CAMPER (Parse), eminent for his extensive knowledge in the various branches of Medicine, Zoology, and Comparative Anatomy, and for his taste in the Fine Arts, was born atLeiden, May the 11th, 1722. His family had long hel distinguished situations in the magistracy of that city, where his grandfather had exercised the profession of medi ae. His father, Florent Camper, was a Protestant clergyman, and had officiated in that capacity for some years at Batavia ; but bad returned to lus na tive country in 1713, alter marrying Sarah Betting, who was born of Dutch parents, at Surat. Florent Camper was an enthusiastic admirer of painting, and took great delight in the society of artists, whom be treated with the greatest liberality,—his parse being ever open to such as needed his assistance. He was much connected with the learned men robe adorned the University of Leyden at the beginning of the htet century ; and was on terms of intimate ftireedship with the great Boerhaave. Young Camper hes, no doubt, been greatly indebted for his succeas to the fortunate circumstances in which he was plated in early life ; being thus surrounded by men of eniarg. ed and cultivated understandings, eminent for their taste and learning, and having, at the same time, every incentive that a wise education could supply to emulate those excellent models; but nature had besides endowed him with that inherent desire of knowledge, that -capacity, and that vigour and so tivity of mind, which, united as they were with a robust constitution of body, enabled him to reap the fell benefit of these advantages. He gave very early proofs of his possessing those mental qualities, which lay the foundation .of future en• nence ; and his father, discerning with delight the auspicious dawn of his genius, judiciously removed whatever might cramp its growth, and avoided int.. posing on him as a task those instructions and attain ments, which he seemed so well inclined to acquire and pursue as an amusement.
He applied himself, at an early age, to drawing and painting, under the tuition of Moor and of his son, both of whom were celebrated artists, and Good became remarkably proficient in these accomplish ments. He derived, in the course of his life, he. mense advantage from the skill with which he used his pencil in delineating any object in which he was interested, whether among the works of art, or the productions of nature,—or whether they were the offsprings &Ms own conception, in the course of his philosophical researches. The value of this at.
quirement, as an object of early education, is. not, perhaps, in general, sufficiently appreeiatedt The power of conceiving readily, and with mechanical forms, is one of the meet meal result* that practice, in the delineation of objects, can cow fer, and is of incalculable advantage in a variety of pursuits, with which such a talent might hot, at filet sight, seem to be immediately concerned. There is no doubt, for instance, that it must remove many difficulties in the study of Geometry, by ikcilitating the conception of figured space, the properties of which are the subjects of that science. An accurate knowledge of Anatomy is still more directly depend. ant upon the name power of apprehending the relk dons of form. The progress which Camper made in thin branch of science, and the range of inquiries to which he afterwards made his knowledge subservient, are striking illustrations of this position.
He was indebted to Laborde. fbr his first lessons in Geometry; and was instructed in Natural Philo. kph/ by hfusschenbrock and OTavesande, who were the Intimate friends of his father, and whose warm be ever illustrious in the annals of science. Prom these studies he was naturally led to the pursuit of Medicine, of which the elementary branches have so close an alliance with the physical sciences ; and having entered the university of Leyden, became the pupil of Gaubius, Van Rooysn, and the elder Albinos; for Boorhaami was, by this time, inc.*. used by the infirmities of age frees coati eiai exertions a public teacher is the ueiversity. per earned the first fruits of his academical Mows by Deceiving, in 117.6, the degree of Doctor is Phi. losophy and Medicine ; on width occasions be pub. Belted two dissertations; the one Ds Vim, the other De oeuli Olinda= pertibar, which are mentioned with commended..by Baldinger, in his Biogrepi, of Living Pkyrdciinns, and which have been presened by Haller. In the former he illustrates and defends Smith's Theory of Vision, and in the latter descries and gives plates of Pelt's Caned is the Eger of thpr. emsf Animals.