184 Miscellanies. 



MISCELLANIES. 



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 this important part of 

 medicine. 



Indefatigable in his researches, he never, during his long, and yet 

 too short career, ceased to labor for the advancement of science; and 

 he never labored without attaining his end. His style of writing 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 monumeri' 

 turn are perennius. 



If I am not mistaken he began his career by a work upon the dis- 

 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 in the 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. 



