The Twa Jimmys

Meet the Twa Jimmys, James Young Simpson and James Paraffin Young, the Romulus and Remus of West Lothian.

These two gentlemen were born in the same year and went onto achieve great things in science and medical science, respectively.

James Young Simpson, was a Scottish obstetrician and a significant figure in the history of medicine. Simpson was first to demonstrate the anaesthetic properties of chloroform on humans and helped to popularise the drug for use in medicine.

James Paraffin Young, was a Scottish chemist best known for his method of distilling paraffin from coal and oil shales.

Please don't get the two mixed up, chloroform and paraffin that it is, the Twa Jimmys don't mind, folk have been getting both of them mixed  up for years.

As a result of their achievements nearly everything in Bathgate is named after them;

Simpson Medical Practice
Simpson Library
Simpson Primary School
The James Young - pub recently shut! 
Bathgate Young Farmers
Bathgate Young Mothers Group
Young and Simpson Public toilets  - 50p a go, concessions available.

The two were awarded the ultimate accolade and presented with honorary bus passes and can (very) often be seen sitting next to each other at the back of the local buses chatting away about who's got them mixed up today.

Some of this may be FAKE NEWS!