44 
MEM OIK (IF JOHN HtJXTEK. 
he had Iiet*n exposed, tlian he nearly fainted from 
agitation. 
Thus situated, the first few years of Mr Hunter's 
residence at home passed away busily hut unobtru- 
sively. While teaching- anatomy and surgery, he 
was at the same time assiduously carrying on inves- 
tigations by which he expected to extend the know- 
ledge of the former, and to improve the practice of 
the latter ; and in the formation of his museum, he 
was taking the best possible means of embodying 
and illustrating all his researches. He was laying 
in a vast stock of knowledge, and arranging it ac- 
cording to a natural order; and it was from these 
stores tliat, at a future jieriod, he supplied those pro- 
ductions of his pen, which surprised almost as much 
by their number as their originality. Amongst 
many' other subjects which at this time occupied his 
attention, we may mention, that he carried on an 
extensive set of experiments on young animals, to 
ascertain the facts regarding the growth of their bony 
structure ; and, by feeding them w ith madder, wdiich 
tinges hone of a rod colour in tlie act of its forma- 
tion, he detected many curious phenomena. He 
pushed the inquiry still farther, and, by another set 
of experiments, ascertained the effects of injuries 
and accidents on hones; the laws according to which 
their diseases are induced, and the treatment by 
which a restori.tion to health is to be expected. 
In the year 1767, .V. r Hunter, w-iiile dancing, like 
Dr Monro, and several other eminent anatomists, had 
