24:8 Proceedings of the Hoy at Society 
Young Simpson’s graduation thesis so pleased Professor John 
Thomson, who held the Pathological Chair, that he made him 
assistant in his house, and employed him in the arrangement of 
his library; and in this new position he made rapid progress, 
not only sucking in all the knowledge which the Professor pos- 
sessed, but venturing on views and speculations of his own. He 
was permitted occasionally to read the Professor’s lecture to the 
class when the latter was unable from feeble health to do so — the 
Professor himself, however, being generally present. It seems 
that young Simpson did not always confine himself to the mere 
reading of the lecture, but presumed occasionally to introduce 
verbally an exposition of his own ideas, to the surprise of both 
students and Professor. The latter, on one occasion, having heard 
some new and startling propositions from the chair, after the 
lecture was over, expressed his dissatisfaction in the retiring-room 
by saying to his young assistant, “ I don’t believe one word of it, 
sir.” 
Simpson having acquired some confidence in his own powers, 
thought of setting up for himself; and seeing in the newspapers 
an advertisement that a doctor was wanted to attend the poor in 
the parish of Innerkip on the Clyde, he offered himself. But he 
was rejected. He used to say that he felt this disappointment more 
keenly than any he ever met with in after life. I may add here 
what I think Simpson once told me, that an old-established medi- 
cal practitioner in a town not far from Edinburgh, wishing to get a 
young licentiate as an assistant, and who might ultimately become 
a partner, gave out a subject for an essay among the medical 
students of the Midwifery Chair, intending to judge of their quali- 
fications partly by their essays and partly by conversation. 
Simpson gave in an essay, and was one of those sent for, but was 
again doomed to disappointment; though from this village doctor 
he received much friendly counsel and a promise of future patronage. 
During the next two or three years, he continued to prosecute 
his studies, chiefly in obstetrics, and read several papers in the 
Royal Medical Society. He also visited France. He now began 
to form a museum of preparations and objects bearing on anatomy, 
and at length announced his intention of giving public lectures. 
These he continued for three years, and they obtained so much 
