Victo Dolore! Sir James Young Simpson is 200 ...

Simpson: The Turbulent Lie
of a Medical Pioneer
by Dr Morrice McCrae

Have you ever had an operation under general anaesthetic? You have Sir James Young Simpson to thank for the fact that you slept through it. Born on 7th June 1811, in Bathgate in West Lothian, he pioneered the use of anaesthesia in an age when undergoing surgery was the last resort. His work in pain relief for women in labour ensured him his place in history in itself.

Simpson’s remarkable life is the subject of a new book, Simpson: The Turbulent Life of a Medical Pioneer by Dr Morrice McCrae (available in paperback and hardback). It reveals the history not only of Simpson, but also of a time of rapid change in society that allowed the seventh son of a village baker in a rural part of Scotland to go to university and then become a successful physician, a medical professor at one of the leading university medical schools in the world and Physician to the Queen, all before he had reached the age of forty.

Morrice McCrae talks about the history and influence of Sir James Young Simpson:

Happy Birthday Sir James, the world has a lot to thank you for!