MEMOIR OK JOHN HUNTER. 
27 
tile progress of which was altogether unex- 
ampled^ anti the labours connecied with which just- 
V place his scientific even above his professional 
'eputation. 
fn this new line of pursuit, Mr Hunter com- 
’nenced by investigating the structure of the more 
fommon animals, and making preparations of such 
parts as appeared, by analogy or otherwise, to throw 
'’ght upon the animal economy. It was not his in- 
^‘^ntion to make dissections of the whole of these 
^aimals, but to institute an inquiry into the various 
'’'ganizations by which the functions of life are per- 
formed, and thus attain to a knowledge of general 
principles. The design was nearly as original as 
't Was great, for little, if any thing of the kind, had 
f’itherto been accomplished. 
It Was at this time Mr Hunter delected the ex- 
•stence of lymphatic vessels in birds. lie also traced 
fm-iher than had previously been done, the. ramifica- 
^miis of the olfactory nerves, and discovered the 
t^ourse of some of the branches of the filth pair of 
nerves. — those nerves, a minute attention to the 
functions of which is even now leading to some of 
’^*'6 most interesting discoveries of modern times. 
His observations on the latter of these subjects were 
niade in the summer of 1734; and in them he had 
assistance of Dr Smith, then a student in Lon- 
‘Hn, afterwards Saviiian Professor of Geometry, and 
Hecturer on Physiology at Oxford. Short notices 
*®garding their labours were published in 1786, in 
