656 M O 



Monro, Monro published at the same place his Essay de Vt- 

 Alexuider, Lymphaticis Valvulosii, for the purpose of prov- 

 tecundui. ; n g more at j^gg tnan in his Thesis, that the val- 

 "^ T ^ vular lymphatics are one general system of absor- 

 bents. The first preparation of the Acoustic Nerve, 

 and the most minute ramifications of the lacteals, -were 

 made by him (luring his residence with Dr. Meckel. 



He remained only a short time at Leyclen, as Al- 

 binus, whose lectures he wished to attend, was con- 

 fined with disease. This university, only 20 years 

 before, had been justly considered the luminary of the 

 medical world, but its splendour was eclipsed by the 

 removal of the celebrated Albinus, Professor of Anato- 

 my, and by the neglect of the patrons of the university 

 to secure lecturers of distinguished ardour and intelli- 

 gence. The genius and fame of Meckel had raised 

 Berlin to the honourable rank which Leyden so recent- 

 ly possessed, and brought students from every quarter 

 of the globe to enrich that capital with science and 

 wealth. 



Dr. Monro returned to Edinburgh in the summer 

 of 1758, where he was admitted a licentiate of the Ed- 

 inburgh Royal College of Physicians on the 2d May, 

 and elected a fellow on the 1st May 1759. He also 

 succeeded his father as secretary to the Philosophi- 

 cal Society. In the autumn of 1758, he commen- 

 ced his lectures as colleague with his father, and 

 combined in his own person the knowledge of some 

 of the most celebrated anatomical professors of the 

 last century, Cheselden, Boerhaave, Monro, and Mec- 

 kel. We need not be surprised to find the fame 

 of the University of Edinburgh constantly increas- 

 ing under a lecturer enriched with the treasures of 

 such eminent anatomists, directed by the constant 

 instruction and superintendence of his own parent, 

 and whose ardent enthusiasm was regulated by the 

 dictates of a comprehensive judgment, and acute dis- 

 crimination. His course of anatomical lectures was 

 arranged nearly according to the same connected and 

 orderly plan with that of Monro, primus, who con- 

 tinued to witness during the space of nine years the 

 uncommon success of his son in the advancement of 

 that instruction which he had begun. The demon- 

 strations of our professor were conducted with a sim- 

 plicity, accuracy, and distinctness, which never failed 

 to instruct and delight his students, and few men sur- 

 passed him in exciting a taste for that branch of science 

 which he so ably communicated. The number of pu- 

 pils who attended his lectures was 14,000, averaging 

 nearly 350 annually. If with Dr. Monro, primus, we 

 calculate the expense of each student at L.50 per an- 

 num, the riches introduced into Edinburgh by the lec- 

 tures of his son would amount to L. 700,000, and these 

 two distinguished individuals may be considered as 

 having added L.892,500 to the improvement of Edin- 

 burgh and its inhabitants. 



A controversy was maintained with great warmth be- 

 twixt Dr. William Hunter of London, and Dr. Monro, 

 on the subject of their respective claims to the disco- 

 very of the use of the lymphatics, which contributed 

 to make both examine this part of anatomy with greater 

 minuteness ; and to their rivalship we are indebted for 

 the intimate knowledge of that beautiful system of ves- 

 sels by which their office as absorbents is established 

 with a certainty and clearness that remove all doubt. 



The following statement by Dr. William Hunter, in 

 his treatise on Aneurism, in the 6th volume of The Lon- 

 don Medical Observations and Enquiries, affords a striking 

 proof that he did not suppose the solid parts of the body 



N R O. 



were taken up by the lymphatic vessels. " In this case Monro 

 (Aneurism) the appearance was rather as if the blood Alexander, 

 had insensibly dissolved and mashed anay the substance KC "" d '"- 

 of the bane, as we see in stones of unequal texture, v- *"v---' 

 that have been long washed by a dropping, or a stream 

 of water." See Dr. Winterbottom's Thesis, De Vasis 

 Absorbentibus, 1781, who gives a full account of Dr. 

 Monro's opinion respecting the absorption of solids. 



Dr. Monro's lectures are universally acknowledged to 

 have been the fullest course of anatomy, physiology, pa- 

 thology and surgery ever delivered. Dr. William Hun- 

 ter was surpassed by none as a demonstrator or lecturer, 

 but he paid too little attention to physiology, and on 

 this account Dr. Monro, who for 40 years per- 

 formed the arduous duties of the anatomical chair 

 without an assistant, is entitled to greater praise than 

 his powerful rival. He delivered his lectures until the 

 year 1800, when his son, the present Professor of Ana- 

 tomy, who had been conjoined with him in 1798, began 

 to assist him. He continued, however, his surgical 

 course until the year 1807, and delivered the intro- 

 ductory lecture for the session 1808-9, when he was 76 

 years old. 



By a happy union of anatomical and medical know- 

 ledge, Dr. Monro was distinguished as a consulting sur- 

 geon, and displayed uncommon acuteness, correctness, 

 and humanity in the direction of operations ; and in 

 surgery, to make use of the words of a very competent 

 judge, Mr. B. Bell, "his improvements were numerous 

 and important." 



Dr. Monro commenced the practice of a physician 

 on his return from the continent ; and his skill and 

 success have seldom been equalled by any practitioner 

 in this city. For the attainment of so high an honour, 

 he was indebted in no small degree to the habit of 

 keeping a regular account of every case which came 

 under his care, with the addition of such notes and 

 observations as his good sense and accurate judgment 

 supplied. His great object was to have recourse to 

 simple and powerful remedies, whose efficacy was 

 sanctioned by just reasoning, or extensive experience. 

 With a mind uninfluenced by the dogmas of particular 

 sects or parties, he was always prepared to adopt such 

 new modes of practice as his increasing knowledge ap- 

 proved ; and to accommodate his prescriptions to the 

 various changes of diseases, which habits of accurate 

 observation enabled him to discern. Few practition- 

 ers were more alive to the condition of a patient 

 than our distinguished physician, who investigated 

 their complaints with a caution and feeling that 

 shewed deep interest in the afflictions of the sufferer 1 . 

 This conduct inspired a confidence in his attentive 

 kindness, which frequently promoted the recovery of 

 those entrusted to his care. 



As a consulting physician, Dr. Monro merited the 

 highest praise. He entered into no subtle disquisitions 

 or controversies about difficult or disputed points ; he 

 shewed no credulity as to the virtues of particular re- 

 medies, nor did he arrogate to himself any superior 

 skill by boasting of his own success, but was always 

 prepared to propose or adopt such active remedies as 

 promised to be of essential benefit in difficult cases. 



The celebrity of our Professor extended his fame 

 throughout Europe, and he was admittetf a member of 

 the royal academies of Paris, Madrid, Jjgrlin, Moscow, 

 &c. 



His favourite amusement was horticulture, which he 

 pursued with much pleasure during the greatest part 

 of his life. 



