John Hunter - Top Surgeons - Best Surgeons

John Hunter (February 13, 1728 - October 16, 1793) was a Scottish surgeon regarded as one of the most distinguished scientists and surgeons of his day. He was an early advocate of the application of rigorous scientific experimentation in medicine.

Hunter was born at Long Calderwood near East Kilbride, the youngest of 10 children. Three of these children had died of illness before John Hunter was born. One of these three had been named John Hunter also. An older brother was William Hunter, the anatomist. From 1748, he studied at St. Bartholomew's Hospital under Percival Pott and taught and practiced in London (initially with his brother). Although his brother was the owner of the joint anatomy nhtrfhgfsschool, John did most of the delicate knife work under his brother's supervision.

He was commissioned as an Army surgeon in 1760 and was staff surgeon on expedition to Belle �le in 1761, and served in 1762 with the British Army in the expedition to Portugal.

Hunter was an excellent anatomist; his knowledge and skill as a surgeon was based on sound anatomical background. Among his numerous contributions to medical science are :

    * study of human teeth and advancement of dentistry
    * extensive study of inflammation
    * fine work on gun-wounds
    * some work on venereal diseases, including possibly inoculating himself with venereal disease in 1767 to carry out further study
    * an understanding of the nature of digestion, and verifying that fats are absorbed into the lacteals, a type of small intestine lymphatic capillary, and not into the intestinal blood capillaries as was generally accepted.
    * The first complete study of the development of a child from fetus to birth
    * proves that the maternal and foetal blood supplies are separate
    * Unravelling of one of the major anatomical mysteries of the time- the role of the lymphatic system

After years of hard work he set up his own anatomy school in London in 1764 and started in private surgical practice. His recognition rose in 1767 when he was elected as Fellow of the Royal Society and in 1768 he was appointed as surgeon to St. George's Hospital. Later he became a member of the Company of Surgeons. In 1776 he was appointed surgeon to King George III; in 1786 he was appointed deputy surgeon to the British Army and in 1789 he was made Surgeon General.