MEMOIR OF JOHN HUNTER, 31 



the event too clearly shewed the character of the 

 brothers did not qualify either of them to sustain. 



Both the brothers were in the habit of committing 

 their views to writing, even when they did not in- 

 tend to give them an immediate publicity; and thus 

 in their works, when at length published, we some- 

 times find a record of feelings of an early date, 

 which, though not expressed to each other at the 

 time, nevertheless operated on their mutual con- 

 duct. Thus, Mr John Hunter informs us, that, 

 after making 1 those investigations on the nerves 

 of smelling to which we have already alluded, he 

 immediately had drawings taken, with the view of 

 presenting the account to the Royal Society ; but 

 other pursuits interposed. Of these very drawings, 

 however, we find that engravings were afterwards 

 made by Dr William Hunter ; and they, and the 

 preparations themselves, were repeatedly displayed 

 in his lectures, while he at the same time explained 

 to the students the inferences to be deduced from 

 the discovery; in other words, Dr Hunter appro- 

 priated to himself the merits of a physical discovery, 

 and the physiological views thence derivable, all of 

 which was properly due to his brother. 



This, however, was by no means a solitary in- 

 stance ; and the particulars of another may be alluded 

 to, as clearly exhibiting the nature of the offence, 

 and the cause of the umbrage. In the month of May 

 1754, Dr Mackenzie, a friend of Mr Hunter's, had 

 befn particularly fortunate in procuring an interest : ru^ 

 portion of anatomical structure, and so struck was 



