M O N R O. 



65S 



, on Howard's plan, combine! strength, utility, and 

 comfort The walks in the vicinity are very pleasant ; 

 ld " r ' though these and the town itself are frequently envel- 

 _ _. oped in exhalations, occasioned probably from its low 

 situation, and the vicinity of the rivers. Monmouth 

 carries on a considerable trade with Bristol, by means 

 of the Wye. It has three fairs, at which a large num 



the germs of his youthful mind "were nurtured and Monro, 

 developed by the combined assistance of his excellent Alexander, 

 father and the other distinguished practitioners in Edin- prmua. 

 burgh. 



After completing the regular term of his apprentice, 

 ship, together with the usual studies in Edinburgh, he 

 went to London in the year 1717, for the purpose of 



ber of cattle, horses, sheep, and pigs, are sold ; and also attending the lectures on experimental philosophy by 

 a large quantity of flannel. Its market is well supplied Prfar T4o.-Valn>e> nrl \vhi<tnn r.H tti> r>tm, 

 with all sorts or' provisions. In 1801, it contained 667 

 and 3345 inhabitants. In 1811, its population 



was as follows : 



Home, inhabited. 

 Families inhabiting them, . 

 Houan building, 

 uninhabited, 

 Faoulica Bytoyd in agriculture, 

 ^ in i 



All MhCTl, 



Male*. 

 Female*, 



661 



75S 



4 



14 



146 



375 



St 



1630 



1873 



Tout, S503 (v. a.) 



Nf < >NOCHORD. from fu>*t, tingle, and %*, chord, 

 signifies properly any musical instrument which ha.s 

 only ate chord or string, but is applied also to an in- 

 strument said to have been invented by Pythagoras for 

 measuring geometrically the quantities ami pn>j>ortions 

 of sosmds. A paper by Dr. Wallis, on the division of 

 the monochord, win be found in the Philoiophical 

 Transaction* for lflf)H, vol. xx. p. 80. 



ALFXAMJI-K MONRO, M.D. the son of Mr. 

 John Monro, was bom at London on the J yth Septetn. 

 her 1697, and descended, by his father, from the fami- 

 ly of Monro of Milton, and by his mother from that of 

 Forbes of Colloden. John Monro, the younger son of 

 Sir Alexander Monro of Beamroft, colonel in the army 

 of King Charles at the battle of Worcester, and after- 

 wards one of the principal clerk* of the Court of Ses- 

 sion, served for some years as a military surgeon 

 under King William, in Flanders. Retiring from the 

 army about the commencement of the last century, he 

 established himself at Edinburgh, where his enlarged 

 knowledge, unremitting attention, and agreeable man- 

 ners, soon introduced him to an extensive practice. 

 Atlthe same time, professional engagements did not pre- 

 vent him from attending to the education of an only son, 

 whose early inclination to the study of medicine con- 

 tributed to strengthen the desire he had long felt to 

 supply the want of medical instruction in Edinburgh. 



Mr. Monro, after receiving an excellent classical and 

 mathematical education, and completing the usual 

 count of academical studies, was bound an apprentice 

 to his father, who procured him books necessary for his 

 private studies, and a chemical apparatus for the pur- 

 pose of repeating at home the experiments performed 

 by Dr. Crawford in illustration ot his lectures on che- 

 mistry. He was entrusted with the sick pensioner-. 

 under the charge of his parent, and permitted by the 

 rest of the physicians ami surgeons to attend many of 

 their patients who were affected with rare and danger- 

 ous diseases. He accurately examined the pharmaceutical 

 plants, exhibited by Mr. George Preston ; and availed 

 himself of the means afforded by Messrs. Elliot, Drum, 

 morul and M'Gill, the Professors of anatomy, for ob- 

 serving the few occasional dissections which occurred 

 in F.dinburgh. The medical world, therefore, is much 

 indebted for the valuable fruits produced by the snb- 



sequent labours of Mr. Monro, to the care with whichtient invest! gation. 



Protessors Hawksbee and Whiston, and the anatomi. 

 cat demonstrations by the illustrious Cheselden. It 

 appears, from the second edition of Mr. Cheselden's 

 works, in 1726, that, in consequence of Mr. Monro's 

 communications, he had altered and improved almost 

 eeery part of his anatomy. In London he was sup- 

 plied with great opportunities for dissection, in which 

 he acquired a dexterity and accuracy that laid the 

 foundation of his future celebrity as an anatomist. The 

 pupils of Cheselden were encouraged, by being allowed 

 the use of his theatre, to ibriu i society f?r HiUtUz! iri- 

 struction, where they alternately gave lectures concern, 

 ing the structure and uses of the different organs of the 

 body, on which occasions young Monro frequently act- 

 ed as demonstrator to his- fellow-students. The ar- 

 dour with which he pursued dissection in London en- 

 dangcred his life,'by an attack arising from inoculation 

 with morbid matter. He was also very industrions in 

 forming anatomical preparations, which he sent to his 

 father, by whom they were deposited in the museum ot 

 curiosities at Surgeons' Hall; and their great excellence 

 induced Mr. Adam Drummond to promise his father, 

 that if the future attainments of his son corresponded 

 with such early exertions, he would, on the completion 

 of his studies, resign the anatomical chair in his favour. 

 In 1718, he attended the hospitals in Paris, and the 

 lectures of Chomul on botany and chemistry, of Gre- 

 goire on midwifery, Cessau on bandages, and those of 

 Bouquet on anatomy. He performed under the su- 

 perintendance of M. Thibaut, the different operations 

 of surgery, and was particularly attentive to morbid 

 ili"tTt;or,-. 



In the autumn of the same year he repaired to Ley- 

 den, and became a pupil of the illustrious Boerhaave, 

 who, having himself twenty-six years before derived 

 much instruction and assistance in medical inquiries 

 from Dr. Pitcairn, was enabled to return it with in- 

 terest to this future ornament of Scotland, and dis- 

 tinguished improver of anatomical and surgical science. 

 He carefully attended the lectures of Professor Boer- 

 haave on chemistry, on the theory and practice of me- 

 dicine, as well as his clinical lectures in the hospital. 

 The study of comparative anatomy was also cultivated 

 by him, and he pointed out its advantages to some of 

 his fellow jtudi 



The frequent opportunities afforded our young stu- 

 dent of conversing with this eminent physician, in con- 

 sequence of consulting' him on important and novel 

 case* from Scotland, convinced Dr. Boerhaave of the 

 superior attainments and abilities of his pupil. His 

 persevering application and study were clearly proved 

 l>y the numerous MS. notes of lectures which he 

 wrote. 



This account of the labours by which the active mind 

 of so great a benefactor of his country was enabled to 

 stamp its own character on the rising generation of ana- 

 tomists and physicians, must convince the most incon- 

 siderate that no lasting attainments can be secured with, 

 out enlightened instruction, close application, and pa- 



