APPENDIX. Ill 



time I did, had declared he then understood the Professor had 

 seen the lymphatics in birds. And Dr. Donald Monro, when 

 I saw him at St. George's Hospital, asked me if I had not 

 heard that this gentleman (mentioning his name, viz. Dr. James 

 Blair, then in London, now in Virginia) had said that the Pro- 

 fessor had then mentioned his having seen the lacteals in birds. 

 I answered Dr. Donald, that I had heard something of the 

 matter, but could conclude nothing from it (or to that effect). 

 The reason was this : I knew from the testimony of my own 

 memory, that the Professor had then acknowledged the con- 

 trary of his ever having seen the lacteals. 1 I knew the same 

 from the testimony of gentlemen who had attended his lectures 

 since. I therefore concluded that this gentleman had con- 

 founded his saying he had seen the lymphatics, with his saying 

 he had seen the lacteals, which I thought might easily happen, 

 as I never knew him take any notes. And upon receiving the 

 Professor's letter, I wrote to Dr. Blair, and in his answer he 

 acknowledged, " that although he had, indeed, for several years, 

 been under a general persuasion that Dr. Monro had seen the 

 lacteals or lymphatics in fowls, yet he had no note on the sub- 

 ject, and a very confused remembrance of what he had heard/' 



Similar to this accusation is the greater part of a letter 

 which I received from Dr. Monro, in answer to two of mine. 

 This letter is dated Sept. 30, 1769. The Doctor has not printed 

 it, but I beg leave to take a little notice of it. 



He begins it by altering the sense of his assertion read 

 before the Royal Society, by the introducing the word believed, 

 making it rather a doubtful than a positive assertion. He has 

 done the same in the beginning of his 'State of Facts,' qualifying 

 the alteration, by adding, " to the best of his recollection, and 

 that he had not kept a copy of his letter, not supposing it 

 material to do so/' 2 But surely this was not sufficiently 

 qualifying it. If he did not know exactly what he had then 

 asserted, why, before he defended it, did he not ask a copy 

 from his brother, who, most probably, would keep it, in order 

 to show it to everybody; or solicit that favour from the secre- 

 taries of the Royal Society where it was read, who, he might be 

 sure, had preserved it, as they do every paper that is laid before 



1 Dr. Morgan's note proves he did so, see above, p. 109. 



2 See State of Facts, p. 5. 



