Born in East Lanarkshire 1728, he was considered to be one of the greatest surgeons of all time. He assisted his brother, William Hunter at his anatomy school in London and after studying at St George's and St Bartholomew's hospitals, he served as a surgeon in the British Army. Through his work he built up a collection of over 13500 preparations, which after his death in 1793 was bought by the government and taken over by the Royal College of Surgeons in London.