Sir James Young Simpson, a Scottish physician, born at Bathgate, Linlithgowshire, June 7, 1811, died in Edinburgh, May 6, 1870. He was educated at the university of Edinburgh, where in 1832 he received his degree of M. D. In 1836, as assistant to Prof. Thomson, he delivered a course of pathological lectures; and in 1840 he was elected professor of midwifery in the university of Edinburgh. He was the first to apply the new discovery of anaesthesia to midwifery practice, which he did Jan. 19, 1847. He subsequently discovered the anaesthetical properties of chloroform, which in midwifery practice he regarded as more manageable and powerful, more agreeable to inhale, and less exciting than ether, and as giving greater control over the superinduc-tion of the anaesthetic state. (See Anaesthetics, and Chloroform.) In 1849 he was elected president of the Edinburgh royal college of physicians, in 1852 president of the medico-chirurgical society, and in 1853 foreign associate of the French academy of medicine; and in 1856 he received from the French academy of sciences the Monty on prize of 2,000 francs "in consideration of his services to humanity by the introduction of anaesthesia into the practice of midwifery, and the discovery of the anaesthetic properties of chloroform." He was very celebrated as a practitioner.

Among his works are : " Homoeopathy "(3d ed., Edinburgh, 1853; Philadelphia, 1854); "Obstetric Memoirs and Contributions," including his writings on anaesthesia (2 vols., Edinburgh and Philadelphia, 1855-6); "Acupressure" (1864); and essays on ancient rock sculptur-ings in Great Britain and other archaeological subjects. In 1871 appeared new editions and collections of his writings under the titles " Selected Obstetrical Works," " Anaesthesia and Hospitalism," and " Clinical Lectures on the Diseases of Women;" and in 1872, "Archaeological Essays." He was created a baronet in 1866. - See " Memoir," by J. Duns, D. D. (Edinburgh, 1873).