MEMOIR OF JOHN HUNTER. 71 



About this period he published his great Practical 

 Treatise on Surgery ; and it may be mentioned as 

 one of the peculiarities of his character, that he chose 

 to have his works printed, published, and sold in his 

 own premises ; till finding that the plan was unpo- 

 pular with the booksellers, he abandoned it. 



About the same time, Hawkins had withdrawn 

 from practice, and Sharp was following his example, 

 and Mr Hunter was the individual who principally 

 supplied their place. He was highly esteemed by 

 the rising generation of medical men, who seemed 

 to quote him, as the schools at one time quoted 

 Aristotle. And in nearly the same estimation was 

 he held by those who were not of the profession. 

 Every thing that John Hunter now did, was consi- 

 dered by the public as being done in the best possible 

 method. Mr Pott died in 1 788, and this again brought 

 Mr Hunter a vast accession of practice. " It placed 

 him," says a contemporary, ' upon a footing equal, 

 if not superior, in point of practice to any living 

 competitor. I think I may affirm that his con- 

 sultations were more in fashion than any other sur- 

 geon's, and that his range of practice was more ex- 

 tensive.'* 



In 1789 Mr Hunter was elected Member of the 

 Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland ; and he now 

 also obtained the more substantial and lucrative si- 

 tuations of Surgeon -General of the Army, and In- 

 spector-General of Hospitals. These appointments 

 gave him patronage as well as consideration, but 



