he purchased a house a 7 dundas street in the new town. he was by then already acting as senior surgeon to the edinburgh royal infirmary, and also had his own consultancy within the new town dispensary. in 1839 the firm began to manufacture lactucarium, and from 1847 became the main british manufacturer of chloroform, supplying to surgeons such as sir james simpson and dentists such as francis brodie imlach. the firm expanded, building new premises in london and supplied chloroform to the british army and the royal navy.