SIR .CHARLES BELL. 275 



nervous system place him at the head of neurologists. 

 His delineations in the Anatomy and Philosophy of Ex- 

 pression show that his investigations of the functions 

 of the cerebro-spinal nerves had enabled him to de- 

 pict emotions more strikingly than any artist before 

 or since his time. 



Sir Charles Bell cherished such an admiration for 

 the fine arts, that he visited Italy and other art centers, 

 to expand his conceptions of what an artist should be. 

 He was always an advocate of what we call " life 

 schools," and ridiculed studies in plaster casts. 



In closing this succinct sketch of one of the ablest 

 men that ever graced the medical profession, it is 

 proper to say that he left London in 1836 to accept 

 the chair of surgery in the old and famous University 

 of Edinburgh. When his name was presented to the 

 board of electors, he was unanimously chosen. Noth- 

 ing could have been more flattering to him than this 

 recognition of the esteem in which his reputation was 

 held in the city of his birth after long years of ab- 

 sence. His many warm friends in London spoke with 

 regret of his contemplated departure from the city of 

 his adoption and many triumphs, but they could not 

 swerve his ambition to return with honor to the 

 place of his nativity. He lived several years to lend 

 credit to the institution which owes not a little of its 

 renown to the great surgeons, John and Charles Bell. 



