28 HUNTERIAN ORATION. 



Although I have not now to speak of 

 Mr. Hunter's physiological opinions, yet it 

 sieems proper to observe on the present 

 occasion, that he was not satisfied with 

 those of Haller, which he had heard de- 

 livered in his brother's lectures ; and there- 

 fore he examined every subject for himself. 

 He seems also to have wrought like an 

 ancient student, not striving for vic- 

 tory with 'others, but contending with the 

 subject, and with himself In the whole of 

 his labours and reasonings, we may per- 

 ceive a most diligent search for every fact 

 belonging to the subject he was investi- 

 gating, to form the basis on which he rea- 

 sons ; the most anxious solicitude to* de- 

 scribe facts with accuracy, and to avoid the 

 least misrepresentation of them; and in his 

 reasonings, I can perceive no inference 

 deduced from insufficient or irrelevant pre- 

 mises. It is this mode of proceeding only, 

 as I have formerly observed, which can 

 give value and currency to the opinions of 

 any one. Mr. Hunter was convinced that 

 life was not the result of organization ; and 

 though many may have conjectured life to 

 be something not dependent on structure, 



