A hospital was still wanting, where the intimate con nection between anatomy, surgery and medicine might be shown, and his father used every exertion to com plete a plan on which the prosperity of the rising school depended. Mr. Monro himself also wrote a pamphlet, pointing out its advantages. The suns of 2000/. was, after some time, collected, and a temporary hospital erected in 1729, which was superseded by the present one, whose foundation was laid in 173S. Some of the principal rooms, particularly that for operations, were constructed according to a plan of the professor. By the mutual co-operation of all classes of citizens, this useful building, which is capable of holding nearly 300 patients, and open for the reception of the sick of all na tions, was completed in a shorter time than could have been expected.
Provost Drummond was appointed by the first contri butors to superintend, in conjunction with Mr. Monro, the erection of the hospital. In this spacious building the pupils of our professor learned to adopt humane and feeling manners towards their patients, while they were instructed in the best mode of curing diseases. He ne ver absented himself from any dissection ; and in all in stances of death, whether from accident or disease, he not only pointed out to the students the difference be tween the healthy and morbid appearance of the various organs, but carefully explained the practice which had been adopted. The intimate acquaintance which he pos sessed of anatomy, and his knowledge of a vast variety of cases, enabled him to perform surgical operations with success, and gave him great superiority as a con sulting physician and surgeon. He manifested his deep sense of the utility of clinical lectures, by continuing them with unwearied industry, after that disease had be gun which terminated his useful career.
Mr. Monro assisted in establishing a society of phy sicians and surgeons, and six volumes of medical essays and observations were published by him as secretary, which he considered to be the best means of increasing the knowledge of medicine ; and when, at the recom mendation of Colin Maclaurin, the society was enlarged by the admission of philosophers as members, he con tributed several valuable papers to the two volumes which were published during his life by the Philosophi cal Society, under the title of Physical and Literary Essays.
His conduct to Dr. Martin, private lecturer on ana tomy at Edinburgh, exhibits a liberality of sentiment deserving of imitation, since he acted towards him with the greatest kindness while living, and undertook to su perintend the publication of his works on anatomy after his death.
Dr. Monro has rarely been surpassed as a non of bu siness, and he obtained great influence over his fellow citizens by his extemporaneous eloquence. He was a director of the Bank of Scotland, a justice of the peace, a commissioner of the high roads, and a manager of many public charities, and fulfilled the various duties which such situations require with great regularity and honour.
He was a steady supporter of civil liberty,—firmly attached to the House of Hanover, and manifested great attention and humanity to the wounded officers awl sol diers who fell at Prestonpans. He evinced great com passion and benevolence to the rebels, not only by pro curing pardon for them, but by cheerfully affording professional aid, which was of great use to those who had suffered in the army of the Pretender. His friend ship with Cohn Maclaurin, the friend and commentator of Newton, who was appointed professor in the year 1725, when Dr. Monro delivered his first lecture in the University, affords a strong testimony of the esteem and affection in which he was held by his intimate ac quaintance.
Mr. Monro's influence as a teacher was much increas ed by the exterior graces of a well-formed person and gentle manners, which were combined with an amiable disposition, and the ennobling dignity of a comprehen sive and liberal mind. It was his great object to perform professional duties with a spirit of true philanthropy, en deavouring to make his own experience subservient to the knowledge of others, as well as to the advancement of the healing art. He endeared his patients by an af fectionate conduct, and his charitable attention to the wants and diseases of the poor secured their regard and esteem.
He performed the duties of a son, a husband, and a fa ther in the most exemplary manner. His father, to whom Edinburgh is much indebted for her prosperity, died in Berwickshire, at the seat of his only son, whose suc cess as a professor had contributed to gladden his de clining years. He was very attentive to the education of his sons, instructed them in many of the sciences himself, and treated them through life with all the fa miliarity of a friend.