believed that he had taken the first steps towards a more scientific basis for therapeutics; and he also saw in it a principle of reconciliation between two theories of medicine hitherto regarded as antagonistic. The progress of pharmacology, of experimental physiology, and of bacteriology has shown that some of the facts upon which he based his theory are capable of an explanation widely different from his own.
In 1856 the degree of M.D. was conferred upon him by the archbishop of Canterbury. He retired from practice in 1877, but continued his medical researches for some years longer. He died while on a visit to Llandudno, 10 April 1896. His body lies in the graveyard of Llanrhos. A portrait, painted in 1840 by Thomas Richmond, is now in the possession of Mrs. Sharp at Horton House, Rugby. Sharp married, on 10 March 1836, Emma, sixth daughter of John Scott, vicar of St. Mary's, Hull [see under Scott, Thomas, 1747–1821].
Sharp's claim to recognition rests on his practical suggestions for encouraging the study of natural science. It is owing to his initiative that every public school in England now has its science teacher, and every town its local museum. The value of his medical researches remains for future estimate. Allying himself to no school and wedding himself to no theory, his sole object in life appears to have been to advance physic along the lines of therapeutics.
He published: 1. ‘Practical Observations on Injuries of the Head,’ 8vo, London, 1841. 2. ‘Therapeutics founded upon Organopathy and Antipraxy,’ London, 8vo, 1886. He also wrote sixty tracts on homœopathy and the action of drugs in varying doses, published at different times between 1851 and 1892. The first twenty-six were collected in 1874 in a volume entitled ‘Essays on Medicine, being an Investigation of Homœopathy and other Medical Systems.’
[Men and Women of the Time, 13th edit. p. 817; additional information kindly given by Miss Sharp, his daughter.]
SHARPE. [See also Sharp.]
SHARPE, BARTHOLOMEW (fl. 1679–1682), buccaneer, was, apparently, one of the party of buccaneers, French and English, which in 1679 captured and sacked Porto Bello on the Spanish main. He was certainly with the Englishmen who, after separating from the French, assembled at Golden Island, to the east of the Samballas. They had proposed to cross the isthmus and sack Panama, but their numbers, through the defection of the French, being too few, they resolved to cross over, descend the river Santa Maria, take the town of Santa Maria on the way, cruise in the Bay of Panama, and afterwards on the coast of Peru. At Santa Maria the booty was small. On reaching the sea they found a barque of thirty tons, which they seized, and, putting Sharpe in command, sent her to water and provision at the Pearl Islands, while the rest of the party, under the command of one Coxon, went in the canoes towards Panama. A quarrel soon split this party into two; Coxon, with seventy men, recrossed the isthmus, while one Richard Sawkins, taking command of the rest of the men, demanded a ransom from the town of Panama.
Soon afterwards Sharpe rejoined Sawkins, and on 22 May 1680 they landed to attack Pueblo Nuevo, where Sawkins, while leading on his men, was shot dead. On this the buccaneers retired to the island of Quibo, and, after a fresh dispute, Sharpe was elected to the command, about a hundred men seceding and returning across the isthmus to the West Indies. In June Sharpe went south, meaning to attack Guayaquil; but, finding that impracticable, he went to the Isle of Plate, where the buccaneers killed and salted down a great number of goats. Going along the coast, making sundry prizes as they went, on 26 Oct. they were off Arica. The whole country awaited them under arms; they could not venture to land, and bore away for Islay, being very short of water, the daily allowance being reduced to half a pint. It is said that a pint was sold on board for twenty dollars. At Islay they filled up with water; and as the Spaniards refused to ransom the town, they burnt it. They then went on to the southward, and on 3 Dec. landed and occupied the town of Serena. The Spaniards agreed to ransom the town for ninety-five thousand dollars; but instead of paying made an ingenious attempt to burn the ship. With some difficulty the fire was put out, and the buccaneers departed with less than a tenth of what they had demanded. At Juan Fernandez, Sharpe, who had got together about 1,000l. as his share of the booty, wished to go back to the West Indies through the Straits of Magellan; but the majority, who by gambling had lost everything, were determined to stay, and deposed Sharpe from the command, electing in his room one John Watling, ‘an old privateer and esteemed a stout seaman.’ At Arica, however, on 30 Jan. 1680–1, they sustained a disastrous repulse, Watling being killed, some twenty-eight others killed or prisoners—who met with scant mercy—and eighteen wounded. Sharpe was now reinstated in
