James Young Simpson (scientist)
Encyclopedia
James Young Simpson M.A., D.Sc. (Edin.), F.R.S.E
, F.S.A. (Scot.)
, F.R.A.I.
, Hon. Jur. D. (Tartu, Estonia), Hon. Sc.D. Middlebury College
, U.S.A. He was a Professor of Natural Science
, writer
, diplomat
, biographer and theologian.
, James Young Simpson
, the famous discoverer of chloroform and its use as an anaesthetic. He was educated at George Watson’s College, Edinburgh and at University of Edinburgh
which he attended from 1891 to 1894 when he graduated M.A. He graduated D.Sc., by thesis in 1899 after two summers as a research student at Christ's College, Cambridge
. He married Helen Huntington Day of Indianapolis
, U.S.A., and died on 20 May 1934 in Edinburgh.
. Pasteur laid his hand on Simpson's head and exclaimed: "Travaillez, mon ami, travaillez!" [Work, my friend, work!] Turning to the father, he said "A-t-il dit, Oui?" [Has he said, yes?] Simpson seems to have implemented Pasteur's injunction throughout his life. In his writings, his dominant interest lay in showing the connection between science and religion. In his view, there is no contradiction between these, and he views Christianity
as the natural outcome of man's evolutionary progess. Jesus Christ is "the fulfilment of all that went before. . . He is the Alpha and Omega of strictly human history." and so on. In a later book, Nature: Cosmic, Human and Divine (1929), Simpson argues that religion results from the confrontation of Mind with the Infinite Energy of the universe as suggested by Heisenberg's indeterminacy principle. However, he argues more from sincere feeling than from persuasive logic.
at Versailles
to ensure that the Baltic States
and Finland
were established as independent states. He was subsequently given awards by these four countries in recognition of his services. His last visit to the Baltic States
was in June/July 1932, when he received the honorary degree
of Doctor of Law
(D.Jur.) at the University of Tartu
.
Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...
, F.S.A. (Scot.)
Royal Scottish Society of Arts
The Royal Scottish Society of Arts is a learned society in Scotland, dedicated to the study of science and technology. It was founded as The Society for the Encouragement of the Useful Arts in Scotland by Sir David Brewster in 1821 and dedicated to "the promotion of invention and enterprise"...
, F.R.A.I.
Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland
The Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland is the world's longest established anthropological organization, with a global membership. Since 1843, it has been at the forefront of new developments in anthropology and new means of communicating them to a broad audience...
, Hon. Jur. D. (Tartu, Estonia), Hon. Sc.D. Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
, U.S.A. He was a Professor of Natural Science
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
, biographer and theologian.
Life
James Y. Simpson was born in Edinburgh on 3 August 1873. His father was Sir Alexander Russell Simpson, professor of midwifery at Edinburgh University and his mother Margaret Stewart Barbour. His father was the nephew of his namesakeNamesake
Namesake is a term used to characterize a person, place, thing, quality, action, state, or idea that has the same, or a similar, name to another....
, James Young Simpson
James Young Simpson
Sir James Young Simpson was a Scottish doctor and an important figure in the history of medicine. Simpson discovered the anaesthetic properties of chloroform and successfully introduced it for general medical use....
, the famous discoverer of chloroform and its use as an anaesthetic. He was educated at George Watson’s College, Edinburgh and at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
which he attended from 1891 to 1894 when he graduated M.A. He graduated D.Sc., by thesis in 1899 after two summers as a research student at Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
. He married Helen Huntington Day of Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, U.S.A., and died on 20 May 1934 in Edinburgh.
Work
As a boy, he visited Paris with his father and was introduced to Louis PasteurLouis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur was a French chemist and microbiologist born in Dole. He is remembered for his remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and preventions of diseases. His discoveries reduced mortality from puerperal fever, and he created the first vaccine for rabies and anthrax. His experiments...
. Pasteur laid his hand on Simpson's head and exclaimed: "Travaillez, mon ami, travaillez!" [Work, my friend, work!] Turning to the father, he said "A-t-il dit, Oui?" [Has he said, yes?] Simpson seems to have implemented Pasteur's injunction throughout his life. In his writings, his dominant interest lay in showing the connection between science and religion. In his view, there is no contradiction between these, and he views Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
as the natural outcome of man's evolutionary progess. Jesus Christ is "the fulfilment of all that went before. . . He is the Alpha and Omega of strictly human history." and so on. In a later book, Nature: Cosmic, Human and Divine (1929), Simpson argues that religion results from the confrontation of Mind with the Infinite Energy of the universe as suggested by Heisenberg's indeterminacy principle. However, he argues more from sincere feeling than from persuasive logic.
Association with Russia and the Baltic States
Simpson's association with Russia began when Prince Nicholas Galitzin visited Edinburgh in the early 1890s. Simpson befriended him, and accompanied him on a visit to Siberia in the summer and autumn of 1896. The object of the journey was to visit Siberian prisons and distribute Bibles and other religious works to prisoners. Simpson made elaborate notes on the topography, agriculture and customs of Siberia. These notes led to the publication of the book, Side-lights on Siberia in 1898. Subsequent books on Russia resulted from his regular visits to that country. In September 1910, Simpson accompanied his father to a Medical Congress in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) in Russia. On this one week's visit he met Baron Nicolai and other Christians who were impressed by his reconciliation of Christianity with science. His last visits to Russia were in 1916 and April/May 1917 before the Revolution took place. In 1919, Simpson worked with the British Delegation to the Peace ConferenceParis Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
at Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
to ensure that the Baltic States
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
were established as independent states. He was subsequently given awards by these four countries in recognition of his services. His last visit to the Baltic States
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
was in June/July 1932, when he received the honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of Doctor of Law
Doctor of law
Doctor of Law or Doctor of Laws is a doctoral degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country, and includes degrees such as the LL.D., Ph.D., J.D., J.S.D., and Dr. iur.-Argentina:...
(D.Jur.) at the University of Tartu
University of Tartu
The University of Tartu is a classical university in the city of Tartu, Estonia. University of Tartu is the national university of Estonia; it is the biggest and highest-ranked university in Estonia...
.
Professional and Other Posts
- Lecturer in Natural Science, Trinity College, GlasgowTrinity College, GlasgowTrinity College, Glasgow, Scotland, is the Church of Scotland's College at the University of Glasgow. It provides special supervision of candidates for the ministry through a Principal and a College Council...
, 1900–1934; - Professor in Natural Science, New College, EdinburghNew College, EdinburghNew College was opened in 1846 as a college of the Free Church of Scotland, later of the United Free Church of Scotland, and from the 1930s has been the home of the School of Divinity of the University of Edinburgh...
, 1904–1934; - Terry Lecturer, Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, 1929, and other lectureships in the United States; - Fellow of Royal Society of EdinburghRoyal Society of EdinburghThe Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...
; - Fellow of Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and IrelandRoyal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and IrelandThe Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland is the world's longest established anthropological organization, with a global membership. Since 1843, it has been at the forefront of new developments in anthropology and new means of communicating them to a broad audience...
; - Fellow of Royal Scottish Society of ArtsRoyal Scottish Society of ArtsThe Royal Scottish Society of Arts is a learned society in Scotland, dedicated to the study of science and technology. It was founded as The Society for the Encouragement of the Useful Arts in Scotland by Sir David Brewster in 1821 and dedicated to "the promotion of invention and enterprise"...
. - Member of Royal Company of ArchersRoyal Company of ArchersThe Royal Company of Archers is a ceremonial unit that serves as the Sovereign's Bodyguard in Scotland, a role it has performed since 1822 and the reign of King George IV, when the company provided a personal bodyguard to the King on his visit to Scotland. It is currently known as the Queen's...
(King’s Bodyguard for Scotland); - Vice-President, Royal Scottish Geographical SocietyRoyal Scottish Geographical SocietyThe Royal Scottish Geographical Society is a learned society founded in 1884 and based in Perth. The Society has a membership of 2500 and aims to advance the science of geography worldwide by supporting education, research, expeditions, through its journal , its newsletter and other publications...
; - Vice-President, Robert Louis Stevenson Society;
- President, West Edinburgh Liberal Association (1931);
- Fellow and Councillor of Royal Zoological Society of ScotlandRoyal Zoological Society of ScotlandThe Royal Zoological Society of Scotland is a learned society and registered charity of Scotland. It was founded by an Edinburgh lawyer, Thomas Hailing Gillespie, in 1909. In 1913, a large plot of land was purchased for the Society by the Edinburgh Town Council on Corstorphine Hill, Edinburgh a...
; - President, World Brotherhood Federation;
- Member of Political Intelligence DepartmentPolitical Intelligence DepartmentThe Political Intelligence Department was a department of the British Foreign Office during World War II. Established in 1939, its main function was the production of weekly intelligence summaries...
, at first in Bureau (Ministry) of Information, latterly in Foreign Office, 1917–19; - Member of British Delegation to the Peace Congress at ParisParis Peace Conference, 1919The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
, attached Political Section, 1919; - President, LatviaLatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n-Lithuanian Frontier Court of Arbitration, 1921;
Professional Honours
- Commander, 1st Class, Finnish Order of the White RoseOrder of the White RoseThe Order of the White Rose of Finland is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion of Finland. The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The orders are administered by boards consisting of a chancellor,...
; - Estonian Liberty Cross, 1st Class, 1920;
- Latvian Order of the Three StarsOrder of the Three StarsOrder of the Three Stars is order awarded for merits in service for Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of founding of Latvia. Its motto is "Per aspera ad astra"...
, 1925; - Commander, Lithuanian Order of GediminasOrder of the Lithuanian Grand Duke GediminasThe Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas is the Lithuanian Presidential Award which was re-instituted to honour the citizens of Lithuania for outstanding performance in civil and public offices. Foreign nationals may also be awarded this Order. The Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke...
, 1928.
Publications
- Side-Lights on SiberiaSiberiaSiberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
: Some Account of the Great Siberian Railroad, the Prisons and Exile System. Edinburgh & London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1898 - Henry Drummond, Edinburgh: Oliphant, Anderson and FerrierOliphant, Anderson and FerrierThis Edinburgh book publishing firm produced many hundreds of books mainly on religious and biographical themes, especially during its heyday from about 1880 to 1910. It is probably best remembered for its memorable ‘Famous Scots Series’ with their distinctive red and gilt covers. Forty-two of...
, 1901, ("Famous Scots Series") - The Spiritual Interpretation of Nature. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1923. [1912]
- Self-Discovery of Russia. London: Constable, 1916
- Some notes on the State Sale-Monopoly and Subsequent Prohibition of Vodka in Russia. 1918
- Man and the Attainment of Immortality. London: Hodder & StoughtonHodder & StoughtonHodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint of Hachette.-History:The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged fourteen, with Messrs Jackson and Walford, the official publisher for the Congregational Union...
, 1922. - Contribution to Vol. VI of History of the Peace Conference at Paris, ed. by Harold TemperleyHarold TemperleyHarold William Vazeille Temperley was a British historian, Professor of Modern History at the University of Cambridge from 1931, and Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge.- Overview :...
. London: H. Frowde, and Hodder & StoughtonHodder & StoughtonHodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint of Hachette.-History:The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged fourteen, with Messrs Jackson and Walford, the official publisher for the Congregational Union...
, 1920-24. - Landmarks in the Struggle Between Science and Religion. London: Hodder & StoughtonHodder & StoughtonHodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint of Hachette.-History:The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged fourteen, with Messrs Jackson and Walford, the official publisher for the Congregational Union...
, 1925. - The Saburov memoirs: or, Bismarck and Russia; Being Fresh Light on the League of the Three Emperors, 1881, by Peter Alexandrovich SaburovPeter Alexandrovich SaburovPeter Alexandrovich Saburov was a diplomat, collector of ancient Greek sculpture and antiquities, and a strong amateur chess player and patron of chess tournaments, as an honorary President of the St Petersburg Chess Club.As the Tsarist Russian envoy to Greece, he assembled an outstanding...
. Translated and edited with an introduction by J.Y.Simpson, Cambridge University PressCambridge University PressCambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
, 1929. - Nature: Cosmic, Human and Divine. Oxford: OUP, 1929, (Dwight Harrington Terry Foundation Lectures on religion in the light of science and philosophy, 1929).
- World Politics and the Kingdom of God. John Clifford lecture; 1933
- The Garment of the Living God. Studies in the relations of science and religion. The Sprunt lectures. With a 'Memoir' by G. F. Barbour. [With a portrait.] London: Hodder & StoughtonHodder & StoughtonHodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint of Hachette.-History:The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged fourteen, with Messrs Jackson and Walford, the official publisher for the Congregational Union...
, 1934.) The above photograph is taken from the frontispiece portrait in this book. - The Thoughtful Minute. [Essays. Reprinted from "The Weekly Scotsman".] London 1937.
- Numerous articles in literary magazines and scientific journals.
Sources
- Who Was Who, Vol. III, p. 1239. London: A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho.
- 'Memoir' by G.F. Barbour in the book: The Garment of the Living God (1934). The above photograph is from the frontispiece of this book.
- Births and deaths information available at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk.
- British LibraryBritish LibraryThe British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
catalogue: www.bl.uk - National Library of ScotlandNational Library of ScotlandThe National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. It is based in a collection of buildings in Edinburgh city centre. The headquarters is on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter...
catalogue: www.nls.uk