The following are the chief works, in addition to Simpson's own writings, from which my information has been drawn:--(1) "The Jubilee of Anaesthetic Midwifery"; (2) "Keiller and Crede"; (3) "History of the Chair of Midwifery in the University of Edinburgh," being addresses by Professor A. R. Simpson; (4) Miss Eve B. Simpson's "Sir James Simpson"; and her (5) "Dogs of other Days;" (6) "Twenty Years and their Lesson; a Retrospect and Review" (_Scots Observer_, 1891); (7) Dr. Duns's "Memoir of Sir J. Y. Simpson"; (8) Professor Gusserow's "Zur Erinnerung an Sir J. Y. Simpson"; (9) Mr. Cuthbertson's "Student's Pilgrimage"; (10) "The Story of Edinburgh University," by Sir A. Grant; (11) "The Life of Sir Robert Christison"; (12) "The Life of Robert Knox"; and numerous back numbers of the _Century Magazine_, the _Lancet_, the _British Medical Journal_, the _Medical Times and Gazette_, the _Edinburgh Medical Journal_, &c., &c. FOREST HILL, _October, 1897_. CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE. I. Birth and Childhood. (1811-1825) 1 II. Student Days. (1825-1830) 17 III Further Studies. (1830-1835) 36 IV. Early Practice and Professorship. (1835-1840) 52 V. Professor and Physician. (1840-1847) 66 VI. The Discovery of Anaesthetics. (1844-1847) 88 VII. The Fight for Anaesthesia. 1847 onwards 111 VIII. Home Life--Controversies 133 IX. Archaeology--Practice 152 X. Personal--Professorial--Professional 164 XI. Further Reforms--Honours 186 XII. Failing Health--Death 202 Appendix 223 Index 227 SIR JAMES SIMPSON CHAPTER I BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD. 1811-1825 The state of the healing art at Simpson's birth--Birthplace--Family superstitions--His father's bakery--His mother's Huguenot descent--Commencement of schooldays--Natural and antiquarian features of Bathgate district--The village hand-loom weavers as antiquarians and naturalists--His interest in Nature and craving for knowledge--Brothers' and sister's care for him--Size of his head--Village doctor's record of his birth--Schooldays cease at age of fourteen--Influence of his environment in developing his character. James Young Simpson, who will ever be remembered as the discoverer of the pain-annulling power of chloroform, was born in the year 1811, at a period when there was room for a hero in the practice of the healing art in the British Islands.