Biographical Sketch of Antlwny Scarpa. 235 



these by means of the very beautiful designs which he made, 

 and of writing his observations in the purest and most elegant 

 Latin. His second work, which appeared soon after the first, 

 was entitled, Anatorfticarum annotationum liber primus^ de gan- 

 giiis et plexibus nervorum ; Mutinae 1779, in 4to. 



After Scarpa had been established nine years at Modena, the 

 Duke, for reasons which are unknown, thought proper to 

 diminish the salaries of the whole of the professors ; Scarpa 

 then requested permission to travel to Paris and London, which 

 it was impossible to refuse. 



It was in this excursion that he became acquainted at Paris, 

 London, and in Holland, with the most distinguished physi- 

 cians and surgeons, such as Vicq d'Azyr, Pott, John Hunter, 

 &c. 



At Paris he shewed Vicq d'Azyr his beautiful drawing of 

 the olfactory nerve, who wrote these words on its margin, " I 

 have, for the first time, seen the ramifications of the olfactory 

 nerve." 



John Hunter said in his memoir on this nerve, that the 

 ramifications in the engraving of Scarpa were too small ; and 

 the professors of Pavia, who are in possession of this monu- 

 ment of the early labours of their master, admit that the criti- 

 cism of the illustrious English surgeon is well-founded. 



Scarpa was at Paris at the same time with the philosophical 

 Joseph the Second, who was then traversing Europe incog. 

 The celebrated Brambilla, physician to the em.peror, was aston- 

 ished at seeing Scarpa there ; he expressed his surprise, and 

 said that he did not think that he could have quitted Modena ; 

 S^atpii replied, ** You ^te aware that when a distinguished 

 nobleman is in disgrace at court, he is invited to travel for his 

 health : this at present has befallen me." Brambilla felt directly, 

 that he ought to take advantage of this unique opportunity, to 

 try and attach to the University of Pavia, a professor who he 

 foresaw would confer on it the greatest eclat ; he mentioned it 

 to the Emperor, who was extremely anxious to adopt the happy 

 idea of Brambilla, and made the most honourable proposals to 

 the pupil of Morgagni ; but the latter, more affected by the 

 feelings of gratitude which he thought were due to the Duke 



