242 Biographical Sketch of Anthony Scarpa. 



tact with which he was endowed for criticising the chefs doewvres 



^of the fine arts. 



\^ Scarpa withdrew entirely from instruction in the year 1812 ; 



[he was at that time appointed Professor emeritus of Anatomy, 

 Chnical and Operative Surgery. Soon afterwards he was pro- 

 claimed Director of Medical Studies, a duty very honourable in 

 itself, which he raised to a higher degree of splendour by the 

 eclat of his name, as well as by the numerous services which he 

 rendered to the Faculty of Medicine. It was a delightful sight 

 to see the three Faculties, of which the University of Pavia is 

 composed, directed at the same time by as many men, equally 

 distinguished in their respective sciences, — Tamburini, Scarpa, 

 and Volta. Of these three great men it may be said that they 

 died on duty, still in the exercise of their function as directors of 

 learned institutions. Scarpa survived his illustrious colleagues 

 many years : this third torch, on being extinguished, left the 

 University of Pavia covered with funebral crape, — with him 

 disappeared the last trace of the illustrious triumvirate. 



In 1814 Scarpa was appointed Director of the Medical Fa- 

 culty,. The principal duties were carefully to observe that the 

 studies were regular and complete, to preside at conferring de- 

 grees ; in short, to carry into effect the course of medical studies 

 which had been recently sent from Vienna. Scarpa, however, 

 goon perceived that it was not in keeping with the existing state 

 of knowledge ; that it was defective in many respects, especially 

 in what regarded the study of surgery. He wrote frequently on 

 the subject to the Government : he transmitted many observa- 

 tions to them pregnant with wisdom and energy, that a revision 

 of the plan might be attained, but it was to no purpose. He 

 pleaded the cause of comparative anatomy which the Government 

 had proscribed ; he proposed the disjunction of zoology from 

 mineralogy, by showing that it was impossible for one professor 

 to give a complete and perfect course of both sciences in the 

 same year : — his remonstrances and his writings were not ap- 

 proved of. Tired of preaching in the desert, he renounced his 

 situation of Director. The Government of Milan, who saw this 

 determination of Scarpa with deep displeasure, nevertheless ac- 

 cepted his resignation, but never contemplated the appointment 

 of a successor. 



