to a tribunal whose verdict
will always in the end be found to have been dictated
by the severest and most rigid principles of justice.
The surgeons of most of the public hospitals in
this country have the privilege of selecting, on their
own terms, house-pupils, who reside with them a
year or two after the completion of their education.
Among many who became pupils of John Hunter,
and afterwards acquired celebrity in their profession,
we may notice the famous Dr. Jenner, who boarded
in his house in 1770 and 1771, and lived in habits of
intimacy with him until his death. "In every con-
versation," says a friend of Dr. Jenner's, "as well
as in a letter I received from him, he spoke with be-
coming gratitude of his friend and master." Even
the slightest recollection, or testimony of esteem,
from such a man as Dr. Jenner, in favour or illustra-
tion of the character of John Hunter must be re-
ceived with interest. In 1771 Mr. Hunter published
the first part of his Treatise on the Teeth, a very valu-
able work, the merit of which has not been surpassed
by any later production. It may be observed, en
passant, that this was the only work he sold to the
booksellers, all his others being published on his
own account, or communicated to miscellaneous col-
lections, chiefly periodicals. Between the appear-
ance of the first and second part of his treatise, Dr.
Fothergill published his paper on that painful affec-
tion of the facial nerve, denominated Tic Doloureux.
While thus rising in eminence, Mr. Hunter became
attached to the daughter of Mr. Boyne Home, sur-
geon of Burgoyne's regiment of light horse, who was
also the father of the celebrated Sir Everard Home;
but their marriage was necessarily delayed until he
had obtained a sufficient competency. His exertions
therefore were correspondingly increased; and during
this time, when he could suspend his professional
and scientific toils, nothing gave him greater gratifi-
cation than the pleasure of enjoying her society.
"The expenses of his pursuits," says Sir Everard
Home, "had been so great, that it was not for some
years after his first engagement with this lady that
his affairs could be sufficiently arranged to admit of
his marriage. This happy period at length arrived,
and he was married to Miss Home in 1771."
"Whilst he was paying," continues Sir Everard,
"his addresses to my sister, I was a boy at West-
minster School. During the holidays I came home,
and Mr. Hunter, who was frequently there, always
showed me particular kindness; he made my father an
offer to bring me up to his profession, a proposal which
I readily accepted. I was struck with the novelty and
extent of his researches, had the highest respect and
admiration for his talents, and was ambitious to tread
the paths of science under so able a master."
The year after his marriage, at the request of Sir
John Pringle, he read to the Royal Society a com-
munication showing that after death the gastric juice
has the power of dissolving the coats of the stomach.
This paper he was persuaded to read to the society
before he had entirely completed the investigations
which he further meditated;�but it appears that he
did not afterwards return to the subject, considering
that the fact on which any further inquiries might be
formed had been sufficiently demonstrated.
In the winter of 1773 he formed a plan for giving
a course of lectures on the theory and principles of
surgery, with the view of vindicating his own prin-
ciples, which he frequently heard misquoted or as-
cribed to others, and of teaching them systematically.
The first two winters he read his lectures gratis to
the pupils of St. George's Hospital, and the winter
following charged the usual terms of other teachers
in medicine and surgery. "For this, or for continu-
ing them," says one of his biographers, "there could
be no pecuniary motive. As he was under the ne-
cessity of hiring a room and lecturing by candle light,
his emoluments must have been trifling. The lectures
not being considered a part of medical education, his
class was usually small; and of the few that heard
him, the greater part acknowledged their difficulty
in understanding him, which was often proved by
their incapacity of keeping up their attention. The
task itself was so formidable to him, that he was
obliged to take thirty drops of laudanum before he
entered the theatre at the beginning of each course.
Yet he certainly felt great delight in finding himself
understood, always waiting at the close of each lec-
ture to answer any questions; and evincing evident
satisfaction when those questions were pertinent, and
he perceived that his answers were satisfactory and
intelligible." In addition to this, Sir Everard Home,
after stating the fact of his having recourse to lauda-
num�the elixir vi�t of the opium-eater�"to take
off the effects of uneasiness, adds, "he trusted