263 
of Edin burgli , Session 18 70 - 71 . 
living denizens of this earth. Suppose that our Secretaries, in summon¬ 
ing the next meeting of this Society, had the power of announcing in 
their billets that a very select deputation of ancient Britons and Caledonians, 
Piets, Celts, Scots, and perhaps of Scottish Juranians, were to be present in 
our Museum for a short sederunt between midnight and cock-crowing to an¬ 
swer any questions which the Fellows might choose to ply them with, what 
an excitement would such an announcement create ! "What a battery of quick 
questions would be levelled at the members of this deputation on all the end¬ 
less problems of Scotch archaeology.” 
About the same time Professor Simpson took part in the 
discussions which agitated the medical world on the subject of 
Homoeopathy. At a meeting of the Edinburgh Medico-Chirurgical 
Society, the following motion was made by Professor Syme, and 
seconded by Professor Simpson :—■ “ That the public profession of 
Homoeopathy shall be held to disqualify for being admitted, or re¬ 
maining a member of the Society.” Professor Simpson sup¬ 
ported this motion by a very able address, which he afterwards 
expanded into a book. This, as well as the reply to it by Pro¬ 
fessor Henderson, shows an immense extent of reading and in¬ 
formation. 
Another subject which deeply engaged Professor Simpson’s 
attention was the so-called Bathgate coal , and also the shales of 
the Scotch coal fields, on account of the petroleum which they 
yielded by proper treatment. I have seen the outer lobby of his 
house in Queen Street greatly obstructed with huge specimens 
of the various kinds, and occasionally he spoke to me regarding 
them ; not so much in their geological relations as in their 
mercantile value and uses. It is matter of notoriety that Pro¬ 
fessor Simpson joined one or more of the companies which 
were formed for the purpose of extracting oil from these beds, 
and it is understood that he suffered considerable losses in con¬ 
sequence. 
The number and variety of topics which thus engaged Simpson’s 
attention—professional, scientific, literary, and speculative—im¬ 
plied an activity of mind, a grasp of intellect, and a strength 
of constitution truly marvellous. His inquisitiveness on almost 
all subjects was incessant. “ Anything new turned up in Ber¬ 
wickshire?” was the first question which he generally put to me 
when on coming to Edinburgh I happened to meet him,—hoping 
probably to hear of more Piets’ houses discovered, or more relics 
2 M 
VOL. VII. 
