The Correspondence of Dr. William Hunter, 1740-1783

"The final work by the late historian Helen Brock, this definitive new edition makes the correspondence of Dr William Hunter (1718-83) available for the first time. Born in Scotland, William Hunter pursued an extensive medical education in Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and Paris. He settled in London where he made his name as an anatomist and obstetrician before being elected to the Royal Society in 1767. He was a knowledgeable collector. He bequeathed his anatomical and pathological preparations, natural history specimens, antiquities, paintings, and extensive library to the University of Glasgow where they now form the Hunterian Museum. Hunter's admiration for Leonardo da Vinci's anatomical drawings in the Royal Collection sparked the eighteenth century fashion for collecting his works on paper. Hunter's prominent position in London's scientific and artistic circles, his extensive medical and connoisseurial contacts in Scotland and Europe, and his network of students, make his correspondence a unique record of the Enlightenment. This edition presents all of his known correspondence, drawing upon archives around the world. The letters are presented chronologically and interspersed with new editorial material to create a fascinating narrative about this important era of medical and scientific discovery."--Publisher's description.