Dr Hunter was long employed in collecting and arrang ing materials for a history'of morbid concretions formed in the human body. This design, however, was left imper fect, along with others contained in different manuscripts.
The magnificent museum, which we have already men tioned, is a monument which will perpetuate the name of Dr Hunter. The systematic manner in which he planned and conducted that undertaking, was characteristic of a strict philosophic prudence. He did not follow the occu pation of a collector under the influence of a passion, the effects of which might afterwards interfere with his'private happiness. He first laid aside a sum which he reckoned an adequate provision for himself whenever he should be obliged to retire from practice, and resolved to dedicate the remain der of his fortune to some plan of public utility. In 1765, he projected an anatomical school on a grand scale, pro posing to expend 7000/. on the building, and to endow a professorship of anatomy. He did not, however, receive the encouragement government which he expected ; and, though afterwards the Earl of Sherburne entered so much into the scheme as to offer 1000 guineas to encourage the execution of it by means of subscription, the doctor's delicacy would not allow him to accede to this plan, and he chose to execute it at his own expense : for which purpose he purchased a house in Great Windmill Street, to which he removed in 1770, in which he had an amphitheatre and apartments for dissection, besides a magnificent room for a museum. Previously to this time he bad confined his col lection to human, comparative and morbid anatomy ; but he now extended his views to the formation of a general museum, including fossils, antique medals, and rare books in the Greek and Latin languages. In an account of a part of this collection published by his friend Mr Combe, the expence of it was estimated at 20,000/. In t761, he added to it the collection of Dr Fothergill, consisting of shells, corals, and other curious objects in natural history, which were purchased for 1200/.
About the year 1773 he had experienced so much injury to his health from gout, that he thought of giving up prac tice, and returning to Scotland ; but prudential considera tions, and his attachment to his favourite pursuits, deter mined him to remain in London. The returns of his
disease became more frequent ; and at last, on Saturday, the 15th of March, 1783, after having experienced a re turn of wandering gout, he complained of great head ach and nausea, and was confined for a few clays to bed. He then thought himself so well, that he gave his introductory lecture to an intended course of surgery ; but, towards the conclusion of the lecture, he fainted away, and was carried to bed. This happened on a Thursday. On the Saturday morning he told his friends, that lie had a paralytic stroke in the night, though no symptom of it then appeared about him. He suffered little or no pain ; and at one time, turn ing to his friend Mr Combe, he said, " If I had strength enough to hold a pen, I would write how easy and pleasant a thing it is to die." His death happened in ten days after his last lecture, viz. on the 30th of March, 1783. His figure was small and slender, but symmetrical and becom ing. He was an agreeable, lively companion. The chief blemish in his character was an irritability on some sub jects, which gave his manner an air of imperiousness. He will long be held in high estimation as a man, who, when the limited extent of his means is considered, contributed in a singular degree to the promotion of science. His nephew, the present celebrated Dr Baillie, was left the use of his museum for life, to be succeeded by Mr Cruick shanks, Dr Hunter's assistant, who was to enjoy it for thirty years, and then it was to become the perpetual pro perty of the university of Glasgow. The right of rever sion of Mi Cruickshanks was extinguished by the death of this gentleman; after which Dr Baillie generously gave up his claim, and the museum was removed to Glasgow, where magnificent apartments have been built for it, and the annual interest of 80001. left by Dr Hunter, is appro priated to the preservation and augmentation of it. It has already been enriched with many additional articles ; and, on the whole, adds a new lustre to that seminary, and tends to promote the resort to it which it has so long and so de servedly attracted. (H. D.)