THE fourth son of a Norfolk vicar whose father and brother had been surgeons Astley Cooper's career shows the possibilities of attaining to rank, fortune, and a European reputation which exist in the profession of medicine. Born near Nonvich in 1768, of parents in easy circumstances and some literary talent, he passed a spirited boyhood without much schooling. At the age of sixteen he was apprenticed to his uncle, William Cooper, then surgeon to Guy's Hospital, but his indentures were soon transferred to Henry Cline, surgeon to St. Thomas's Hospital. Cooper soon showed himself an accomplished practical anatomist. He loved to teach and to argue, and at the early age of twenty-one he was appointed demonstrator of anatomy at St. Thomas's, and two years later Cline associated him with himself as lecturer on the subject, which then included surgery. The students of the United Borough hospitals came to him in crowds, and his ability, bonhomie, and obvious sincerity of purpose made them his fervent admirers. By their means he soon obtained a very large share of the consulting and operative practice in and near London. Full of energy, he always rose early and, even when he was in full practice, made it a rule to dissect for an hour or two before breakfast, at first pure anatomy, and later in life, pathological specimens. The knowledge of anatomy thus gained made him a safe operator, whilst practice rendered him confident and skilful. His memory for cases was remarkable, and he thus excelled in diagnosis. Like John Hunter, whose lectures he had attended, he was a firm believer in the effect of personal intercourse in promoting the advance of professional knowledge. He took an active part, therefore, in founding the Medico-Chirurgical Society, of which he was the treasurer in 1805. The first paper in the first volume of the Transactions is from his pen. It is a case of aneurysm of the carotid artery treated