44 MEMOIR OF JOHN HUNTER. 



he had been exposed, than he nearly fainted from 

 agitation. 



Thus situated, the first few years of Mr Hunter's 

 residence at home passed away busily but unobtru- 

 sively. While teaching anatomy and surgery, he 

 was at the same time assiduously carrying on inves- 

 tigations by which he expected to extend the know- 

 ledge of the former, and to improve the practice of 

 the latter ; and in the formation of his museum, he 

 was taking the best possible means of embodying 

 and illustrating all his researches. He was laying 

 in a vast stock of knowledge, and arranging it ac- 

 cording to a natural order ; and it was from these 

 stores that, at a future period, he supplied those pro- 

 ductions of his pen, which surprised almost as much 

 by their number as their originality. Amongst 

 many other subjects which at this time occupied his 

 attention, we may mention, that he carried on an 

 extensive set of experiments on young animals, to 

 ascertain the facts regarding the growth of their bony 

 structure ; and, by feeding them with madder, which 

 tinges bone of a red colour in the act of its forma- 

 tion, he detected many curious phenomena. He 

 pushed the inquiry still farther, and, by another set 

 of experiments, ascertained the effects of injuries 

 and accidents on bones ; the laws according to which 

 their diseases are induced, and the treatment by 

 which a restoration to health is to be expected. 



In the year 1767, Mr Hunter, while dancing, like 

 Dr Monro, and several other eminent anatomists, had 



