BELL, JOIIN, an eminent surgeon, second son of the Rev. William Bell, an Episcopal minister in Edinburgh, was b. in that city, 3Iay 12, 1763. He studied under the cele brated Black, Cullen, and Monro seeundus; and while attending the anatomy classes of Dr. Monro, first conceived the idea of teaching the application of the science of anatomy to practical surgery. He commenced, in 1786, lecturing at Edinburgh on surgery and anatomy, and in 1793 published the first volume of his Anatomy (!t the Human Bidy; in 1797. appeared the second volume; and in 1802, the third. A volume of anatomical drawings by himself, illustrative of the structure of the bones, muscles, and joints, was published in 1794; and another volume, illustrative of the arteries, with drawings by his brother, afterwards sir Charles Bell. appeared in 1801. In 1798, Bell passed some weeks at Yarmouth among the seamen of lord Duncan's fleet wounded at Camper down ; and in 1800 he published a Memorial concerning the Present Site of Mili4iry Sur gery. His System of the Anatomy of the Hameln Body, and his Discourses on the Xature
and Cure of Wounds (Edin. 1793-95), were translated into German. A good classical scholar, he was distinguished alike for his great conversational powers and general information. Early in 1816, he was thrown from his horse, and, his health declining, he went to Paris, and thence proceeded to Italy. He died at Rome. of dropsy, April 15, 1820. Besides the works mentioned. Ile was the author of The Principles of Surgery, 3 vols. 4to, 1801-1807; new edition, edited by his brother, sir Charles Bell. 1826. A post humous work, entitled Observations on Italy, edited by bishop Sandford of Edinburgh, was published by his widow.