American Medical Biographies/Hunt, William
Hunt, William (1825–1896).
The son of Uriah and Elizabeth Shreve Hunt, he was born September 26, 1825, at 106 North Fourth Street, Philadelphia, a descendant of a long line of Quakers, who came over here about 1680. He went, as a lad, to a Friends' School, then began to study medicine under Dr. George B. Wood (q. v.), and graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1849. He married, in 1856, Rebecca T., daughter of Richard Price, and had three children, William, George and Margaret.
Dr. Hunt was elected to the surgical staff of the Episcopal Hospital in 1853, and served here and at the Wills Hospital, until he was appointed attending surgeon to the Pennsylvania Hospital in 1863, finishing his term after a service of thirty years, having inaugurated in 1870 the plan of a six months continuous service. He was an incorporator of the Microscopical and Biological Section of the Academy of Natural Sciences, and he helped to form the "Biological Club" and the "Surgical Club," where members met to display specimens and partake, at first, of such refreshments as crackers, cheese and ale, and later, regular dinners. He wrote a good deal, and was for many years on the staff of the Annual of the Universal Medical Sciences, and with Dr. T. G. Morton, compiled a "History of Surgery in the Pennsylvania Hospital." The "Pennsylvania Hospital Reports" were edited by him and Dr. J. M. DaCosta, and he did the same for Holmes's "System of Surgery" (the American edition), besides contributing to the "International Encyclopedia of Surgery."
But the writing, the operating and the pleasant entertaining of friends came to an end when he was severely injured by being run over, in 1887, and although he worked at intervals, the results of the accident ended in his death on April 17, 1896, at his home in Philadelphia.
Among his appointments may be noted: resident physician, Pennsylvania Hospital; demonstrator of anatomy, University of Pennsylvania; assistant surgeon, United States Army; Surgeon to the Orthopedic Hospital; fellow of the College of Physicians; president, Philadelphia Academy of Surgery; honorary fellow, American Surgical Association.
Among his writings are to be mentioned: "Clinical Notes and Reflections"; "Diabetic Gangrene"; "Ossification of the Crystalline Lens"; "The History of Toxemia"; "Unusual Surgical Cases"; "Traumatic Rupture of the Urethra"; "Surgery in the Pennsylvania Hospital, being an Epitome of the Hospital since 1756," Philadelphia, 1880.