NA TURE 



361 



THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, i{ 



SIMPSON AND CHLOROFORM. 

 Sir James Young Simpson and Chloroform (1811-1870). 

 By H. Laing Gordon. 8vo. Pp. xii + 233. (London : 

 T. Fisher Unwin, 1897.) 



THIS is the third volume of an important series 

 entitled " Masters of Medicine," of which two 

 volumes have already been issued under the editorship 

 of the late Mr. Ernest Hart. The series is intended to 

 contain the lives of men, both of this and other countries? 

 who have done much to advance the science and art of 

 medicine ; and the introduction of chloroform is so 

 intimately associated with the name of Sir James Simpson, 

 that any series of the " Masters of Medicine " would be 

 incomplete if it did not contain an account of one who 

 was largely responsible for the general employment of 

 this anaesthetic. 



James Young Simpson was born in the year 181 1 at 

 Bathgate, a village in Linlithgowshire, where his father, 

 David Simpson, was the local baker and farrier ; he was 

 the seventh son, and great things were foretold of him. 



He attended the village school, and even as a boy, 

 under the superintendence of his master at school, 

 studied the archaeological features of the neighbourhood, 

 and this study he continued later when he attended 

 Edinburgh University, where he was sent by the un- 

 selfish assistance of his brothers Alexander and John, 

 who, after he was qualified, found the means to send him 

 abroad. 



At college his Hfe was much influenced by his two 

 friends Mac Arthur and Reid, who had, by their example 

 and precept, much to do with his greatness in the future. 

 in 1838 he became in Edinburgh an independent lec- 

 turer on midwifery ; and in 1839, although only twenty- 

 eight years of age, he applied for the professorship made 

 vacant by the resignation of Prof. Hamilton. Finding 

 his chance of obtaining the chair as a bachelor would 

 Tje small, he went to Liverpool and returned with Miss 

 Jennie Grindlay as his wife ; and although the pro- 

 fessors were opposed to his being appointed, he was 

 elected by the Town Council with the narrow majority 

 of one vote. As a professor he attracted not only the 

 students of the college, but older men who came to hear 

 the recently despised subject of midwifery dealt with in 

 a masterly and scientific fashion. 



The increased fame and, in consequence, the increased 

 work attached, did not affect Simpson's homely life. He 

 found time to take pleasure in the companionship of his 

 friends and relatives. It was his custom to keep open 

 house both at breakfast and luncheon time, but his even- 

 ing meal was reserved that he might enjoy the intimacy 

 of his own family. 



It was in 1850 that Simpson took part in the great 

 controversy on the merits of homoeopathy, which he 

 condemned as irrational, and it was through him to a 

 ;great extent that homoeopathy was thoroughly crushed 

 in Edinburgh. 



Prof. Simpson's versatility was remarkable. He was 

 able to discuss any subject in literature, science, politics 

 or theology ; but it was in archaeology that he did most 



NO. 1477, VOL. 57] 



work outside his profession. He had correspondents in 

 different parts of Scotland engaged in making researches 

 into antiquities, and in 1861 he became President of the 

 Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 



It is, however, with chloroform that the name of 

 Simpson will chiefly be associated. To many people 

 chloroform is anaesthesia, and the previous introduction 

 of ether is often ignored. It is, therefore, hardly super- 

 fluous to repeat that ether was introduced in 1842 by Mr. 

 W. T. G. Morton, a dentist of Boston, Massachusetts ; 

 its use rapidly spread, and it was employed extensively 

 in America, Great Britain and abroad. The administra- 

 tion of ether was not unattended with difficulties ; the 

 methods employed at that day would now be considered 

 extremely crude, and many — both surgeons and chemists 

 — were looking eagerly for a simple and more convenient 

 anaesthetic ; and Simpson, although at this time much 

 occupied with his increasing practice, gave all his leisure 

 to testing for himself the effects of numerous drugs. 

 After innumerable failures he, together with Dr. George 

 Keith and Dr. Matthew Duncan, on November 4, 1847 

 at last tried chloroform, which was suggested to them 

 by Mr. Waldie, a chemist of Liverpool, but had been 

 discovered and described in 1831 by Soubeiran and 

 Liebig independently. We may quote here the account 

 given of the first employment of chloroform as an 

 anaesthetic : — 



" Immediately an unwonted hilarity seized the party — 

 they became bright-eyed, very happy, and very loquacious 

 — expatiating on the delicious aroma of the new fluid. 

 The conversation was of unusual intelligence and quite 

 charmed the listeners — some ladies of the family and a 

 naval officer, brother-in-law of Dr. Simpson. But 

 suddenly there was a talk of sounds being heard like 

 those of a cotton-mill louder and louder ; a moment 

 more and all was quiet — and then crash ! On awaken- 

 ing Dr. Simpson's first perception was mental. ' This is 

 far stronger and better than ether,' said he to himself. 

 His second was to notice that he was prone on the floor, 

 and that among his friends about him there was both 

 confusion and alarm. 



" Hearing a noise he turned round and saw Dr. 

 Duncan beneath a chair — his jaw dropped, his eyes 

 staring, his head bent half under him ; quite unconscious, 

 and snoring in a most determined and alarming manner. 

 More noise still and much motion. And then his eyes 

 overtook Dr. Keith's feet and legs making valorous 

 efforts to overturn the supper table, or more probably 

 to annihilate everything that was on it. By and by 

 Dr. Simpson having regained his seat, Dr. Duncan 

 having finished his uncomfortable and unrefreshing 

 slumber, and Dr. Keith having come to an arrangement 

 with the table and its contents, the sederunt was 

 resumed." 



It is Simpson, too, whom we have to thank for fighting 

 those who found in the practice of anaesthesia something 

 which was contrary to their beliefs or principles, and 

 for making the giving of anaesthetics an every-day occur- 

 rence ; and we can hardly at the present day imagine the 

 little-mindedness displayed by those who endeavoured, 

 fortunately without success, to oppose the employment of 

 anaesthetics. 



About ten years after the introduction of chloroform 

 he turned his attention to wound healing ; at this time 

 bleeding was arrested by tying the cut arteries with 

 ligatures, and the ends of these were left hanging out of 



