On this day in 1794 Robert Liston, the first surgeon to use general anaesthetic, was born in Linlithgow.

In 1827, he became a Surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Liston moved to University College London in 1835 as Professor of Clinical Surgery.

Today's recipe: savour the seasonal ingredients in this meal of pot-roasted partridge with cabbage and chestnuts.