184 Miscellanies. 
MISCELLANTIES. 
FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC. 
Extracted and translated by Prof. J. Griscom. 
1. Death of Scarpa.—At Pavia in Italy, has just been extinguish- 
ed the most brilliant light of modern surgery, and of all the sciences 
accessory to this part of the healing art ; Scarpa, at the age of eighty 
five years, expired on the 31st of October, 1832. 
During many years, Professor and Director of the University of 
Pavia, he constituted the glory of this school, and spread over it the 
influence of his great reputation.. Gifted with a rare genius, there is 
no branch of surgery, in which he did not make some progress, few 
discoveries in anatomy, or pathology, to which his name was not at- 
tached. He may be regarded as the first who drew attention to pa- 
thological anatomy, perhaps as the creator of oar important part of 
medicine. 
Indefatigable in his researches, he never, during his tons and yet 
too short career, ceased to labor for the advancement of science; and 
he never labored without attaining his end. His style of seria was 
clear, concise, and vigorous. Nothing is more elegant, more amia- 
ble, than his epistolary style: his eloquence was Ciceronian.- When 
to the charm of language, we add the talent of the most exact and 
most veracious observer, the address and good fortune of one of the 
greatest operators, and then the frank publication of all that was done 
and seen, we may attach to his works the motto, Exegi monumen- . 
tum ere perennius 
If I am not iuintaken he began his career - by a work upon the diss 
eases of the eyes, which was immediately translated into all the lan- 
guages of Europe; a fifth edition of it was given in 1816 ; this edi- 
tion which he brought to the level of all the new discoveries was 
augmented by four important chapters, one upon the artificial pupil, 
one upon the medullary fungus of the eye, the third upon the can- 
cer of the eye, and the fourth upon the cystic tumor, which is form- 
ed inthe cavity of the orbit. When we read, or rather when we 
study this beautiful work, and we know how extended and fortunate 
was his practice in this branch, we might imagine that Scarpa, was 
exclusively occupied with the diseases of the eye, and that his voca- 
tion was that of an oculist. 
