He remained only a short time at Leyden, as Albinus, whose lectures he wished to attend, was confined with disease. This university, only 20 years before, had been justly considered the luminary of the medical world, but its splendour was eclipsed by the removal of the celebrated Albinus, Professor of Anatomy, and by the neglect of the patrons of the university to se cure lecturers of distinguished ardour and intelligence. The genius and fame of Meckel had raised Berlin to the honourable rank which Leyden so recently possess ed, and brought students from every quarter of the globe, to enrich that capital with science and wealth.
Dr. Monro returned to Edinburgh in the summer of 1758, where he was admitted a licentiate of the Edin burgh Royal College of Physicians on the 2d May, and elected a fellow on the 1st May, 1759. He also suc ceeded his father as secretary to the Philosophical So ciety. In the autumn of 1758, he commenced his lectures as colleague with his father, and combined in his own person the knowledge of some of the most cele brated anatomical professors of the last century, Chesel den, Boerhaave, Monro and Meckel. We need not be sur prised to find the fame of the University' of Edinburgh constantly increasing under a lecturer enriched with the treasures of such eminent anatomists, directed by the con stant instruction and superintendance of his own parent, and whose ardent enthusiasm was regulated by the dictates of a comprehensive judgment and acute discrimination.
His course of anatomical lectures was arranged nearly ac cording to the same connected and orderly plan with that of mo•°, prim., who continued to witness, during the space of nine years, the uncommon success of his son in the advancement of that instruction which he had begun. The demonstrations of our professor were conducted with a simplicity, accuracy and distinctness, which never failed to instruct and delight his students, and few men surpassed him in exciting a taste for that branch of science which he so ably communicated. The num ber of pupils who attended his lectures was 14,000, ave raging nearly 350 annually. If, with Dr. Monrodirimus, we calculate the expense of each student at 50/. per annum, the riches introduced into Edinburgh by the lectures of his son would amount to 700,000/. ; and these two distinguished individuals may be considered as having added 892,500/. to the improvement of Edin burgh and its inhabitants.
A controversy was maintained with great warmth, betwixt Dr. William Hunter of London and Dr. Monro, on the subject of their respective claims to the discovery of the use of the lymphatics, which contri buted to make both examine this part of anatomy with greater minuteness ; and to their rivalship we arc in debted for the intimate knowledge of that beautiful sys tem of vessels, by which their office as absorbents is es tablished with a certainty and clearness that remove all doubt.
The following statement by Dr. William Hunter, in
his treatise on Aneurism, in the 6th volume of The Lon don Medical Observations and Enquiries, affords a strik ing proof that he did not suppose the solid parts of the body were taken up by the lymphatic vessels.—" In this case (Aneurism) the appearance was rather as if the blood had insensibly dissolved and washed away the substance of the bone, as we see in stones of unequal texture, that have been lung washed by a dropping, or a stream of water."—See Dr. \Vinterbottom's Thesis, De Vasis Absorbentibus, 1781, who gives a full account of Dr. Monro's opinion respecting the absorption of solids.
Dr. Monro's lectures arc universally acknowledged to have been the fullest course of anatomy, physiology, pathology and surgery' ever delivered. Dr. William Hunter was surpassed by none as a demonstrator or lec turer, but he paid too little attention to physiology, and on this account Dr. Monro, who for 40 years per formed the arduous duties of the anatomical chair without an assistant, is entitled to greater praise than his powerful rival. He delivered his lectures until the year 1800, when his son, the present Professor of Ana tomy, who had been conjoined with him in 1798, began to assist him. He continued, however, his surgical course until the year 1807, and delivered the introduc tory lecture for the session 1803-9, when he was 76 years old.
By a happy union of anatomical and medical know ledge, Dr. Monro was distinguished as a consulting sur geon, and displayed uncommon acuteness, correctness, and humanity in the direction of operations; and in surgery, to make use of the words of a very competent judge, Mr. B. Bell, " his improvements were numerous and important." Dr. Monro commenced the practice of a physician on his return from the continent ; and his skill and success have seldom been equalled by any practitioner in this city. For the attainment of so high an honour, he was indeniea, u, nv aarlail dobr o,te ch.% of keeping a regular account of every case which came under his care, with the addition of such notes and observations as his gocd sense and accurate judgment supplied. His great object was to have recourse to simple and powerful remedies, whose efficacy was sanctioned by just reasoning, or extensive experience. With a mind uninfluenced by the dogmas of particu lar sects or parties, he was always prepared to adopt such new modes of practice as his increasing know ledge approved ; and to accommodate his prescriptions to the various changes of diseases, which habits of ac curate observation enabled him to discern. Few prac titioners were more alive to the condition of a patient than our distinguished physician, who investigated their complaints with a caution and feeling that showed deep interest in the afflictions of the sufferer. This con duct inspired a confidence in his attentive kindness, which frequently promoted the recovery of those en trusted to his care.