Show benefactor OF HUMAN RACE sir james sl sampson m apson was the first physician aoude to use chloroform kin in surgical cases the recent death of sir alexander simpson the famous edinburgh doe doctor brings to in mind ind the wonderful discovery of his uncle sir james simpson his predecessor ns as professor of of midwifery in the chair of I 1 edinburgh did burgh university clr r james if not actually the discoverer of chloroform kwiat was at any rate the first to introduce its 10 employment as an anesthetic into surgical practice this was in 1848 previously all operations were performed fo amed without anesthetics chepa the pa dent being drugged with avith whisky and ana held down by strong men while the operation ea on wa was performed c no medical discovery ever did mo more e to alleviate human suffering sir james aque Is generally given credit for the actual discovery of chloroform orm but baft it Is stated la in some works that it was discovered some years previous to his first experiments by an american doctor named guthrie and by a french physician named sou son beiran in any case it was doctor simpson who proved its great value as an anesthetic and the room in which he be made his first experiment still exists in edinburgh the story goes that he tried the on himself and two medical friends they proved its efficacy by simultaneously falling beneath the table sir james had considerable prejudices to overcome forni form was adopted generally by the medical profession it being denounced wt pt one time as dangerous to health morals and religion |