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Two Great Scotsmen, the Brothers William and John Hunter

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Two Great Scotsmen, the Brothers William and John Hunter 1 i TWO GREAT SCOTSMEN. PUBLISHED BY JAMES MACLEHOSE AND SONS, GLASGOW, laiiblislurs io llu nnibcrsitj). MACMILLAN AND CO., LONDON AND NEW YOKK. London, - Siinpkin, Hamilton and Co. Cambridge, - Macmillan ajid Bowes. Edinburgh, - Douglas and Foulis. MDCCCXCIII. PUBLISHERS' NOTE. This volume is issued in commemoration of the centenary of John Hunter's death (October, 1793), and the title page was accordingly dated 1893 : owing, however, to unavoidable delay, the book is only published now. Glasgow, S<// February, 1894. TWO-&REATSCOTSMEN THE-BR0THER5VILLIAM AND-JOHN-HVNTER # BY CEORCE-RmTHER-MD-EF.ES.O JAME SmCLE HO SE AN D • SON S GLASGOW. ^ ^ MDCCCXCIII. for the i^htory and Ut?.G-r.^s-s2;ai:iding ofMedicine TO THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF THE FACULTY OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS OF GLASGOW. WITH ADMIRATION FOR THEIR DEVOTION TO THE PROFESSION WHICH HAS BEEN SO HIGHLY EXALTED BY THE BROTHERS HEREIN PORTRAYED, AND WITH FEELINGS OF MUCH ESTEEM I DEDICATE TO THEM THIS TRIBUTE TO THE GENIUS OF WILLIAM AND JOHN HUNTER. i PREFACE. In those charming days of student life, when first I wan- dered round the classic building which jutted into the old College Green, I had a desire to become familiar with the end and aim of that Grecian temple, for as such it then appealed to me. I anxiously inquired its purpose and had not long to wait for an answer. On matriculating, a card was presented, permitting me to enter with a friend the temple of science containing the Hunterian Museum. This noble building then ,was the stately storehouse of anatomical specimens and other treasures collected by one man, which for variety of riches has had no parallel in the annals of medicine. It was founded by the elder of two brothers, who had astonished the world by their scientific labours. Glasgow can justly claim those brothers as her sons, because they were born within sound of her Cathedral bell. William spent five years at her ancient three years in a workshop of the University ; John spent city. They left their native country for London, and made their mark so indelibly on the time in which they lived, viii Englishmen as that that period has been spoken of by 'the age of the Hunters.' men have The vast intellectual labours of those great done in their not attracted the interest they ought to have fully known; native place, possibly because they are not in com- should the present sketch of their lives, issued brother, memoration of the centenary of the younger public services, I lead to a keener appreciation of their shall be abundantly satisfied. great pleasure I have had in I have to express the and communing with the illustrious band of writers extend the name and orators who have done so much to Professor Gairdner I fame of the brothers Hunter. To of extracting acknowledge my obligations for the privilege Medicine," his lucid and from Dr. Reynolds' "System of of John Hunter. I masterly description of the case Mr. D. Y. Cameron for would also express my thanks to the work, and my admira- the interest he has taken in has thrown around the scenes he tion of the glamour he Annan I owe thanks for the has so finely etched. To Mr. the photogravures have been artistic manner in which Mr. Tweed for his medallion of John executed ; and to Hunter reproduced in the volume. GEORGE R. MATHER. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE Introductory, ^ CHAPTER II. Family History, ^ CHAPTER III. William Hunter—his Life, 22 CHAPTER IV. William Hunter—his Achievements, 74 CHAPTER V. The Hunterian Museum in the University of Glasgow, . 88 CHAPTER VI. John Hunter—his Life "9 CHAPTER VII. John Hunter—his Exploits in Science, .... 162 CHAPTER VIII. John Hunter—his Museum in the Royal College of Surgeons of England, i9S iSLontmis. CHAPTER IX. PAGE The Portraits of the Brothers, . CHAPTER X. The Influence of the Hunters, . 222 APPENDIX- NOTE ON THE Ancient Arms of the Hunters of Hunterston, 239 The Published Works and Papers of William Hunter, . 240 John Hunter's Published Works and Papers, 242 Account of the Symptoms of Angina Pectoris, Detailing THE Case of John Hunter, 244 John Hunter's Love for the Fine Arts, .... 250 Notes on the Illustrations of the Medical Preparations, LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PACE Etching by Title Page, with William Hunter's Coat or Arms. ^ . • Title D. Y. Cameron, o Hunter Coat of Arms from Melrose Abbey, .... Hunterston. Etching by D. Y. Cameron, i6 Long Calderwood. Etching by D. Y. Cameron, .... Reynolds, . 22 Portrait of William Hunter after Sir Joshua 26 Portrait of William Hunter after R. E. Pine, ... 28 The Old University of Glasgow, 42 East Kilbride. Etching by D. Y. Cameron, The Old Hunterian Museum, Three Specimens of the Hunters' Medical Preparations, . 92 William Hunter's Medal, The New University of Glasgow, "8 Reynolds, . 120 Portrait of John Hunter after Sir Joshua . Bust of John Hunter after Holland, 122 Hedgehog and Busy Bees, 138 and John Hunter's Bookplate with Armorial Bearings Mrs. Hunter's Bookplate with her Monogram. Etching by D. Y. Cameron, '4° . 184 Four Specimens of John Hunter's Transplantations, . luMoooBBBMBaawBdodaflOMflBflWlSM—B^B WILLIAM AND JOHN HUNTER. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. It has been said that the world knows nothing of its greatest men. This is pecuHarly true of our own little country, Scotland, whose great men have by no means been rare, and have in many cases been overlooked. It is not known to a tithe of the men you meet, that a small Scotch farmer, who more than a century ago tilled the soil within a very few miles of Glasgow, had two sons who raised themselves to the very highest position possible for men to reach in connection with science, and the pro- so, but conferred fession which they adorned ; and not only blessings of a priceless, imperishable kind on the whole human race. William and John Hunter, who so distinguished them- A 2 SSailliam nnii John punter. selves in London in the middle and end of last century, and who have left behind them in their vast and varied collections, triumphs of their skill and genius, which are the admiration of the scientific world, were sons of John Hunter of Long Calderwood, East Kilbride. The object of this biographical study is in some small measure to illustrate the lives of these great men ; to show how that by elucidation and most tangible expres- sion in almost countless specimens of the ways and workings of all-various nature, they have in the museums which bear their names reared monuments of industry and scien- tific knowledge which place their founders in the highest rank of fame. Of course, to William Hunter, of the two brothers, the general public are mainly indebted, but not entirely so, for John devoted ten years of his life to helping forward the work of William's museum. But it would be akin to sacrilege for us to discrepate between the two brothers, or to magnify one at the expense of the other. Their work in connection with science is one and indivisible ; these men still live and speak through us, the heirs of their achievements. For the literary, artistic, and numismatic treasures, which are of inestimable value, we are no doubt wholly indebted to William Hunter. The Commissioners appointed to deal with the Scottish — Iittraiiuctorj). 3 Universities lately issued an Ordinance regarding the Hunterian Museum which cannot be referred to without feelings of astonishment. By empowering the sale of the Hunterian coins, they proposed with the one hand to endow a Chair of History, and with the other to scatter to the winds the materials by which history is constructed, the very basis on which history is founded. Thanks to the Lord Provost of Glasgow, and a strong expression of public opinion, led by Dr. David Murray, this fatal policy has been abandoned. It cannot be objected to this biographical sketch that too many volumes have appeared on the subject ; for we have searched in vain for a single pamphlet issued from the Glasgow press telling the story of the Hunters, while in London there is embarras des richesses. You come across oration after oration, delivered by the presidents of the Royal College of Surgeons annually, and latterly bien- nially, almost since his death—one hundred years ago on their patron saint, John Hunter. Even in Edinburgh we picked up a polished essay entitled, " Only an Old Chair." The inspiring influence on the man who wrote it —a brother of John Goodsir—was that the chair once belonged to John Hunter. Moreover, our American cousins have been invited, in a splendid oration on John Hunter by the great Gross of Philadelphia, to lay a wreath of im- 4 gEiUiam mxb John punter. mortelles on the grave of the distinguished physiologist in this year, the centenary of his death. Are we, in the country of their birth, on such an occasion, to take no notice of those distinguished brothers who have shed upon us such renown ? Shall we stand idly by whilst the world is eager to do them honour ? Professor Gross says of John Hunter, "Nearly one hundred years have elapsed since the death of this remarkable man, this apostle of surgery, this high priest of nature. When the century shall be completed, it will be a fitting act to place upon his tomb a wreath of immortelles, commemorative of the event, and of the high sense of gratitude for the services which he rendered to mankind. Although Hunter is dead, the spirit which animated him will live in all future ages to encourage and to stimulate the student of surgery, of science, and of human progress.
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