His health during the last twenty years of his life was greatly impaired. The symptoms of his disease, which was angina pectoris, are minutely described by Sir Everard Home in the account of his life. The first attack was brought on b' mental irritation, and, though he was liable afterwards to slight affections from causes of different kinds, every severe attack arose from some mental cause. Unfortunately his mind was easily provoked by trifles, while matters of real importance produced no effect. He died suddenly under an accidental irritation at St George's hospital, while he laudably attempted to cootroul it till he obtained information of the circumstances by which it was occasioned. This event took place on the 16th of October, 1793, in the 65th year of his age.
He was a man of uncommon originality of thought, which he displayed under considerable deficiencies of ge neral erudition. In this respect he was a contrast to his brother, who united genius with erudition in an eminent de gree. This circumstance scents, however, to have had the effect of concentrating his attention more completely in his favourite objects of pursuit, and to have given a cha racter of more obvious originality to all his writings. Though ambitious of a high name in his own line of inves tigation, he was not envious of the well merited honours of others. But he was liable to strong indignation at the pre sumption of ignorant mediocrity or indolence. He was prone to undervalue too much those professional men, who were his inferiors in merit, and who, while they paid no homage to his doctrines, made feeble attempts to shine by their own light. Ile was frank in his manners and conver sation, a decided enemy to all deceit and intrigue, but on the whole too apt to speak harshly of his cotemporaries.
The museum which he left was purchased by the Bri tish government,•was by them committed to the charge of the college of surgeons, and is now contained in a splendid hall fitted up for the purpose, where a professorship of comparative anatomy is attached to it ; and it is open to the inspection of the public on certain days of the week for the greater part of the year. This museum affords a
brilliant proof of the comprehensive views and persever ing assiduity of the collector. It presents a very extensive collection of anatomical facts, arranged in such a manner as to illustrate, in a beautiful series, the various functions, as performed in the gradations of organized nature, from vegetables to animals, and from the lowest tribes of animals to the beautiful complication exhibited in the fabric of the human body. It is divided into four parts, corresponding to a fourfold division of the functions. I. The parts adapt ed to motion ; 2. The parts essential to the internal eco nomy of the different tribes ; 3. The parts which connect living beings with surroundin; objects; and 4. The parts subservient to the propagation of the species. We under stand that the arrangement has undergone some modifica tions since the appointment of Mr Lawrence, the present professor of comparative anatomy. In this museum, the eye surveys, as in one vast landscape, all that is interesting, in the sublime science of physiology. It furnishes even to the mos/ ignorant a pleasing and rapid view of the sub ject, which could not be obtained from books without much study. To those who are already well informed, a visit to this museum affords an opportunity of giving form and body to their knowledge, and adds a permanence to their impressions which they could not have otherwise ob tained. It is indeed now imitated on a smaller scale, by the laudable industry of many other professional men ; but it is still an object of the highest interest, both for its own merits, and when considered as one of the earliest of those vast efforts which have been made, to give an intellectual celebrity to the whole seminaries of our native country. D.)