Abstract
Sir James Young Simpson was a Scottish obstetrician and pioneer of anaesthetics, whose statue stands at the west end of Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh (Figure 1).
Statue of Sir James Y Simpson in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh
He was born in Bathgate, West Lothian, the son of a small farmer, and had the benefit of a fine early education by an inspiring teacher at the local parish school. 1 At the age of 14 he went to Edinburgh University, becoming Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1830 and graduating MD in 1832. He began his career as Assistant to the Professor of Pathology but in 1836 was appointed to the Edinburgh Lying-in Hospital. In 1839, at the age of 28, he was elected to the Chair of Midwifery in Edinburgh and in 1847 he was appointed one of the Queen's Physicians in Scotland.
Simpson was an early user of ether as an anaesthetic following its introduction to Britain in 1846 but thought it had significant disadvantages particularly in home deliveries. Chloroform was suggested to him as an alternative and on 4 November 1847 he and his two assistants tried inhaling a sample at his home. They rapidly lost consciousness. Four days after this he first used it in his obstetric practice. Two weeks later a preliminary report of its use was published in The Lancet. There was much public criticism of its use in normal childbirth as being in opposition to nature, the will of God or both, but it quickly achieved widespread use, particularly after Queen Victoria used it during the delivery of Prince Leopold in 1853.
As well as pioneering chloroform as an anaesthetic Simpson made major advances in obstetrics. To reduce surgical sepsis and puerperal fever he promoted the cleaning of hands and instruments and improvements to the design, ventilation and management of hospitals. However, he opposed Lister’s antiseptic methods partly because of a vigorously pursued mutual antagonism between himself and James Syme, Professor of Clinical Surgery in Edinburgh and father in law of Joseph Lister. 2 He was closely involved in the mid 19th century campaign for medical reform and was a supporter of medical education of women.
He had a life-long interest in archaeology and in 1861 was appointed Professor of Antiquities by the Royal Scottish Academy. In 1866 he was made a baronet, the first doctor practising in Scotland to be so honoured. After he died in 1870, his family declined burial in Westminster Abbey, preferring a grave in the family plot in Warriston cemetery, Edinburgh. However, later a bust of Simpson was placed in Westminster Abbey.