MEMOIR OP JOHN HUNTER. 
23 
of character, and an independency of thought, which 
liave rarely been surpassed. 
Having returned liome in the summer of 1748, 
and finding nothing there upon which to employ his 
energies, John Hunter addressed himself to his bro- 
ther William, requesting permission to visit him in 
London, and making an offer, at the same time, to 
assist him in his anatomical employments. In an- 
swer to his letter, he received a very kind invitation 
fi'om his brother, and immediately joined him. 
Mr Hunter arrived in London in the mouth of 
September, about a fortnight before the commence- 
Went of his brother’s course of lectures. Dr Hun- 
immediately introduced him into the dissecting- 
t^oom, where his first essays were so promising, thsit 
Hr Hunter did not hesitate to pronounce that his 
l^rother would make a good anatomist, and that he 
should not want employment. Under the instruc- 
tions of Dr Hunter, and his assistant Mr Symonds, 
he now enjoyed every opportunity of improvement, 
all the practical anatomy at this time carried on in 
London being confined to this single school. 
In the following summer, tiie celebrated Chesel- 
‘'an, at the request of Dr Hunter, permitted John 
tp attend Chelsea Hospital ; and here he was ini- 
tiated into the first rudiments of surgery. 
In the succeeding winter, Mr Hunter was so far 
advanced as to become Demonstrator of Anatomy, 
assisting and directing the pupils in the dissecting- 
fooms, while his brother confined his attention al- 
