1728-1793

Scottish Surgeon

John Hunter was the first surgeon to dissect and examine cadavers to understand the function of the human body. Today he is considered the founder of pathological anatomy and remains among the world's greatest physiologists and surgeons.

John Hunter was born in rural Scotland in 1728. The brother of a suave London surgeon, the young Hunter was uneducated and considered crude by many. But his eclectic interest in the bits and pieces of the human body resulted in numerous contributions of great importance in surgery. By the time of his death in 1793, he had carried out many important studies and experiments in the comparative aspects of biology, anatomy, physiology, and pathology.

When Hunter was 20, his brother William gave him a job assisting in the preparation of dissections for an anatomy course he taught. By his second year in dissection, he had become so skillful...