Volume 1

The works of John Hunter / edited by James F. Palmer.

Date:
1835-37
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The works of John Hunter / edited by James F. Palmer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    Hunter’s mind, we perceive that it was rather that of gene- ral strength and vigour than of a marked predominance of any one faculty, especially adapting it for excellence in some particular kind of pursuit. Johnson says “ a true genius is a mind of large general powers, accidentally determined to some particular direction a definition which, though certainly not universally true, seems thoroughly descriptive of Hunter’s mind. To talents for observation naturally acute, and heightened to an extraordinary degree by con- stant practice, Hunter added strong reasoning powers, a sound judgment, and an imagination which, though not brilliant, was sufficiently active to aid him in his researches, whilst it rarely drew him far aside from the sure paths of induction into the regions of hypothesis. Hence, though it might be difficult to name any employments better fitted to call the faculties of his mind into full action than those in which he was engaged, yet it cannot be doubted that there were many in which those faculties, aided by his ex- traordinary powers of application, would have as certainly raised him to a pre-eminence above other competitors as they did in medical science and natural philosophy. With regard to Hunter’s moral character, though it was adorned with many noble features,—as undeviating honesty, an eminent love of truth and candour, and a humane and generous spirit*,—and though as a friend he was warm and disinterested, and as a husband and a parent kind and af- fectionate, yet his character was defective for want of that control over his passions and his temper, the possession of * In regard to fees Hunter was extremely liberal. He used generally to reply, when asked to say what was due to him, “ Why, that you must determine yourself; you are the best judge of your own circumstances, and it is far from my wish to deprive you of the comforts of life.” He never allowed himself to accept any remuneration from non-bencficed clergymen, professional authors, or artists of any sort, and sometimes returned large fees when he found that the parties were in embarrassed circumstances.