James Simson,

FRCSEd The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The RCSEd has five faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical and healthcare specialities. Its main campus is locate ...

(25 August 1795 – 8 March 1876) was a Scottish surgeon, who worked for most of his career at the New Town Dispensary and was surgeon to the Edinburgh prison. He was president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh from 1844-45 and again in 1873.

Early life and education

Simson was born in

Tulliallan Tulliallan (Gaelic ''tulach-aluinn'', 'Beautiful knoll') was an estate in Perthshire, Scotland, near to Kincardine-on-Forth, Kincardine, and a Civil parishes in Scotland, parish. The Clan Blackadder, Blackadder lairds of Tulliallan, a branch of ...

, Perthshire, son of Rev David Simson (1740 –1821), minister at Tulliallan and his wife Ann (née Patterson). Little is known of his schooling but he studied medicine at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

, graduating MD in 1816 with an essay entitled ''Disputatio inauguralis de vitiis variis genu, quaedam pathologica complectens'' (An essay on various conditions of the knee including pathology). He went on to qualify as a Fellow of the

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The RCSEd has five faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical and healthcare specialities. Its main campus is locate ...

in July 1825 with a probationary essay on infanticide.

Career

Simson had a large surgical practice in Edinburgh, was Medical Officer to the New Town Dispensary and also served as surgeon to the Edinburgh prison. He was active in the affairs of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh acting as an examiner and serving as honorary secretary from 1861-1873. He was elected president of the College in 1844 and again in 1873. In 1831 Simson was elected a member of the

Harveian Society of Edinburgh The Harveian Society of Edinburgh was founded in April 1782 by Andrew Duncan (physician, born 1744), Andrew Duncan. The Society holds an annual Festival in honour of the life and works of William Harvey, the physician who first correctly des ...

and served as President in 1841. In 1839 he was elected a member of the

Aesculapian Club The Aesculapian Club of Edinburgh is one of the oldest medical dining clubs in the world. It was founded in April 1773 by Dr. Andrew Duncan. Membership of the club is limited to 11 Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and ...

. He described a procedure for partial excision of the elbow joint for tuberculosis. It has been suggested that James Simpson the renowned obstetrician, changed his name to James Young Simpson to avoid confusion with Simson as the two lived close to each other, Simpson in Queen Street and Simson in adjacent Frederick Street in

Edinburgh's New Town The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It was built in stages between 1767 and around 1850, and retains much of its original Neoclassicism, neo-classical and Georgian architecture, Georgian period architecture. Its ...

Family and later life

In 1859 he married Margaret Combe (1830 -1885), daughter of James Scarth Combe, who had also served as president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. They had a son David James (1861 –1913) and a daughter Alice (1863 – 1944). Simson died at 3 Glenfinlas Street, his final Edinburgh home, on 8 March 1876.Scotland's People. Statutory Register of Deaths. 1876. Edinburgh, St George's. Ref. 685/1 257

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simson, James 1795 births 1876 deaths People from Perthshire Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Medical School Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Presidents of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Office bearers of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh Members of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh