266 Proceedings of the Royal Society 
which he himself afterwards regretted. He hit his opponents 
severely, and I think even in this room expressions dropped from 
him which, in a scientific discussion, were out of place. But he 
was not of an unforgiving temper. I myself know, that he could 
offer the hand of reconcilement, after a contest was over. I saw 
the other day in a medical newspaper* a statement that not long 
before his death, he sent letters to some of his professional brethren 
whom he thought he might have hurt in the heat of controversy, 
expressing regret and asking forgiveness. Being curious to know 
whether this was really the case, I applied to one of the medical 
gentlemen who attended him during his last illness, and he in- 
formed me that he did not know of any letters to that effect ; but 
he knew of a message having been sent to one professional gentle- 
man, then also unwell, with whom there had been bitter contro- 
versy and long estrangement, — and the result was complete recon- 
ciliation. 
I have already alluded to the multitudes of patients who every 
day thronged his house. The poor always could rely on getting 
advice from him gratuitously. But he was never very exacting 
from any class ; and when persons in a better rank of life, who had 
come for advice, were discovered by him to be in greatly embar- 
rassed circumstances, he is known to have generously helped 
them. 
Two examples of this generosity may be mentioned. A lady 
whom he had attended was recommended by him, for the cure of 
her ailment, to go to a certain watering-place. Tendering to him 
such a fee as she was able to give, and for the smallness of which 
she apologised, the lady mentioned that the expense of going 
there would put it beyond her power. Simpson said nothing at the 
time, but afterwards in the most delicate way returned the fee, and 
enclosed £20 to enable her to obtain the means of cure which he 
had recommended. The other case was the wife of a New York 
merchant who had come to Scotland to be under his care. Whilst 
here, her husband died, and in bankrupt circumstances. Shortly 
after this, intelligence reached her that her only son, whom she had 
left at New York, was ill with a dangerous fever. She resolved at 
once to return home, though she was to have remained longer 
* Medical Times and Gazette, 14th May 1870. 
