He lectured himself on anatomy, physiology, and pathology, besides surgery—subjects which are now usually divided between three or four teachers. There is abundant evidence that he was an attentive observer of what was going on in the hospital. He was assiduous in visiting most places where any information was to be obtained. We find him attending Mr. Hunter's lectures, and constantly meditating on what he heard there; thus seeking opportunities of making himself more and more familiar with those opinions which, in his view, on most of the points to _which_ they related, _were_ definite—cautiously deduced—not always clear, perhaps; but, when understood, truthful. He endeavoured further to mature an accurate perception of Mr. Hunter's views, by seeking private conferences with him; and Hunter kindly afforded him facilities for so doing. We have Abernethy's own acknowledgment of this, coupled with his regret that he could not more frequently avail himself of them. Indeed, when we consider that Abernethy lived at this time in St. Mary Axe, or in Mildred's Court in the Poultry,—that he was lecturing on the sciences I have mentioned,—that he was observant of cases at the hospital (a very timeful occupation),—and consider the distance between these points and Mr. Hunter's residence in Leicester Square, or his school in Windmill Street,—we see there could not be much time to spare. It was not, however, merely during the time at which he was delivering his lectures that he was thus actively employed. We have, not unfrequently, evidence that he was often at the hospital late in the day, in the most leisure season of the year, when perhaps his senior had, during his absence in the summer, confided the patients to his care. We used to get, occasionally, such passages as these in the lectures: "One summer evening, as I was crossing the Square of the hospital, a student came running to me," &c. Very significant of continued attention during the summer or leisure season—he not being, be it remembered, other than an assistant-surgeon, and not, therefore, necessarily having duties at the hospital. At this period, it was a common practice with him to rise as early as four in the morning. He would sometimes go away into the country, that he might read, more free from interruption. He also instituted various experiments, some of which we shall have shortly to notice, for the philosophical spirit in which they were conducted. His visit to France must have been made about this time, when the celebrated Desault was at the height of his reputation. His stay could not have been long, in all probability; but we have evidence showing how quickly he perceived, amidst the success of Desault, the more important defects of the hospital—the Hôtel Dieu—to which he was _chirurgien-en-chef_, and the influence exerted by them on his practice.