HUNTER, WILLIAM, 1\I. I). celebrated as a physician and author, and as the collector of the Huntei ian museum now in Glasgow, was born on the 23d of May, 1718, at Long Calderwood, his father's estate, in the parish of Kilbride. At the age of 15 he was sent to the university of Glasgow, where he passed five winters, being destined by his father for the church. This pursuit, however, did not accord with some modes of thinking which he had adopted ; and an acquaintance which he formed with Dr Cullen, then a practitioner at Hamilton, inspired him with a taste for the medical profession, to which accordingly he attached him self. He resided three years with Dr Cullen as his pupil ; after which it was agreed that he should study in Edin burgh and London, and afterwards return to Hamilton, to settle in partnership with Dr Cullen. In pursuance of this plan, he studied in Edinburgh in the winter of 1740 and 1741 ; and in the summer of 1741 he went to London, where he lived in the house of Dr Smellic ; and prospects gradually opened on him, which induced him to remain in the metropolis. He brought with him a letter of recom mendation to Dr Douglas from Mr Foulis of Glasgow, (the well-known printer of excellent editions of several of the classics,) who had formed a connection with that phy sician, by procuring for him various editions of Horace, of which the enthusiastic admiration of Dr Douglas made him anxious to possess himself of every existing edition. Dr Douglas, entertaining a favourable opinion of Mr Hunter's talents, proposed to engage him as his assistant in perform ing dissections for a splendid work on the bones, which he was then preparing for publication. Mr Hunter, obtaining his father's consent, accepted of this offer. His father died soon after, and in a few months he also lost his patron, Dr Douglas, who flied, leaving a widow and two children. Mr Hunter continued to reside in the family, superintending the education of the children, and prosecuting his own studies. In 1743, he communicated to the Royal Society his observations on the structure of the cartilages of the joints, in which he sheaved that, contrary to the ideas pre viously entertained, they were formed of short perpendicu lar fibres, like the enamel of the teeth. Meeting with ap plause in his anatomical pursuits, lie wished to lecture on anatomy ; and an opportunity was soon afforded him by Mr Sharpe, who had for some years lectured to a society of naval surgeons, and declined this task in favour of Mr Hun ter. In commencing his first course, he felt great solici
tude ; but he soon met with applause which encouraged him. He had little difficulty to encounter, compared to one who commences such an undertaking without previous in troduction to public notice. His eminent talents were in the first instance exercised in a field in which they were sure to be recognised. He therefore proceeded, not mere ly with confidence, but with enthusiastic zeal, in the pur suits in which he so much delighted. The profits of the first winter put him in possession of a larger sum than he had ever before possessed, 70 guineas ; but as his gene rosity led hint to supply the wants of different friends, his fund was completely exhausted before next winter, and he was even obliged to delay his lectures for a fortnight, for want of money to pay for advertising. This incident, to gether with the ultimate inutility of some of his generous acts to those who were the objects of them, impressed on him a lesson of prudence, which preserved him ever after from similar inconveniences, and laid in part the foundation of that fortune, which lie expended in a public-spirited manner.
In 1747, he became a member of the college of surgeons ; and in the spring of the following year he made a tour with the son of Dr Douglas through Holland to Paris. The beautiful anatomical preparations of Albinus, which he saw in Holland, inspired hint with admiration, and an ambition to emulate their excellence. He returned to resume his lectures ; and in the mean time Ile practised both surgery and midwifery. But he soon gave up the former of these branches, and attached himself to midwifery, in which his late preceptor Dr Douglas had been eminent. He was elected, in 1748, surgeon accoucheur to the Middlesex hos pital, and the following year to the British lying-in hospital. These appointments, together with his agreeable person and address, in which he furnished a favourable contrast to Dr Sincllie, who at that time enjoyed a high reputation, promoted greatly the extension of his practice, which was rendered still greater by the death of Sir Richard Man ningham, and the retirement of Dr Sandys.