William Hunter’s Stipulations in Regard to William Hewson, 23 August 1771
William Hunter’s Stipulations in Regard to William Hewson2
AD: extract from Franklin to William Hunter, October 30, 1772, Royal College of Surgeons
[Aug. 23, 17713]
Dr. Hunter expects Mr. Hewson should go on with his Business as usual during the Remainder of the Term they are to continue together; and during that time should make Preparations, at Dr. Hunter’s Expence, such as the Dr. should direct to be made, and others, so that those directed are not neglected or omitted: That all the Preparations are to be the Doctor’s sole Property, and at his absolute Disposal, so that if he afterwards should give any of them to any Person (which he would not be understood to promise) such Gift is to be considered as the sole Effect of his Goodwill.4
2. See Hunter’s complaints against Hewson above, under the end of July.
3. So dated in the letter from which the extract is taken. The extract itself is from a memorandum, now lost, that BF made of an interview with Hunter.
4. This provision led to misunderstanding. Hewson thought he would be permitted to keep the anatomical preparations that he was making for his own course of lectures, and was chagrined when Hunter refused the permission. See Polly’s sketch of the episode in her memoir of her husband: Thomas J. Pettigrew, Memoirs of the Life and Writings of the Late John Coakley Lettsom... (3 vols., London, 1817), I, 143–4 of second pagination. Hunter subsequently relented to the point of giving some preparations to BF, who immediately passed them on to Hewson. BF to Hunter below, Oct. 30, 1772.