John Hunter's work included description of the nature of digestion, child development, role of the lymphatic system and proof that the maternal and foetal blood supplies are separate. His contribution to the understanding of venereal diseases is reviewed. Hunter's argument of the unitary nature of venereal diseases is examined and the progress he made in diagnosis and management is discussed.
Keywords: Bougainville; John Hunter; Tahiti; chancre; gonorrhoea; lues; syphilis; venereal.
© The Author(s) 2014.