Hunter's Anatomy of the Pregnant Uterus 1774

Scottish anatomist and obstetrician William Hunter, who studied medicine at the University of Glasgow, wrote in his notes: "Anatomy is the only solid foundation of medicine; it is to the physician and surgeon what geometry is to the astronomer. It discovers and establishes truth, disproves superstition, and refutes common errors."

In 1764, Hunter became physician to Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III. George III and Charlotte had 15 children, of whom 13 survived to adulthood. Hunter's medical practice soon became the most respected and well-known in London. In his greatest work, published in 1774, Anatomia Uteri Umani Gravidi (The Anatomy of the Human Gravid Uterus Exhibited in Figures), Hunter, working with Dutch medical illustrator Jan van Rymsdyk, described the anatomy of the pregnant woman and fetus at different stages of development.

Hunter described the origins of his work: 

"My first female cadaver was a woman who died suddenly in 1751, very near the end of her pregnancy. The body was obtained before any significant decomposition had begun; the season was suitable for dissection. Every part was examined with care and in a socially acceptable manner, and the truth was thus established."

A Small Adult Floating in Space

Whereas some people in the previous century had depicted the fetus as a small adult floating in space, Hunter's illustrations helped establish a "universal language" that provided a specific and accurate view of human development.

Hunter understood that anatomical dissections (examinations of cadavers) might shock and concern the public. In 1783, he wrote to anatomy students:

"In a country where dead bodies cannot be obtained legally, anatomists must be particularly careful about what happens outside in order to avoid provoking the public. It must therefore be remembered to speak carefully outside about what goes on here, especially concerning dead bodies."

Description of the Article Image: A figure from William Hunter's The Anatomy of the Human Gravid Uterus Exhibited in Figures (1774).

Historical Figures Mentioned in This Article: William Hunter (1718–1783), Jan van Rymsdyk (1730–1790), Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744–1818)

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