James Young Simpson

Early life
James Simpson was born in BathgateWest Lothian the youngest of seven children Thomas John Alexander David George (died young) and a sister Mary. Today the town house is the premises of a charity called Simpson House which provides a counselling service for adults and children affected by alcohol and drug use. It is unknown why he formally adopted the middle name "Young".

Simpson discovered the anaesthetic properties of chloroform and successfully introduced it for general medical use.