54 Proceedings of the Newport Natural History Society. 
age, was taken to Earl's Court in Hunter’s own carriage, 
and was promptly skeletonized. He was always putting- 
questions to nature. Dr. Waterhouse, of this town, and 
afterwards of Harvard University, of whom Dr. Turner 
will have spoken, was once told by him that “he loved to 
be puzzled, for then he was sure he should learn something 
valuable.” He published upon geology, and on paleontol- 
ogy, or fossil bones; on a hen-pheasant with cock's feathers, 
and its anatomy; on the organ of hearing in fishes; on the 
air-receptacles of birds; on the Gillaroo trout; on the eye- 
pigment in various animals; and to show that the wolf, 
jackal and dog are originally the same. He made experi¬ 
ments on the mode of growth of deers’ Antlers, which 
resulted in the great discovery of collateral circulation, 
when a portion of the blood-vessels are cut off or in any 
way occluded, through anastomising or intercommunicating 
branches of arteries which, normally very minute, perhaps, 
are able to become dilated and accommodate themselves to 
the great currents of blood thus diverted from their usual 
course. This led him to tie the femoral or main artery of 
the thigh in a patient suffering from popliteal aneurism, or 
previously incurable dilatation of an artery in the space 
behind the knee, trusting to the development of the collat¬ 
eral circulation. The operation was a success, the patient 
recovered, and a new era in surgery was established. Sim¬ 
ilar to this, save that it was medical and not strictly surgical, 
— and similarly reached — was the discovery by Jenner. 
Such was John Hunter, in many ways resembling Louis 
Agassiz. His mind, a veritable kingdom, was strewn every¬ 
where with gems more precious than diamonds, and inlaid 
throughout with what was far more worth possessing than 
gold. Under such influences was Jenner placed, in most 
intimate relationship. Stimulated by this example, he be¬ 
came a skillful dissector of the most delicate tissues, and 
injected and otherwise prepared them with remarkable dex¬ 
terity. A specimen bequeathed to hisfriend and biographer, 
Dr. John Baron, of Gloucester, well illustrates this. It 
