Letters from John Hunter to Edward Jenner
TitleLetters from John Hunter to Edward Jenner
ReferenceMS0015
Level of descriptionfonds
Date13 June 1773-12 August 1793
Admin./ biographical historyJohn Hunter was a Surgeon, Anatomist, and a Member of the Company of Surgeons of London. In 1783 Hunter moved to a large house in Leicester Square, London where he established a school of anatomy. Many of his students were able to lodge at the school. One of his students was Edward Jenner, who pioneered the smallpox vaccine. He advised Jenner to carry out experimental research and to apply the knowledge they gained to the treatment of patients. Hunter was also a keen collector of plant and animal specimens, which were used to create a teaching museum. Many items relating to Hunter's life and work are in the Hunterian Museum's collections at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
For more information on Hunter's life and career, please see the blog published on the College's website: https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/museums-and-archives/hunterian-museum/about-the-hunterian/john-hunter/.
Please also see his profile in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-14220?mediaType=Article
Edward Jenner was a Physician and Scientist. He was a resident pupil of John Hunter from 1770 to 1772. Jenner returned to practice medicine at Berkeley,Gloucestershire in 1773, but continued to correspond with Hunter on many subjects until Hunter's death in 1793. Jenner had a strong interest in natural history, and this interest played a significant role in his experimentation on inoculation.
For more information on Jenner's life and career, please visit his profile in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-14749?rskey=mm1FLL&result=2
For more information on Hunter's life and career, please see the blog published on the College's website: https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/museums-and-archives/hunterian-museum/about-the-hunterian/john-hunter/.
Please also see his profile in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-14220?mediaType=Article
Edward Jenner was a Physician and Scientist. He was a resident pupil of John Hunter from 1770 to 1772. Jenner returned to practice medicine at Berkeley,Gloucestershire in 1773, but continued to correspond with Hunter on many subjects until Hunter's death in 1793. Jenner had a strong interest in natural history, and this interest played a significant role in his experimentation on inoculation.
For more information on Jenner's life and career, please visit his profile in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-14749?rskey=mm1FLL&result=2
Scope and ContentThe volume contains 32 letters from John Hunter to Edward Jenner, 1773-1793. The letters were written whilst Jenner practiced medicine at Berkeley, Gloucestershire. The letters record Hunter's encouragement of Jenner in his botanical, ornithological and medical observations and experiments, and include requests for Jenner to send him animal specimens, including fossils.
There are also 6 letters regarding the purchase of the Hunter-Jenner letters, in 1877, by James Paget; a hand written copy of a letter from Hunter to Jenner (14 November 1783) made by V. G. Plarr; and a (1984) xerox copy of a 1790 letter (in the possession of the Hunterian Society of London) sent from Hunter to Jenner.
There are also 6 letters regarding the purchase of the Hunter-Jenner letters, in 1877, by James Paget; a hand written copy of a letter from Hunter to Jenner (14 November 1783) made by V. G. Plarr; and a (1984) xerox copy of a 1790 letter (in the possession of the Hunterian Society of London) sent from Hunter to Jenner.
Extent1 volume
LanguageEnglish
Conditions governing accessThis collection is available to everyone for research. It can be consulted in our Research Room at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 38-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE. It is essential to book in advance so we can ensure material is available. Please email archives@rcseng.ac.uk to book a Research Room appointment.
Conditions governing reproductionCopies of material in the archives can be supplied for private study purposes only, depending on the condition of the documents. Some items within this collection may remain within copyright under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988; it is the responsibility of users to obtain the copyright holder's permission for reproduction of copyright material for purposes other than research or private study. Permission to publish material must be sought in advance from the Royal College of Surgeons of England and, where appropriate, the copyright holder. Please email archives@rcseng.ac.uk in the first instance.
Persons keyword John Hunter, 1728-1793, surgeon, anatomist, Edward Jenner, 1749-1823, physician, naturalist
SubjectFossils, Ornithology, Physicians, Botany, Medical sciences
