John Hunter was a Scottish physiologist and surgeon who lived during the eighteenth century. Considered the father of modern surgical techniques, he is also well known for his large collection of anatomical specimens.
Hunter was born on February 13, 1728, in Long Calderwood, Lanarkshire. After working as a cabinet maker for a short while, he moved to London at the age of 20 to work with his brother, William, who was a renowned surgeon and obstetrician. Hunter started with no formal medical education; instead he helped his brother prepare anatomical specimens for his lectures. While working with these specimens, John conducted a detailed study of the lymphatic vessels and of the growth and structure of bone. He dissected a great many corpses and kept a large number of animal specimens as well, including such disparate animals as a whale and a bull. During the course of his work, Hunter improved upon an arterial injection embalming technique originally developed by William Harvey. As he grew more experienced, John began to conduct his own anatomical investigations. Meanwhile, he attended surgical classes at nearby London hospitals. In 1753 after only five years of study, he was appointed a Master of Anatomy of the Surgeon's Corporation. Three years later, he served as house surgeon at St. George's Hospital.
From 1759-1763, Hunter served the British army as a surgeon in France and Portugal. When he returned to London in 1763, he established a private practice. In the late 1760s, he accepted a senior surgical post at St. George's and was soon appointed physician extraordinary to George III. One of the most famous, or infamous, examples of his work during this period occurred in 1775. The body of the late Mrs. Martin van Butchell was brought to Hunter for embalming. It so happened that the woman's will stipulated that her husband would receive his inheritance only so long as her body remained above ground. Her husband had Hunter embalm the body in such a way that he could dress it and keep it in a glass storage case, thereby ensuring he met the conditions of his late wife's will.
In the late 1770s, Hunter was promoted to Deputy Surgeon to the Army, and during this time, he wrote an impressive number of papers. A few of his works include his Treatise on Natural History of Human Teeth, which was published in 1771. It was followed by the Treatise on the Venereal Disease and Treatise on the Blood in 1786, and finally Inflammation and Gun-Shot Wounds, which was published posthumously in 1794. In his last promotion, in 1790, Hunter achieved the title of Inspector General.
On October 16, 1793, during a meeting of the board of governors at St. George's Hospital, Hunter collapsed and died. He was originally buried at St. Martins-in-the-fields, but later (on March 28, 1859) his remains were moved to Westminster Abbey. After his death, his collection of over 13,000 specimens was donated to the Royal College of Surgeons in 1795 and was later used as the basis for the Hunterian Museum.
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