The Sun.
London, England, 1826-05-26 00:00:00

" At length, in 1816, it was proposed that all the Curators
should become • joint laboirers in this great work • when
Everard Houle declared,- that it was his specialf duty, a' nd that 41;
of his
landbomuitr:f.wAaso, ptabreticipation in it
production ofsaPeSlN:noorpn:iasri:Nellhicl'h, edOeusbutl.:
less, the Members of the Council
rtihavHe per.used,
Home became ea a
anxious for
he
resignedW
completionh eant eBc7,olo:cir tryaetEoevr
Catalogue
r
;talaongduettlo: the centenntex.oorthfuerMtuhe,
Mnollarnrd,
areeppuolltrlmr_thil 932 z.T.A.tior in preparing one under
They directed that the speeituens of-monstrosity should be rollout'
from the closet in which they were arranged, that it might be
appropriated, during the necessary time,, to the receipt of books,
papers, and other things subservient to the preparation of the
Catalogue.
,rThe Board decided, that the contents of the gallery should
be arranged in two divisions ; each containing sub-divisions, which
sub-divisions should also contain series and sub-series.
" The Board, further, appointed Sir 'William Blinn!, Mr.
Cline, and Mr. Abernethy, to be a sub-committee for. the special
purpoae of superintending the formation of the Catalogue ; to re-
port to the Board, from time to time, the progress wade in it ;
with such observations relating thereto, as they should consider
proper: which sub-cominittee has presented to the Board the
description of the first sub-division of the gallery, comprehending
17 series, containing 261 preparations; which was approved by
the Board, and also by the Trustees.
"When, however, the Conservator began his task of preparing
the Catalogue, he expretseil the wish to some of Mr.
Hunter's manuscripts; and thus the did the Board of Curators
learn, for the first time, the extent and nature of the manuscripts
left by Mr. Hunter, with relation to his Collectibri.
" The Curators, on applying to Sir Everard Home, wore in-
formed by him, that lie had burned all Mr. Hunter's wt nu-
scripts, in consequence of a promise made to Mr. Hunter to
that effect..
" Amongst these manuscripts were ten volumes, in folio ; viz.
nine on the anatomy of animals, and one on vegetables. • That
Mr. Hunter considered these books to be valuable, and not other-
wise than creditable to himself; may be inferred from three of
them being placed on the table beside him, when his portrait was
painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds.
- " It is said, that Sir Everard Home has even burned Mr. Hun-
ter's manuscript-lectures, which he read to his class. But the
Curators cannot believe that Mr. Hunter could intend that these
works should he burned, as unimportant manna scriplt must,
therefbre, always remain a subject of deep regret, that Sir Eye..
card Home should have felt himself bound by his promise to Mr.
Hunter, to have carried destruction to the extent to which he is
said to have done. Yet Sir Everard Home has not felt the saint:
obligation to destroy all the writings on morbid anatomy; for
the Curators have obtained, through the interposition of the True-
tees, two folio volarnes, and two colanders, of cases and dissec-
tions, explanatory of a considerable number of the morbid pre-
parations. .
"These books. contain a careful record of the symptoms and
effects of disease during life ; and thcalteratient of structure pro-
duced, as ascertained by examination, after death. They are
highly crediteble to Mr. Moto, ni expressing that thirst for
knowledge, which led him constantly to seek. it by means which
we know to be the most certain, but also the unfit tedious, labori-
ous, disgusting, and unostentatious.
"
The want of a Catalogue, as explained in that report, is, in the
opinion of the Council, a most satisfactory reason why the Mu-
seum has not hitherto been more freely opened to the profession,
and why it cannot be for some time, admitting the completion of
that Catalogue to be of such paramount importance as-the Coun-
cil deem it to he.
It may he further observed, that the study of comparative and.
tinny had been formerly so little prosecuted in this country, that,
tbobgh many persons were consulted, nono could aid in giving a
description of the individual Preparations in the Ilutiterian Col-
lection.
The Conservator hue, however, for a considereble time
been engaged in such • rota:Thee and inquiries, as have enabled
him, not only to give nn exact account of each. preparation, but
also to.explein Mr. Hunter's. intentions in the formation of his
Collection; amid the more the time of the Conservator shall be oc-
cupied in explaining the contents of the' Museum to visitors, the
longer, necessarily, must the completion of the Catalogue be
retarded.
With respect to the Library, Ito fortnatiuu has been. the act of
the College, and is intended to
it he
professional inquiriee
ts,
of
its Members, for which purpoa it , when iu a proper ste
.be opened. -
It may be added, that a. tbe-nurnerous applications .made'bY
Members, for permission to refer to ptiblications therein, . every
-one has been most readily complied with; and the same may be
observed of application examines to examine .utul to snake drawings' from
:lareparatietts iu ttseMuinntm.
• With regard to the supposed indignity offered to the Meinben;
at large, by their being admitted to the Theatre by a door at the