Two introductory lectures, delivered by Dr. William Hunter, to his last course of anatomical lectures, at his theatre in Windmill-Street : as they were left corrected for the press by himself. To which are added, some Papers relating to Dr. Hunter's intended plan, for establishing a museum in London, for the improvement of anatomy, surgery, and physic.

  • Hunter, William, 1718-1783.
Date:
1784
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Two introductory lectures, delivered by Dr. William Hunter, to his last course of anatomical lectures, at his theatre in Windmill-Street : as they were left corrected for the press by himself. To which are added, some Papers relating to Dr. Hunter's intended plan, for establishing a museum in London, for the improvement of anatomy, surgery, and physic. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

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    of the thing would not admit of its lying for a time altogether concealed, and of being fuddenly brought to light, either by chance, or genius, orinduftry. Ail the fludies and arts which are necejfary, in human life, are fo interefting and obvious, that man in every fituation, has always by inftinct and common fenfe turned his thoughts to them, and made fome progrefs in the cultivation of them. To talk ferioufly of the invention of agriculture, building, or architecture, aftronomy, navigation, mechanics, phyfic, fur- gery, or anatomy, by fome particular man, or in one particular country, or at a time fubfequent to fome prior asra, would be to difcover great ignorance of human nature. We might juft as well fuppofe that, till a certain period of time, man was without inftinclive appetites, and without obfervation and re- flection ; and that, in a happy hour, he found out the art of fupporting life by taking food. All fuch arts, in a lefs or more cultivated ftate, were from the beginning, and ever muffc be found in all parts of the inhabited world. The flrft men who lived, mud have foon acquired fome notions of the ftrudure of their own bodies, particularly of the external parts, and of fome even of the internal, fuch as bones, joints, and finews, which are expofed to the examination of the fenfei in living bodies. This rude knowledge muft have been gradually improved, by the accidents to which the body is expofed, by the ne- ceflities of life, and by the various cuftoms, ceremonies and /uperftitions of different nations. Thus, the obfervance of bodies killed by violence, attention to wounded men, and to many difeafes, the various ways of putting criminals to death, B 2 the