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Simpson’s Brandy Decanter
James Young Simpson was the first to discover the anaesthetic properties of chloroform, against all medical and religious opposition. When he heard of the discovery in France in 1847, he immediately had the thought of using it to knock people out during operations. This idea would ensure his name went down in medical history. But when Simpson first heard of chloroform, he had no real idea what its effects were, so he needed to test it out.
Simpson first tested the properties of chloroform using the brandy decanter. He would often invite other eminent surgeons and doctors to his house in Edinburgh to try out the new chemical. On one famous morning in November 1847, Simpson’s next door neighbour, Professor of Surgery James Miller, came round and found Simpson and a few others unconscious on the floor.
On 19 January 1847, Simpson was the first to apply a modern anaesthetic to alleviate the pain of labour. Many opposed this practice as it was viewed as an act against nature and the will of God. Vindication of his efforts came when Queen Victoria permitted the use of chloroform during the delivery of her son, Prince Leopold, in 1853.
Simpson was the first man to be knighted for services to medicine. He died at the age of 59 and was buried in Warriston Cemetery in Edinburgh; the funeral procession was joined by 1700 people and attended by over 100,000. Victo Dolore (pain conquered) is the inscription on his coat of arms.
Presenter Vanessa Collingridge says: "This has made as big an impact on the medical world as penicillin or antiseptic."
Where can it be found? The Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh.
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