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41 D I S C O V E R Y THE LACTEAL
lar reccptaclcs and membranes of a valvular nature; arid that, at the termination of
the lymphatic fyftem of fiflies in the red veins, the place of which we have found
Mr Hewfon had not been able to trace (jv), there are valves exadiy like to thofc
in the human body, and which perform their office in the moft accurate manner.
I {Kail fubjoin two letters from phyficians of diftinguiilied charadcr, who
attended ray ledlures at critical periods, to wit, E)r Charles Ricliardfon phyfician
at Kingfton in Jainaica, and Dr Adam Kuhn phyfician and profeflbr of
materia medica at Philadepliia.
Dr Richardfon iludied phyfic in this univeriity from 1755 to 1763, when
he received his degree of Dodor of Phyfic, and was confidered by all the profeflbrs
as one of the moil fenfible and intelligent candidates who had ever come
before them, and at Kingfton in Jamaica is univerfally cfteemed. He had attended
my fcither's courfes in 1756-7 and 1757-8, and my three firil courfcs, to wit,
1759-60, 1760-1, and 1761-2; in the laft of which Mr Hewfon was prefent.
As the time of his attendance was fo very critical, I wrote to him in 1769,
when Mr Hewfon claimed the firil difcovery of the lymphatics and ladleals iii
birds and fiilies. As I got no anfwer then, I wrote again two years thereafter,
defiring him to declare what he remembered to have heard or feen here concerning
the lacteal and lymphatic veffels of birds and fiihes. The following is a
literal copy of his anfwer.
" SIR,
" You defire me to appeal to my notes and memory, to do you juilice with
" regard to the prior difcovery of the lacleals and lymphatic vefiels (in birds and
" fiili) to the late Mr Hewfon. My manufcripts I had the misfortune to lofe
" many years ago: however, it is freih in my memory, that I was not only as
" much convinced of their exiilence in both, before I left the univerfity of Edin-
" burgh, as I am at prefent; but that in the year fixty-thrce I demonilrated
" tkem on £iiexa«ienterjr_.Qf.a live fhark to Mr Gilbert Turnbull, then my mate
" in the Speaker Eail Indiaman, and to- ieveiaj, ..other gentlemen prefent; and
" named you as the difcoverer.
" Upon the receipt of your letter, I wrote to Mr Turnbull and two more
" friends upon this fubjeft, whofe anfwers have not as yet come to hand;
" which is the reafon I have fo long delayed writing to you. They can now
" be of little fervice when they do come, as poor Hewfon s death puts an end
" to the difpute; which i am forry to fee terminated in that way, both upon
" your account and his.
" This will introduce to your acquaintance Mr Richard Trower, who pro-
" pofes to complete his medical education in Edinburgh," &c.
" I am, &c.
" ICingllon, Jamaica,?
Ms.)-4. 1776. S
" CHARLES RICHARDSON.
" For D r A . MONRO."
After
(jj Mr Hewion, on ll.e Lympbalic Syftcm, p.jt. ilifcribes " a velTcl, ihe
" jugular vein juft below iliu orbil;" wliereas the real tcrminition ii in llic
T»b.XlX.R. Tab.XXVI, /ig.j.j. and Tab.XXVIII, M.N.
of tlic whuli fyftcm, going into llic
. StcTab.II. 3Ö. Tub.XVUI.X.
w
ì
L Y M P H A T I C VESSELS. 43
After Mr Hewfon's Appendix was publiilied in 1772, I wrote to Dr Kuhn,
afking his teilimony ; for as the Doilor had been with Linnseus before he ilu -
died here, and was particularly attentive to natural hiilory, I thought he would
recollect what he had feen more particularly than tliofe ftudents who attend
chiefly to practical fubjefts. He iludied here in 1765-6 and in 1766-7, and
took his degree of Doctor in 1767. His anfwer is literally as follows:
" DEAR SIR,
" I am under infinite obligations to you for the Treatife on the Lymphatics
" you were pleafed to fend me, as I never could get the book in this country;
" and when I left Europe, not a copy could be purchafcd on any account.
" The ilate of fa£ls between you and Mr Hewfon muil convince even preju-
" dice that the honour of tlie invention is due to you. There are fcverals in
" this country who are convinced of it from attending your courfe of anatomy.
" My own teilimony is not of the importance with fome who were in Edin-
" burgh before me; but I remember -well your dcmonilrating thofe veiTels in
" birds and fiih publicly in your lectures, at a time numbers came annually
" from London^ who faw them at your theatre for the firil time.
" Mr L." &c.
" I have the honour to be, &c.
Piiilad.
July23. 1773.5
ADAM KUHN.
F o r D r A. MONRO/'
c h a p t e r VIII.
O f t h e BRAI N a n d ORGANS o f t h e SENSES i n FISHESÌ
•• •• -
S E C T . I.
Of the Brain in Fìjììes, and Nervous Sj/iem in general.
THE brain of iiilies is fcnfibly fmaller in proportion to their body than in
the mammalia or in birds; yet the nerves it fends off are as large in proportion
to the fcveral organs as in thofc two claiTes.
In it wc find the like principal divillon into brain and cerebellum j and thefc
arc hollow, or have ventricles within them.
The
m