HUNTERIAN ORATION. 169 



servative or protective in its nature. He indicated 

 that physical force, which is inseparable from the in- 

 organic world, is blind ; and that vital force, which is 

 never separated from an organism, can see, or is 

 adaptive in its scope. What is called instinct in ani- 

 mals may be a higher development of it. When the 

 root of a tree extends several -rods for the sole and un- 

 questioned purpose of obtaining an abundance of 

 moisture or nutriment, this intelligent principle, which 

 is an attribute of vitality, leads the way. It may be 

 thwarted, and stumble, and fail, yet an intelligent 

 purpose is manifested. John Hunter did not attempt 

 to investigate the origin of life, but spent his time in 

 experimenting with life in order that he might under- 

 stand the principle of growth, and the essential feat- 

 ures of repair, his object being to understand the re- 

 cuperative processes in the human body. He was a 

 practical surgeon, and desired to know as much of 

 life as possible, in order that all knowledge thus ob- 

 tained might be utilized in the treatment of the 

 diseases of his fellow-men. He was such an enthusi- 

 astic student of pathology that he inoculated himself 

 with a loathsome disease for the avowed purpose of 

 observing its phases. He inflicted wounds upon trees 

 and animals, and then watched the vital disturbance, 

 and the almost intellectual processes of repair. He 

 transplanted the spur of a cock to the comb in order 

 to learn under what circumstances the grafting of ani- 

 mal structures could be rendered successful. He 

 froze one ear of a rabbit to ascertain how the frosted 

 organ compared with the other after inflammation had 

 set in ; he made deep incisions in the muscles of a don- 

 key, and then took the temperature of the cavities 

 every day while the wounds were healing. He labored 



