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Having accepted the custody of the Collection, there was no place to put it in order that it could be exhibited, so it had to be left in the house in Castle Street, off Leicester Square, until suitable premises had been built, with the help of a Government grant, in Lincoln's Inn Fields. They were opened in 1806. Clift superintended the installation of the Collection in the new premises, now known to all as the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He was now married, and had his living quarters over the museum, and was responsible to the Trustees and Board of Curators for the safety of the premises and the contents. From the time that the museum was opened in 1806 his work increased. The collection was exhibited to the public at certain times, and he had to arrange the specimens, conduct parties round, and explain the object of the collection. A library had been inaugurated in 1800 and he was the librarian until 1828, when a separate appointment of Librarian was made. He had to keep the accounts, present them, and attend the meetings of the Trustees, Court of Assistants, and Board of Curators. He had to attend the auctions to purchase additional specimens when other collections were dispersed ; direct the two assistants who were appointed to carry out dissections ; and be ready at any time to conduct important persrniges around the Museum. As the collection became better known, and its importance realized, the Museum was visited by Kings, Queens, Emperors, Dukes, Dignitaries of the Church, Scientists from other countries, in addition to the public. It all took time, and as no catalogue was available, he wrote, and made available a short synopsis of the contents, and he also made a catalogue of the pictures, which had a special reference to Hunter's researches, in 1816 and again in 1820. In addition, he had to assemble specimens suitable to illustrate lectures which were given at the College. In 1813 the Executors gave a sum of money to the College to endow an Annual Oration to be delivered in the College on February 14, Hunter's birthday. The first was delivered in 1814 by Sir Everard Home. Since 1853 it has been delivered every second year. In 1820 the Medal and Triennial prize was founded by the Court of Assistants as a further memorial to Hunter.
Clift's reputation as an anatomist and scientific worker was realized by his contemporaries. He was invited to join the newly formed Chemical Society in 1809, he was a member of the Anatomical Society which had been founded in 1796, and the climax of his scientific career was attained on May 6, 1823, when he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society. It was on the following July 26 that Sir Everard Home told him that the manuscripts were burnt and so a catalogue illustrating the Collection, which incorporated the ideas of John Hunter, could never be made. When this became generally known it led to many scathing articles in The Lancer, but all acknowledged that Clift was in no way responsible for this catastrophe. The routine of his life and work went on for thirty years, and in 1827 Richard Owen, who was a medical man with a practice and hospital appointment, became his assistant, and later his son-in-law, and finally succeeded him.
If this book is read, in conjunction with the late Professor George Grey Turner's Hunteria; Oration given in 1945 on " The Hunterian Museum ; that given on February 14 this year by Sir Cecit Wakeley on " John Hunter and Experimental Surgery ; and some of the previous Orations, it will be realized that<<what Miss Dobson says of the Museum is correct.
It was, in truth, John Hunter's great unwritten book, and it must always be remembered that had it not been for William Clift, its pages would never have been made available to future generations ". He died on June 20, 1849, and
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