ON THE PROGRESS OF ANATOMY. 361 



this line of research, his writings and collections fully testify. 

 But it was in the application of his vast knowledge of com- 

 parative anatomy to physiology and pathology, and the conse- 

 quent advancement of the less brilliant but more useful 

 science of medicine, that he so far outstripped his rival. 



Both were alike well acquainted with the structure of the 

 animal kingdom, from the monads to the monkeys. This 

 knowledge Cuvier applied to natural history, and expanded it 

 in zoological arrangements and geological research. Hunter, 

 again, was Cuvier s superior in vegetable anatomy. He was 

 what Cuvier never professed to be — an accurate human anato- 

 mist ; and he saw what Cuvier could not perceive — the iden- 

 tity of the laws of healthy and morbid structure and function. 

 When the celebrated Budolphi, himself, like Hunter at 'once 

 a zoologist, a comparative anatomist, a human anatomist, and 

 pathologist, was conversing on one occasion with Cuvier about 

 a certain pathologico-anatomical specimen, the latter replied 

 — " Mais ce n'est qu' accidentel," an expression which proves 

 how far inferior he was to Hunter in his perceptions of the 

 bearing of his science. 



Tims, it was his knowledge of pathology which gave 

 Hunter his superiority. He employed his extended know- 

 ledge of comparative anatomy to break down the obstacles in 

 the way of advance of pathology and medicine ; and using the 

 power he thus possessed, he reversed the process, employing 

 his pathological principles to explain the healthy organic 

 phenomena which he observed in the animal series. 



Cuvier could push forward only in one direction, Hunter 

 could advance on all sides. The one conducted his labours 

 amongst a people ever ready and proud to facilitate the pro- 

 gress of their men of genius, and was supplied with every 

 opportunity of research by a patron as ready and more able 

 to assist him than Alexander was t<> promote the studies of 

 Aristotle, Cuvier's own prototype in natural science; Bui 



