82 NATURAL HISTORY. 



and the nature of fossils. We must not, however, linger 

 longer over this interesting, though unfortunately one- 

 sided correspondence. 



In addition to his numerous published observations on 

 comparative anatomy and physiology, Hunter gave to the 

 world various important surgical treatises, one of the most 

 valuable being his work on the blood, inflammation, and 

 gunshot wounds. He was also incessantly engaged in 

 increasing his museum, which may, indeed, be regarded 

 as the great work of his life ; but we may leave this 

 subject till we have briefly recounted the chief remaining 

 incidents of his personal life and professional career. 



In the main, however, Hunter's life subsequent to his 

 marriage contains little to record beyond what we should 

 expect to find in the case of any successful surgeon in 

 London, who, in addition to his professional duties, should 

 take upon himself the absorbing labours connected with 

 the prosecution of some much-loved non-professional 

 pursuit. Early in 1773, he showed the first symptoms of 

 subsequent disease of the heart, being attacked by a 

 violent paroxysm of angina pectoris ; but he apparently 

 recovered from this without any impairment of his general 

 health. In the same year, he commenced to lecture 

 publicly on the theory and principles of surgery. He 

 never had a large class, partly because he confined 

 himself almost entirely to the theoretical portions of 

 surgical science, and partly because he remained through- 

 out his life a poor and unattractive public speaker. It 

 has been recorded of him that he never delivered the 

 first lecture of his course without previously taking a dose 

 of opium to dull his sensibilities and abate his nervous- 



