,^ 
 
 :'0 
 
 /5 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 TRIALS OF A PUBLIC BENEFACTOR.
 
 TRIALS 
 
 PUBLIC BENEFACTOR, 
 
 AS ILLUSTRATED IN THE 
 
 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. 
 
 BY 
 
 NATHAN P. RICE, M. D. 
 
 CI ♦***♦*♦* but there is 
 No danger in what show of death it makes, 
 More than the locking up the spirits a time, 
 To he more fresh reviving — " 
 
 Sqaespeark. 
 
 "What's done we partly may compute, 
 But know not what resisted." 
 
 Burns. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY PUDNEY & RUSSELL 
 MDCCCLTX.
 
 Entered, according to Act of Congress, In the year 185S, by 
 
 NATHAN P. RICE, M.D. 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District of New York.
 
 lOO 
 
 ALL THOSE SCFEEREKS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, 
 
 WHO, IN THEIR TIME OF SOREST NEED, 
 
 HAVE BEEN RELIEVED 
 
 BY 
 
 THE BOON IT HAS BEEN THE HAPPY LOT OF THE DISCOVERER TO CONPER, 
 
 AN'D HAVE KETUBKED 
 
 THANKS FOR THE PRICELESS BLESSING, 
 
 THIS boob: is dedicated. 
 
 BT 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 7880GU
 
 The undersigned, officiating as the Executiye Committee of the 
 Physicians and Surgeons of New-York, who have already taken 
 measures toward raising a National Fund for the benefit of Dr. "Wm. 
 T. G. Morton, of Boston, in acknowledgment of his discovery of the 
 Anaesthetic uses of Sulphuric Ether, beg leave to say, that a work 
 setting forth the circumstances connected with and growing out of 
 this discovery, is much needed. 
 
 A work of this sort, as we learn, is now in course of preparation 
 by a gentleman who is fully competent to the task. "VYe have then only 
 to encourage the writer to the speedy completion and publication of 
 his performance ; and we do this the more willingly, under the con- 
 viction that a work on this subject, executed with candor, with 
 becoming accuracy of detail, and with completeness, must be not 
 only of temporary but also of permanent interest, both to the 
 profession and the public. 
 
 JOHN WATSON, M. D., 
 WILLAED PARKER, M. D., 
 JOHN W. FRANCIS, M. D.. 
 GURDON BUCK, M. D., 
 JAMES R. WOOD, M. D., 
 VALENTINE MOTT, M. D., 
 JOSEPH M. SMITH, M. D. 
 
 New-York, July 19, 1858.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 \yHEN inexorable Death, with ever-ready pen, has placed 
 '' finis" to the concluding chapter of some life written only in 
 the book of Time, the friends, and if a person of note, the 
 public, instantly feel curious about all concerning the de- 
 parted, and demand information of his early history and 
 subsequent career. But often it is then too late. With its 
 erasing brush 
 
 " Oblivion, softly wiping out the stain," 
 
 soon leaves all details obscure or contested ; and much val- 
 uable information, accessible in the lifetime of the person, 
 scattered by the four winds of heaven. The history, if 
 then written, can be formed only from facts and dry data, 
 written or printed, from the conflicting narratives of 
 others, or from common rumor ; but the real feelings dur- 
 ing the life-struggle, the bitter experiences and gratifying 
 triumphs, are to be learned from the mouth of their recipi- 
 ent alone. 
 
 The common way of avoiding this, has been by an a2(to- 
 biography, the writer preferring to speak for himself in- 
 stead of leaving the chance to posterity, perhaps a more
 
 VI _ PREFACE. 
 
 upright and candid judge, but. one less able to enter into 
 its spirit and detail. But generally this method entails one 
 most disagreeable necessity — the person must die anterior 
 to the presentation of the memoir — so that he never knows 
 how it is received, or has an opportunity to correct 
 what is misunderstood or disputed. In addition to the con- 
 ceit the preparation of it evinces, which would deter many, 
 few, unless with rather morbid tendencies, can bear the 
 post-mortem trains of thought it occasions, this perpetual 
 suggestion of coming dissolution ; besides, it must at best 
 prove unsatisfactory ; for the knowledge is ever present 
 that however far along in it progress is made toward eter- 
 nity, the last chapter must be added by another's hand, 
 and may, perhaps, counteract and ruin all the previous 
 ones. The case is similar to the man who in his lifetime 
 makes all the preparations for the last moment — purchases 
 his coffin, and has it ever by his side, and yet knows full 
 well that after the expiration of that moment, others will 
 conclude what he has begun, and, notwithstanding his ef- 
 forts, he may be but slovenly nailed down, and receive but 
 a shabby burial. 
 
 It is said that the life of each person we meet in the 
 daily walks of life, or in the social circle, would, if written, 
 inculcate some valuable lesson — some warning, if ill spent, 
 some encouragement, if passed without reproach. It would 
 seem, therefore, almost superfluous to proffer an apology or 
 a reason why another volume has been added to the 
 already large number respect or self-interest have emitled 
 to the world. But in the present case there are especial 
 and additional reasons : it is one more attempt to procure 
 justice for a man who, unrewarded, has made one of the 
 *most useful discoveries ever given to the world. As thus 
 far he has been vilified and abused, his rigrhts have been
 
 PREFACE. Vll 
 
 disputed, and many of his assertions twisted or disbelieved, 
 it is but fair to suppose that the same course will, unless 
 the subject is cleared during his lifetime, be continued after 
 his death. This, therefore, is the proper time, when the 
 materials are ready, and he is present to explain. Although 
 for many years the attention of those '' whose lot is suffer- 
 ing and pain," has been drawn to this subject, and conse- 
 quently to the man, few know the history, are able to 
 reply to questions concerning the discoverer, or can find 
 facts they would be glad to know, simply because it has 
 heretofore been enclouded with such a haze of contention, 
 and the means of investigation so buried in a mass of scat- 
 tered, and, to most, uninteresting documents. The ma- 
 jority of the information has hitherto reached the public 
 by means of newspaper statements, or disjointed, and, per- 
 haps, garbled reports. No simple, connected statement 
 exists, and, at this moment, the name of the man who has 
 been the means of banishing agony from millions of his fel- 
 low-creatures, is absorbed in the glory of the discov- 
 ery.* 
 
 In the compilation of this work, in addition to the con- 
 gressional documents, printed legal evidence, and other 
 pamphlets accessible to the world, the author has derived 
 much valuable assistance from letters, the carefully-pre- 
 pared private narratives of friends, and from interviews 
 with Dr. Morton himself. It contains all that can be said 
 bearing upon the history of the discovery, aside from the 
 
 * In the Dictionary of Dates, fifth edition — London, 1851 — a work 
 which one would sxippose, from its title, required correctness, is the fol- 
 lowing statement : — " The discovery, in 1846, of ether and chloroform, as 
 anaesthetic agents, promises to be of vast benefit to mankind. The dis- 
 covery that, by inhaling ether, the patient was rendered unconscious of 
 pain, and insensible to any surgical operation he underwent, was first made 
 by Mr. Thomas Morton, of Boston," <fec.
 
 Vlll PREFACE. 
 
 matter contained in these papers ; whenever any assertion 
 has been made, corroborative proof has, if possible, been 
 added, and as much of the personal conflicting matter 
 has been given in the words of others, as could be pro- 
 cured. It may not, in consequence, present so much in- 
 terest as a narrative, but possesses greater value as re- 
 gards details. 
 
 It is true no written work can fully render, during the 
 lifetime of Dr. Morton, that justice which is his due, but 
 which has been so tardily meted out. In the words of Sen- 
 ator Walker, before Congress : '' His most enduring re- 
 ward will be in the undying gratitude of posterity, and 
 a supreme happiness flowing from gratitude to G-od, for 
 being made the medium of such a boon to his creatures."
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 EARLY YEARS. 
 
 Introductory Remarks — The IMorton Family — Ancestors of Dr. Mor- 
 ton — Birthplace of Dr. Morton — An Amateur Practitioner — 
 Early Education — Determination to Study Medicine — Singular 
 Meeting — Adverse Circumstances pages. 13-23 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 BEGINS PROFESSIONAL CAREER HIS FIRST ATTEMPT TO INDUCE 
 
 ANAESTHESIA. 
 
 Dental Surgery as Dr. Morton found it — Attends the Opening of the 
 first Dental College in the World — Commences Practice in Boston 
 — Determines to perfect himself in his Profession — Professional 
 Intercourse — Pays Five Hundred Dollars to Vice-President of 
 American Society of Dental Surgery — Makes an Improvement in 
 his Art — Discovers the Theory of Etherization — Becomes busied 
 with this One Idea — Enters Massachusetts Medical College — Mar- 
 riage — First Case of Local Antesthesia — Daring Experiment upon 
 a Patient — Experiments upon Animals 24-33 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ATTENDS THE MA.'^SACHUSETTS MEDICAL COLLEGE. 
 
 The Dissecting Room — Professors John C. Warren, John W. Web- 
 ster, George Hayrvard, Walter Channing, John Ware, Jacob Bige- 
 low — Massachusetts General Hospital — The Inquisitorial Torture 
 Chamber — Method of Operation before the Introduction of Ether 
 — Pulleys to drag in Dislocated Bones — Woman's Fear of the 
 Scalpel banished — Scenes of Student Life 34-44
 
 XIV CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 PRACTICES DENTAL SURGERY. 
 
 Makes Artificial Nose and Palate — Smiling Appendages — London 
 Exhibition — IDs Professional Income 45-51 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 DISCOVERY OF ANAESTHESIA. 
 
 His Speculations upon Ether — Purchases Books on the Uses of Ether 
 — What Information he found — Determines to discover how dan- 
 gerous — Gives Ether to a Dog — Consultations with Chemists — 
 Gets all the Known Information of the Day upon Ether — Recol- 
 lection of a Conversation with Dr. Morton on the Subject by a 
 Boston Chemist while abroad — Evidence of Early Experiments 
 — Communications — Belief in Ultimate Success of his Experiments 
 — Intrusts his Business to Another — Experiments upon Himself — 
 First Real Verification — Gets a larger Supply of Ether — Deter- 
 mines to Extract a Tooth — Offers Reward for Patients — None could 
 be induced — Experiments upon his Students — Ascertains Differ- 
 ence in Quality of Ether — Crude Apparatus — Experiment endan- 
 gering his Life — First Painless Operation on Man — Threatened 
 Proceedings — Various Effect — Motives that induced Witnesses to 
 his Experiments 52-65 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 KNOWLEDGE ON SUBJECT ANTERIOR TO DISCOVERY. 
 
 Early Existence of Desire to relieve Pain — Oracle at Delphi — Grotto 
 del Cane — Carbonic Acid Gas — Employment of Narcotics — Men- 
 tion in the Bible — Account by Pliny — Dioscorides and other An- 
 cient Writers — Means of preventing Pain among the Chinese — 
 Customs in other parts of the East — The Old Man of the Mountain 
 — Haschisch — Modern Use of Drugs in the East — Measures adopted 
 in the Middle Ages — State of Knowledge at Commencement of 
 17th Century — Popular Belief— Arabian Nights — Shakespearian 
 Opinion — Intoxication by Alcohol — Compression — Cold and Frig- 
 orific Mixtures — Mesmerism — Anccsthesia by Inhalation — Nitrous 
 Oxide Gas — Previous Usc^of Sulphuric Ether — Knowledge of its 
 Effects after Inhalation — Claimants of the Discovery — Chloroform 
 — Other Substances Employed — Benefits of the Discovery — Method 
 of Action of all Anaesthetics 6G-87
 
 CONTEXTS. XV 
 
 CHAPTEK VII. 
 
 THE PUBLIC TRIAL. 
 
 Morton takes Measures to make the Discovery public — Interview 
 with Dr TTarren — A Critical Moment — Invitation to Experiment 
 at the Hospital — Dr. A. A. Gould — Trials and Difficulties — Oppor- 
 tune Arrival — Operation at the Hospital — The first Public Trial 
 — Morton holds One of the Gates of Death — A Proud Moment for 
 Dr. ]Morton — Action of the Surgeons — Their Refusal to continue 
 to use the Agent — Offer of Dr. Morton — The Veil removed — Re- 
 sult — Remarkable Case — The Liberality of the Trustees of the Hos- 
 pital — Risk of Indictment for ^lanslaughter 88-99 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE ANNOUNCEMENT. 
 
 Effect of the Announcement of the Discovery — A Biographical 
 Parallel — !Morton Fortifies Anaesthesia — Published Accounts — Re- 
 joicing in America — "Woman in her Hour of Trial — xinnounce- 
 ment in England — Joy — Letters — London Journal — Dr. Morton's 
 Deserts — First Operation in England under the Influence of Ether 
 — Proclamation over the Rest of Europe — News too Good to be 
 True— A Change in Feeling 100-112 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 OPPOSITION. 
 
 Professional Jealousy — The Dental Manifesto — Upbraided for An- 
 nouncing a Humbug — Opposition of Physicians and Editors — Re- 
 plies — Medium of Publication — Dispiriting to Dr. Morton — Offer 
 to the United States Government — The Reception of the Offer — 
 Headquarters — Religious Scruples against Ancesthesia — Congress 
 jealously regards Anaesthesia — Letter of Dr. Simpson — A Case 
 in Point 113-127 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE PATENT. 
 
 Reasons for securing a Patent — Generosity of Doctor Morton — Gift 
 to the Hospital — The Patent Secured — Terms and Advantages of 
 the Patent — Gifts Abroad — The Inhalers — The Christeniog — Let- 
 ter of Dr. 0. W. Holmes — Physicians ask Congress to buy 
 Patent 128-141
 
 XVi CONTE^fTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 CONTROVERSY — NITROUS OXIDE — WELLS. 
 
 Futile Attempts of Wells with Nitrous Oxide — He abandons his 
 Experiments — Exhibits Birds — Sells Patent-Rights and Pictures — 
 He visits Europe — His Letter in Hartford Courant — Nitrous 
 Oxide dependent on Mesmerism — Examination of his Claim — Its 
 Basis — Is Nitrous Oxide Gas a Proper Anaesthetic ? — "Was he the 
 Former of the Original Induction ? — Claim of Dr. Cooley — Failure 
 of Wells with the Gas in New- York — Can the Effects of an Anaes- 
 thetic be resisted by an Effort of the Will — Dr. Hayward^ of Bos- 
 ton, testifies Wells admitted he never used Ether — The Import- 
 ant Article in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal — Foray 
 into the Enemy's Camp — The Search for the Auxiliaries — One Hun- 
 dred Dollars Reward — Dr. Wells in Paris — His Article in Gal- 
 ignani — Important Correspondence between the Claimants — Proof 
 that Dr. Wells did not act the Part of a Discoverer — The Different 
 Issue made — Basis of Wells' Claim — Curious Reasoning — The 
 Challenge — Was Dr. Wells a Plagiarist? — Was the Discovery 
 made before 1846 ? — The True amount of Credit due Dr. Wells — 
 His Death — The Insinuations against Dr. Morton — Hon. Truman 
 Smith appears upon the Stage — His Letter and Circular... 142-167 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 CONTROVERSY CONTINUED — A SUGGESTION JACKSON. 
 
 Interviews between Dr. Charles T. Jackson and Dr. W. T. G. Mor- 
 ton — Dr. Jackson's Financial Proposition — First Acquaintance of 
 the Two Claimants — Their Friendly Intercourse — The " Tooth- 
 ache Drops" — The Germ of the Ether Controversy — The True 
 Position of the Parties — The Obligation of Dr. Morton — Why 
 Jackson was associated with Morton — Balm to a Troubled Con- 
 science — Execution of Papers between Jackson and Morton — The 
 Statement of Dr. Jackson — Admits he made no Experiments — An 
 Examination of his Claim — Its Basis — Singular Conduct for a 
 Discoverer or a Benefactor — Goes Back Four Years — The Meeting 
 called by Dr. Jackson, in Boston— The Opinions of the Members 
 — Jackson simply a Spectator to Morton's Experiments — The Pen 
 Mightier than the Sword — Jackson disclaims Anaesthesia — Opin- 
 ion of Dr. Morton as regards the Aid received from Dr. Jackson 
 — Problematic Honors — Monomania — Claims the Telegraph — Ex-
 
 CONTENTS. XVii 
 
 emplification of the Creed, ^-'All is Fair in War " — Steals a March 
 upon Morton — Denounces Everybody that espouses Morton's 
 Cause 168-200 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE AWARD OF THE FRENCH ACADE.MY. 
 
 The Xews reaches Paris — The Opposition — The Concealed Blow — 
 The Letter to the French Academy — Effects — Indignation of 
 
 Dr. Morton Temporary Adjustment Procrastination The 
 
 Epistolary Imposture in the Boston Daily Advertiser — Another 
 Attempt at an Arrangement — Morton proposes an Arbitration — 
 More Duplicity — Morton commences his Defence — Difficulties in 
 establishing his Claim — The Institute of France refuse Fifteen 
 Minutes to Morton's Claim — Detention of Documents — Sold for 
 OJd Paper — The Decision of the Academy of Sciences — Its Value 
 —The Medal 201-218 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 FIRST APPLICATION TO CONGRESS. 
 
 Reasons for deciding to apply to Congress — A Recompense — Prece- 
 dents — Petition of Dr. Jenner — Dr. Morton's Memorial presented — 
 The Finale — Opinion of Dr. Jackson on the "Wells' Claim — Report 
 of the Massachusetts General Hospital — Gift from Bostonians to 
 Dr. Morton — Letter from Professor J. Y. Simpson 219-229 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE ERA OF PERSECUTION, 
 
 An Unpleasant Surprise — A Dilemma — Plotting — The Coup d'Etat 
 — The Destruction of the Bond — The Threat — Malignity never at 
 a Loss — An Agent's Deposition — Transferrcnce of Operations to 
 Europe — A Trap laid — Dr. Jackson's Letters to Mr. Whitney — 
 Mr. Poore's Account — False Insinuations — Epistola rediviva — The 
 Telegraph made a Scape-Goat — Charge Laid before Council of 
 Freemasons — Before the Trustees of the Massachusetts General 
 Hospital — The Attacks getting Nearer Home — An Auto Da Fe 
 — Official Interference — The Slanders presented to Congressional 
 Committee — Their Failure — More Violence — A Libel in a Scurrilouf: 
 Newspaper — An Explanation — Arrest of Dr. Jackson — Falsehood 
 — Opposing Assertions — The Saving " Card" — The True Position 
 of the Claimants — Look on this Picture, then on That : Letter from 
 the Mayor of Boston contrasted with One from Dr. Jackson, Both 
 addressed to the Mayor of New-York 230-263
 
 XVUl CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 PECUNIARY DIFFICULTIES 
 
 Retrospect — Intercourse of Dr. Morton with Dr. Keep — Partnership 
 formed between them-Its Dissolution — Desertion — The Mysterious 
 Stranger — The Anonymous Letter — Fears for the Future — The Rid- 
 dle — Its Solution — A Shrewd Plan — Its Success — More Injuries — 
 Prostration — '- A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed" — Corrobora- 
 tive Letters — The whole Pack of Hounds let Loose— 111 
 Health 264-281 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE SECOND APPLICATION TO CONGRESS. 
 
 Dr. Morton decides to visit Washington — Tne Lion in the Way — 
 True Friends — Letters from Drs. Homans, Robbins, 0. W. 
 Holmes, Charles G. Putnam, Jacob Bigelow, John Jeffries, Robert 
 W. Hooper, Henry J. Bigelow, A. L. Peirson, George Hayward; 
 George M. Briggs, Governor of Massachusetts, John P. Bigelow, 
 Mayor of Boston, Hon. Charles Sumner, Hon. Rufus Choate, Ex- 
 Gov. Morton — Dr. Morton's Memorial — Demonstrations at Washing- 
 ton — Arrival of Dr. Jackson at the Capital — Dr. Morton and Prof 
 Morse — Report of the Congressional Committee — The False Affi- 
 davit — The Lucky Slip of Paper — Honorary Medical Degree 
 conferred 282-309 
 
 CHAPTER XVIIl. 
 
 THIRD APPLICATION TO CONGRESS. 
 
 Assistance of Friends — Letters from Drs. 0. W. Holmes, George 
 Hayward, Henry I. Bowditch, S. W. Henderson, R. W. Hooper, 
 Judge McLean, Hon. Albert Smith, Hon. B. B. French — Interview 
 with Hon. Daniel AYebster — A Plan of Operations agreed upon — 
 The Committee appointed — Action before Committee — The Circu- 
 lars to Medical Men — The Snake Shows its Head — Valuable En- 
 dorsements — Letters from Surgeon-General, Chief of the Bureau of 
 Medicine and Surgery, Hon. Sam Houston, Hon. A. G. Brown, 
 Hon. J. P. Walker, Hon. W. Brookes, Hon. James L. Orr, Hon. 
 Alfred Gilmore, Hon. Horace Mann, Hon. Thomas B. Florence, 
 Hon. Emanuel B. Hart, Hon. W. W. Snow, Hon. Gilbert Dean, 
 The Secretary of War, Secretary of the Treasury — Difficulty in 
 getting Report before Congress — Project of the Chairman of Com- 
 mittee—Its Failure— Amendment to the Army Appropriation Bill
 
 CONTENTS. adx 
 
 — Debate in Congress — Speech of INIr. Borland — Singular Conduct 
 of Hon. Truman Smith — His "Wisdom — The Proposal made — 
 Speeches of Mr. Shields, Mr. Douglass, Mr. "Walker, Mr. Mallory 
 — Postponement procured by Mr. Hale — The Vote — Discourage- 
 ment 310-353 
 
 CHAPTEK XIX. 
 
 THIRD APPLICATION CONTINUED. 
 
 Unhappy Condition of Dr. Morton — The Commission at Hartford to 
 take Testimony in perpetuavi — The One at Boston — The Memorial 
 of the Boston Physicians — The Petition of the Trustees of the 
 Massachusetts General Hospital — The Petitions presented to Con- 
 gress — The Committee formed — More Difficulties — The Report 
 published — The Proposition of Dr. Morton to have it decided le- 
 gally—The Vote— Another Failure 354-375 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE LAST DEFEAT. 
 
 The Bill presented by Mr. Everett — Protest of Dr. Jackson — Passes 
 the Senate — Singular Conduct of the Speaker of the House of 
 Representatives — The "V^ote and Last Defeat — The Manner in which 
 Dr. Morton comported Himself — Agricultural Life — His Reputa- 
 tion at Home — Return to New-England and Reception — Etherton 
 Cottage— The Family Fireside 374-389 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 ACTION OF THE EXECUTIVE. 
 
 A Leaf out of the Records of the Circumlocution Office — A New 
 Course ordered Him — "'Artful Dodgers'' — Opinions on the Patent 
 — Protest to the Executive— The Replies— Official Etiquette— A 
 Game of Battledore—The Design of Dr. Morton — Waits for the 
 Report of Prof. Henry— Hon. Mr. "Witte— The President of the 
 United States takes a Hand in the Game — False Hopes — Dr. 
 Morton plans a Visit to Europe — Credential Letter from Secretary 
 of State of the United States — The Arrangements made — Letter 
 from the Secretary of the Board of Agriculture — Unfortunate Re- 
 sults — No News from "Washington — The Dernier Resort — Letter to 
 the President — An Audience with the President — Shipwreck of 
 his Hopes — Dark Prospects — Race for the Despoliation. . . 390-420
 
 XX CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 ACTION OF THE BENEVOLENT. 
 
 Mr. Amos A. Lawrence — His Kindness — Suggests a Meeting of the 
 Philanthropic in Boston — The Plan of a National Testimonial 
 formed — The Appeal — Donations of Public Institutions — Individ- 
 ual Subscriptions — The Movement in New-York— Letters from 
 Governor Banks, Drs. James Jackson, Jacob Bigelow, 0. W. 
 Holmes, John Jeffries, and S. B. Townsend — The Committee meet 
 — The Circular of the Medical Profession — Plan of bringing the 
 Subject before Public Institutions — Resolution of Medical Board of 
 Bellevue Hospital — Report of Committee on Bellevue Hospital — 
 Subscriptions of Public Institutions of New-York — The Opinion 
 of the Counsel for the Corporation of New-York — Dr. Morton con- 
 strues the Advice of the President literally — The Government Pro- 
 secuted — An Explanation — An Account Current with Mankind — 
 Cost of Introducing the Discovery — Questions for Mathematicians 
 — Reliance upon Medical Brethren 421-453 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 Review of the Case of Dr. Morton — Treatment received by all 
 Discoverers — Success the Best Reward — Comparison of Case of Mr. 
 Cyrus W. Field — Probable Reception of Some of the Statements 
 contained in this Book , 454-460
 
 CHAPTEE I. 
 
 EARLY YEARS. 
 
 ' Yet unto thee, New England, still 
 Thy wandering sons shall stretch their arms, 
 And thy rude chart of rock and hill 
 Seem dearer than the land of palms." 
 
 — T.G. Whittier. 
 
 There is a distinctive character about a New-England village, 
 which has no counterpart in those of any other portion of the 
 Union — a difference somewhat difficult to describe, but one sure 
 to impress the traveler as he passes from on^ part of the country 
 to another. 
 
 The sunny South, with its more genial and settled climate, 
 allowing a life to be passed for a large portion of the year in the 
 open au', by the less carefully constructed houses, the large open 
 windows and ill-closed doors, by the many loop-holes and cran- 
 nies, with their cross-draughts and counter-currents to strike 
 terror to the heart of northern rheumatism, leaves on the mind 
 of the visitor an impression of carelessness, if not shiftlessness. 
 Owing to the large tracts owned by the planters, and the almost 
 feudal character given the wealthy by the prerogative of slavery, 
 there is in the towns less the appearance of compactness and so- 
 ciality, and more of those striking evidences of differences of 
 rank and position, which are especially obnoxious to the feelings 
 of the genuine Yankee villager.
 
 14 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. I. 
 
 In the young and growing "West, tlie gi'eed for gain, or its sud- 
 den acquisition, shows its effects in every act of man's handi- 
 work. In, the farm, where the log-cabin and the mud-plastered 
 hut are looked upon, not as the family homes, but as places for 
 temporary deposit for the bodies containing the energy and cour- 
 age which are to secure a fortune from the countless acres sur- 
 rounding them ; in the mushroom towns, where the brown stone 
 front of some fortunate speculator jostles the rude cabin of some 
 early pioneer — where the paved and lighted streets, and other 
 conveniences of an older civilization, are abruptly terminated by 
 the primeval forest, or the unbroken prairies — where all that 
 meets the eye betokens a young, wild, untrimmed, but still a vig- 
 orous, healthy growth — one which will soon, by increase of 
 years, remedy what are now so apparent defects. 
 
 But in the New-England town there is a pervading air of 
 quiet respectability, a solid look of permanency and demure ma- 
 turity, which is seen in every farm-house, and its surroundings, 
 from the capacious, non-picture&que, glaring white house of the 
 last builder, with its comfortable, well-constructed rooms and 
 latest improvements, to the mossy thatched weather-beaten cot- 
 tage of the oldest family in the town. The barns and out-build- 
 ings, larger and often better built than the houses ; the massive 
 stone walls, the well-tilled fields, with each stone removed ex- 
 cept the huge boulders, the inevitable accompaniments of a New- 
 England landscape, all show the amount of the labor demanded 
 from their sturdy owners, and the constant care and' attention 
 bestowed. 
 
 There is much about them to remind one of many of the Eng- 
 lish hamlets. There are the same old mossy walls and quiet, 
 shady walks — tlie same decorous stillness pervades them ; but in 
 addition, there is more of the true appearance of thrift, and of 
 the well-to-do- in-the-world look of the man, fair, fat and forty, 
 who has something in bank laid by for a rainy day, and a sturdy 
 architectural independence, as if each house owner was proud 
 that he had made his way to his present prosperity by his own 
 exertions, and was only too glad to let every passer-by know the 
 fact.
 
 CHAP. I.] THE ilOKTON FA.^IIIA'. 15 
 
 From such towns as these emanate that restless, shrewd, ener- 
 getic class of men who have done so much to make New-Eng- 
 land what she is. From such a town, each day in the year, some 
 kind, wise father, or indulgent mother, sees a son start out to 
 carve himself a place among the wealthy, or to strive for an 
 honorable position with the wise and. good. With a soil too 
 sterile to support all who would wish to stay, and her means for 
 acquiring wealth too few and difhcult to satisfy the demands of 
 most, it has been the fortunate lot of New-England to see more of 
 her sons exiled to other States respected, powerful, and beloved, 
 than any other portion of the country. 
 
 Such a New-England village is Charlton, one of the many 
 comprised in the large, wealthy, and fertile county of Worcester, 
 in the State of Massachusetts. Nestled among the hills, beauti- 
 fied by many a sheet of water, it has always from its foundation, 
 furnished to the call of the country a hardy, healthy yeomanry, 
 and kept for its demands at home a virtuous, intelligent, ener- 
 getic community. 
 
 Here from the commencement of the 18th century, had dwelt 
 the maternal ancestors of Wilham T. G. Morton, the subject of 
 the present sketch. Originally from Salem, and other towns on 
 the Atlantic seaboard, they had at this early period been induced 
 to settle here from the superior advantages afforded in the inte- 
 rior for agricultural pursuits, or because dissatisfied under the 
 restrictions of what was then called a city life ; and living quietly 
 and unambitiously as prosperous farmers, have left behind them 
 a legacy of respect and esteem. His ancestors on the father's 
 side, that family of Mortons, so often and honorably mentioned 
 in the early chronicles of New-England, had at an early period 
 in our history emigi'atcd to this countiy from Scotland, to search 
 in the New World that freedom of art and thought, and that 
 religious liberty, which was not vouchsafed to them in the old. 
 
 Among them was one Kobert Morton, a merchant, who set- 
 thng first in Mendon, a town in the vicinity of Charlton, was 
 afterward induced, by love of speculation, to remove to New- 
 Jersey. Plere he acquired by purchase for three ship loads of 
 goods, several thousand acres in the eastern part. Upon what was
 
 16 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. L 
 
 then a portion of his domain, is now situated the large and pros- 
 perous city of Elizabethto-wn. Singular to state, the original 
 grant has never been sold, or in any way cancelled, and at the 
 present time, with the original title deed in the possession of Dr. 
 Morton's family, we have the novel spectacle of a city of squat- 
 ters — for in that way was the land and title placed in the posses- 
 sion of the present holders. It has often been suggested that 
 the claim be prosecuted, but with the knowledge of the law's 
 delays, the length of time required, and the multitude of obstacles 
 to be thrown in the way, the attempt has never been made by 
 any of the descendants. 
 
 James Morton, a son, had at an early age settled at Smithfield, 
 a town in Rhode Island, the inducement being a colony of Qua- 
 kers, (of which sect he was a member,) who, attracted by its dis- 
 tance from other settlements, and its superior farming advantages, 
 had for a long time lived here. 
 
 "When the war trump was sounded through the quiet villages, 
 and the example and exhortations of the ministers were added 
 to the demands made by the leaders of the down-trodden people 
 to rise and assert their rights, among the first to respond to the 
 call was this same son, v/ho, forsaking his home, his wife, and his 
 children, partook of all the dangers and vicissitudes of that period, 
 from the battle of Bunker' s-Hill until the close of hostilities had 
 established as a settled fact the declaration of the people, that 
 they would forever remain free and independent. 
 
 Thomas Morton, a son, who was born in 1759, shared with 
 him the perils of this trying time, and shoulder to shoulder breast- 
 ed, equally with his father, all the difficulties which their cause 
 imposed, or took the young man's share. At the close of the 
 war, and after his return home to the bosom of his family, and 
 the love of a young wife, to whom he had been united a few 
 years before, he was accidentally killed upon his own thresh- 
 old. One morning, when about to start witli his aged father to a 
 neighboring justice's to arrange the will and some fomily pa- 
 pers, he was appealed to by an old family slave, who, with a lu- 
 gubrious air, complained of the dullness of his scythe, and proffered 
 the request that it should be taken to the town to be sharpened. On
 
 CHAP, 1] ANCESTORS OF DR. MORTON. 17 
 
 their way out of the gate with the implement in the vehicle, the 
 horse became unmanageable, and Thomas, in endeavoring to leap 
 from the chaise and seize his head, fell upon the scythe, and re- 
 ceived so serious a wound, that, in a short time, he breathed his 
 last. 
 
 James, his son, (and the father of Dr. Morton) at that time 
 a boy of but six summers, was much afflicted by the horrors of 
 this dreadful catastrophe, and often afterward related the par- 
 ticulars so minutely, as to show the indelible impression which it 
 had made upon his memory. 
 
 After the death of his father, his mother, who seems to have 
 been a woman of rare energy and prudence, and well qualified 
 to act in the trying position in which she found herself placed, 
 devoted herself to the mental culture and moral well-bemn; of 
 her children, a task in which the results show how admirably she 
 succeeded. Her father had purchased a farm which was con- 
 veyed to her in trust, for her children. Upon this, the young 
 boy found full employment for his time and his natural energy, 
 and by his untiring exertions contributed much to the support 
 of his family. 
 
 At the age of 21, the whole farm came into his possession by 
 purchase from his mother — and shortly afterward a new claim 
 was made upon his care and affection, by his marriage with a 
 young person at Charlton, whose acquaintance he had made a 
 short time before when on a visit in that town. 
 
 The wish of his wife, and attachments which he himself had 
 formed with her relations and friends, induced him shortly after- 
 wards to sell his farm at Smithfield and remove to her place of 
 birth, where he purchased a house and farm of about 100 acres, 
 which for a long time had been, and still is, in possession of his 
 wife's family. 
 
 At this place, on August 19th, 1819, William Thomas Green 
 Morton was born. The house where this event occurred is a 
 fitting representative of those cradles where are nurtured so 
 many of our prominent men. A large square old fashion wood- 
 en house, with an immense stone chimney in the centre, shaded 
 by old trees, and covered by creepers and climbing plants ; it was
 
 18 DISCOVERY OF ETHKRIZATION. fCHAP. I. 
 
 surrounded by well kept fields, and set off by a dark back-ground 
 of woods and orchards. The brook, which passed close by the 
 door, a skating ground in winter, was diverted from its course 
 to supply the house with water. The rooms of the house were 
 large but low, and each was provided with a fire-place capacious 
 enough to almost answer as a subsidiary room. The parlor, 
 clean, and always closed except for state occasions, with its walls 
 curiously covered with well executed paintings of hunting scenes, 
 birds and fruits, was set round with that solid old-fashioned 
 furniture, which is now so rare and valuable. The kitchen, the 
 common and most used room in the house, with its dressers load- 
 ed down with bright burnished tins and quaint crockery, was or- 
 namented wherever a rafter gave an available place, with strings 
 of dried-apples, squashes, and pumpkins for the winter consump- 
 tion, or bunches of fennel and boneset for medical use. All 
 within was clean and plain, with a place for everything and 
 everything in its place. 
 
 " The character of the scenes in which we are brought up," 
 says a prominent writer, *' impress themselves upon our souls. 
 As is the place, so is the man. The mind is a mirror before it 
 becomes a home." Few of those who at an early age have left 
 their homes in New-England, can fully realize the effect which 
 has been produced on their after characters and tastes, by the 
 associations and habits of their earlier years. Few are fully 
 aware of the lasting nature of the moulding which has been re- 
 ceived at the impressionable age of childhood. 
 
 The early years of the young boy were those of most New- 
 England young men, especially those from the country towns. 
 In the spring full employment was afforded in assisting in the 
 manufacture of maple sugar, by tapping the trees, catching in 
 the proper vessels the clear juice, or in evaporating it to its proper 
 state for use. Later in the year came the more varied and ex- 
 citing episode of the sheep shearing — much of the labor of which 
 devolves upon the young boys — from the washing of the sheep, 
 to the carrying of the freshly cut fleece to the mill, and through 
 its various stages of carding and hackling, until it is ready for 
 the tailor, who then traveled round, visiting each house, to make
 
 CHAP. I.] AN AMATEUR PRACTITIONER. 19 
 
 up the winter's supply of garments. The mowing and haying of 
 summer fully occupied his attention until the time for the husk- 
 ing, apple paring, and the gathering in of the autumn harvest. 
 
 It is thus seen that there was no lack of work suitable for his 
 age ; but still an adequate time for play was also afforded, and the 
 neighboring ponds, in winter, gave evidence of his skill in skating, 
 while his prowess with the rod and gun won him a reputation 
 among his companions. Plis adroitness in the management of 
 horses, and love of riding, rendered him very useful on the farm, 
 and thus enabled him to combine pleasure and profit at the same 
 time. With no knowledge of the world beyond what an occa- 
 sional visit to the community of Quakers, at Smithfield, gave 
 him, and few wishes above what his position easily supplied, he 
 lived a happy, contented life, upon which he has often looked 
 back with grateful remembrance. He was bold, adventurous, 
 healthy and athletic, prone, as all boys, to mischief, but never 
 with any tendency to malice. 
 
 Apparently, now, in an embryonic way, his mind was first 
 directed toward the practice of medicine, and with the soubri- 
 quet of Doctor, and armed with a battery of elder-tree vials and 
 bread pills, he went among his playmates "conquering and to 
 conquer," practicing his art until the ban of denial was tem- 
 porarily placed upon his ambition, by his nearly causing the 
 death of an infant sister by forcing some unearthly compound 
 down her throat, as she lay asleep in her cradle. 
 
 James Morton, who, through his whole life, felt the deficien- 
 cies of his own education, which, by the sudden demise of his 
 father, had been so early interrupted, and only in part resumed, 
 determined to supply to his children that, the loss of which he so 
 much regretted. The nearest school-house, a dilapidated struc- 
 ture, was more than a mile distant across the fields — uncomfort- 
 able in summer, and almost inaccessible in winter — the time 
 which afforded the most leisure for mental improvement. This, 
 obviously, would not suffice for the future, and, therefore, the 
 plan Wiis formed in his mind of a removal to where the educa- 
 tional advantages would be of a higher and more settled charac- 
 ter. But this project met with a decided opposition in the will
 
 20 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. I. 
 
 of his wife, who, born on the spot where her father had cleared 
 the land, and planted every tree, endeared to the place by many 
 pleasant associations, and satisfied with the peaceful retired life 
 which she then led, could not, without too severe a struggle, 
 make up her mind to sever dear old ties to trust herself in a nev/ 
 position among untried friends, and in an unnatural sphere of 
 action. Her home was her world, and she cared nothing for that 
 one outside, of which she had seen enough to dislike, but with 
 which she was not sufficiently familiar not to feel a vague distrust 
 and dread. 
 
 But an accident accomplished what, perhaps, the kind heart 
 of the father never could have brought about. A beautiful es- 
 tate, situated immediately in the heart of the town, in immediate 
 proximity to the schools, had, by the death of the owner, come 
 into possession of the trustees of the Academy, by whom it was 
 offered for sale. This satisfied all the objections of the mother ; 
 it was in the same town as the old home, though two miles from 
 it, and it allowed a constant attendance upon the daily school. 
 
 This removal took place v/hen the young son was about eight 
 years of age. 
 
 Here some advance was made in the character of the instruc- 
 tion afforded, but not enough to raise the standard to meet the 
 ideas of the father. The plan then pursued in most country 
 towns was to have a female teacher during the summer months, 
 and a male teacher for the winter; but the mental acquirements 
 of neither could be of a very high grade, when no permanent or 
 prospective employment was given either. James Morton, there- 
 fore, by interesting himself in the school affairs and its welfare, 
 was chosen to supply a permanent master, which he did in the 
 person of a graduate of Brown University. This was the ini- 
 tial step toward any real acquirement of an education. 
 
 Several years were passed in this alternation of study and 
 work upon the farm, until the increase of age, and a demand for 
 a more extended and stricter mental discipline, suggested to his 
 father his removal to some academy. That at Oxford was ulti- 
 mately selected, and at the age of thirteen he was removed thither. 
 Here he received, and by subsequent changes during the next
 
 CHAP. I.] DETEIIMINA.TION TO STUDY MEDICINE. 21 
 
 three years to Northfield and Leicester, academies which had a 
 high reputation, the only real instruction which he has ever re- 
 ceived. 
 
 His residence in Oxford was in the family of Dr. Pierce, an 
 old friend of his mother's, and a physician of reputation in the 
 country around. Here a fresh impetus was given to the old de- 
 cision to be a doctor. Much of his leisure time was spent in por- 
 ing over some of the medical books in the study, and in trying to 
 acquire from the Doctor some of the avenues of the science. To 
 all his rhapsodies of the pleasures of the profession, and of the 
 looked-for day when he should be old enough to commence the 
 study, the Doctor replied by a grave discouraging shake of the 
 head, and the warning, " Young man, you hardly know what 
 you talk about, and how hard I have to work." 
 
 Still the wish remained, and shortly after, on his next visit 
 home, he announced to his parents his determination to be a med- 
 ical man. This met with universal satisfaction, and their perfect 
 approval. The family physician of those days, especially in the 
 country, was looked upon as a man of note, and of every species 
 of information, and was treated with a commensurate degree of 
 respect. 
 
 On his return to school, it was consequently looked upon as 
 settled that his pathway in life was laid out, and that from that 
 moment he should commence a preparation for the course of edu- 
 cation which was to follow. "Mais I'homme propose et le Dieu 
 dispose. A false accusation brought against him by a boy of 
 disobeying some of the rules of the school, and the demand of 
 the teacher for a confession, followed on his refusal by an ill-judged 
 and outrageous punishment, led him to leave the school, and again 
 seek the paternal roof. 
 
 The violence of the punishment was such, that for many 
 months he was a sufferer in health, and unfit for action or 
 thought. At the expiration of this period he was removed to 
 Korthfield Academy, and subsequently, on account of home-sick- 
 ness, to Leicester, where, for the next two years, he prosecuted 
 his studies with diligence and activity. One of his fellow stu- 
 dents, at Northfield, has stated in a letter, that he was indefati-
 
 S2 THE DISCOVERY OF ETHEEIZATION. [cHAP. I. 
 
 gable in his efforts to acquire information on all subjects ; and that 
 often, while his companions were enjoying themselves in their 
 sports, he Avould be climbing the neighboring hills, diving into 
 the ravines, or searching among the rocks for minerals. These 
 he formed into a collection with such skill, as to attract the at- 
 tention and elicit the warm praises of his preceptor. Dr. Wel- 
 lington. Years passed after young Morton left the academy 
 before the preceptor and pupil again met ; and this, strange to 
 say, took place at the Massachusetts General Hospital, on the 
 memorable sixteenth of October, 1846. The pupil then was the 
 instructor and the teacher, one among the many eminent and 
 learned, who had resorted there to seek for information. 
 
 His father, who, a short time before, had formed a mercantile 
 co-partnership, became now so seriously embarrassed in his 
 affairs, that it was rendered necessary to recall his son from 
 school, and that he should commence to live the usual lot of man, 
 and earn something for his own support. This was a severe 
 blow, but for it there was no relief With all his dearly cher- 
 ished hopes of studying medicine blasted, and with a new career 
 in life apparently forced upon him, he, at the age of 17, left his 
 native town in company with his father, and repaired to Boston. 
 
 Through the influence of some of his friends, a place was soon 
 obtained, in a large publishing house, and he began to indoc- 
 trinate himself into all the mysteries of bookselling. The idea 
 of the change had been in some degree lightened in his mind by 
 the anticipation of increased facilities for study. With spare 
 time at his disposal, and plenty of material for reading, it 
 seemed certain that much valuable information could be ac- 
 quired. 
 
 But in this he was doomed to a disappointment ; the exigencies 
 of a brisk business, and the multifarious duties given a young 
 lad, left him no time to read, much less to study. Disappoint- 
 ment and dissatisfaction followed, and after some months he re- 
 turned to his home, having acquired some knowledge of the 
 world and some warm friends. Among them was one, now 
 well known tlirough her literary labors, Mrs. Sarah J. Hale, 
 who has remained a true and constant friend, and often refers to
 
 CHAP. I] AI> VERSE CIRCUMSTANCES. %^ 
 
 the time when she first knew " Willie Morton," as a clerk in the 
 publication office of her magazine. 
 
 From this time to his majority he alternated between the 
 counter and the school-room, earning what was demanded for 
 his support, but leaving, as often as possible, to supply the intel- 
 lectual craving which he felt. Still possessed with his cherished 
 idea of becoming an educated physician, he looked upon all 
 which he gained, as an assistant in his father's store, and subse- 
 quently when in business with others on his own account, only 
 as a means of accomplishing in the future, this pet and much 
 desired end. 
 
 With this constant unsatified desire, and a natural dislike to 
 the bustle, annoyance and drudgery of his present mode of life, 
 his knowledge of the routine of business could not be very great, 
 nor his powers of protecting himself from the cunning designs 
 of others sufficient to assure him any profit. Such a result 
 followed, therefore, as would be expected ; and duped by his 
 partners, who were older, more shrewd, and better versed in 
 business, his mercantile career terminated in decided disaster, 
 and its abandonment forever.
 
 24 DISCOVERr OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP II, 
 
 CHAPTEE II. 
 
 BEGINS PROFESSIONAL CAREER HIS FIRST ATTEMPTS TO 
 
 INDUCE ANESTHESIA. 
 
 "Men are fond of repeating that discoveries are most commonly the result of accident; 
 vre have seen reason to reject this opinion, since that preparation of thought by which 
 the accident produces discovery is the most important of the conditions on which the 
 Buccessful event depends." — Whewell, Sistory of the Inductive Sciences. 
 
 Previous to the period to which we now refer, the art of 
 dentistry had, but in rare instances, readied the dignity of a 
 separate and respectable profession. Composing a part of the 
 knowledge and duties of every medical practitioner, it was never 
 expected that much relief would be afforded through their aid, 
 except by the extraction of some troublesome and aching tooth, 
 and the employment of such mechanical appliances as the press 
 of a daily round of business and their low price allowed. Even 
 in the larger towns, where constant demand had induced some 
 to turn their attention to this as an especial study, but few were 
 really competent and well-skilled men. Ignorant of everything 
 appertaining to this branch except what could merely be ac- 
 quired by them from their own experiments, without previous 
 education, they did not hesitate unscrupulously to subject their 
 unsuspecting victims to every mischance which their ignorance 
 or hardihood might cause to happen. It is only necessaiy to 
 quote, in support of this, from the mouth of a man who was 
 fully able to pass an opinion. In an address delivered at Balti- 
 more in the year 1840, by Dr. Chapin A. Harris, he says : 
 
 "No credential or evidence of competency having been looked 
 for or required, the profession has become crowded with indi- 
 viduals, ignorant alike of its theory and practice ; and hence its
 
 CHAP. II.] DENTAL SUKGERY, AS DR. MORTON FOUND IT. 25 
 
 character for respectability and usefulness has suiFered in public 
 estimation, and a reproach been brought upon it, which it would 
 not otherwise have deserved. 
 
 " Often has the cheek of the honorable high-minded man 
 been caused to blush with shame on account of the mal-practice 
 of the ignorant and unscrupulous of his professional brethren. 
 Often have his feelings sufiered the deepest and most painful 
 mortification at beholding injuries that had been inflicted on the 
 teeth of individuals, who, in a spirit of most entire confidence, 
 had submitted them to the care of those not properly skilled in 
 the treatment of the maladies of these organs. The calling of 
 the dentist has been resorted to by the ignorant and illiterate, 
 and I am sorry to say, in too many instances, by unprincipled 
 individuals, until it now numbers in the United States about 
 twelve hundred, and of which I think it may be safely asserted 
 not more than one-sixth possess any just claims to a correct or 
 thorough knowledge of the pursuit. 
 
 " Gladly would I draw a veil of secrecy over these things, but 
 I feel myself bound in justice to the better informed of the pro- 
 fession, and to the public, to denounce the empiricisms that have 
 and do still exist in this department of medicine." 
 
 Such was its character, and so great the difficulties of acquir- 
 ing a real and competent knowledge of it, that few were willing 
 to put themselves to the trouble and expense, and entering blindly 
 upon their career, left it for the public to discriminate upon their 
 merits and demerits. Supplying their want of knov/ledge and 
 skill by adroitness and cunning, they pushed their way into 
 notoriety and public favor, by unblushing effrontery and con- 
 temptible chicanery. 
 
 Many an unhappy individual, ready to exclaim with Burns — 
 
 " My curse upon thy venomed stang, 
 That shoots my tortured gums alang ; 
 And through my lugs gies mony a twang, 
 
 Wi' gnawing vengeance ; 
 Tearing my nerves wi' bitter pang, 
 
 Like raking engines :" 
 
 2
 
 26 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. II. 
 
 his cheek swollen to twice its natural size, and wild and nervous 
 from the wakeful nights passed, has entered the office of one 
 of these quacks, hoping and expecting relief, and looking with 
 anxiety to the expected eljsium which the exit of the tormentor 
 was to warrant. 
 
 Slowly, and with due regard to the terrible sensations which 
 the sight of the instruments brings to the anxious patient — shown 
 by brandishing the forceps before his eyes — the quack then pro- 
 ceeds to seize the offending member. With the delicacy of a 
 blacksmith, and the skill of a hod -carrier, the practitioner imme- 
 diately twists the crown of the tooth from the roots, and leaving 
 the fangs as before imbedded in the jaw, advises the sufferer to 
 return to his domicile, exercise his patience, and obtain what 
 relief he can, not forgetting at the same time to remind him of 
 the fee demanded for his valuable services. 
 
 On the very month that young Morton became of age — in 
 August, 1840, the " American Society of Dental Surgeons," 
 which had been for some time in process of formation, held its 
 meeting of organization. The objects of this society were to 
 give a character and respectability to the profession, diffuse a 
 knowledge of dental theory and practice, but above all to establish 
 dental colleges throughout the United States, for the proper 
 instruction of those whose desire it might be to enter upon this 
 career. 
 
 The first institution of this kind established under the auspices 
 of their society, and by the sanction of the legislature, was the 
 "Baltimore College of Dental Surgery," which was opened on 
 a liberal scale, and with the approval of all the well-meaning 
 members of the profession. 
 
 At this very time, with no business to occupy him, and on the 
 look out for some congenial employment, the attention of young 
 Morton was drawn to this very subject, as but the next remove 
 from his darling idea of the medical profession. He looked 
 upon it as one step in the right direction, and determined there- 
 fore to visit Baltimore and attend the opening of the school. 
 
 Pleased with the prospects opened to him, and the new opportu- 
 nities for the acquisition of knowledge, he held several interviews
 
 CHAP. II.] COMMEXCES PKACTICE IN BOSTON. 27 
 
 with Dr. Haydon, President of the American Society of Dental 
 Surgeons, and a Professor in the new school, and guided by his 
 own proclivities, and the advice given, he decided to commence 
 at once, and perfect himself in this branch of medicine, the prac- 
 tice of which he hoped would furnish him the means of attain- 
 ing the others. During the next eighteen months, he diligently 
 pursued the study of his profession, a portion of the time in Bal- 
 timore, the rest at the North. In 1842, after his graduation he 
 formed a co-partnership with Dr. Plorace Wells, and at once 
 commenced the practice of his new profession in Boston. 
 
 The co-partnership between the two not proving so profitable 
 as was anticipated, it was, in the fall of 1843, dissolved. As sub- 
 sequent events have brought the two partners into a collision of 
 interests, and consequent encounter of claims, it may be as well 
 to show the good feeling which existed between them, and the 
 cause which really induced their separation. In a letter dated 
 Nov. 22d, 1843, Dr. Wells wrote : "We can both of us see at 
 a glance that it is madness for us to go ahead under present cir- 
 cumstances, for the reason that our receipts will barely pay the 
 cost of materials used, even if we had ever so much work at the 
 prices you have taken those jobs now on hand. * * • * 
 I am satisfied in my own mind that our enterprise will be a total 
 failure. So let us give it up and jog along here at home as 
 usual ; in case you do not give up the enterprise, I of course am 
 ready, and do give you notice that I wish to get out of it as soon 
 as our agreement will permit. I wish you to understand that 
 I have not tJie least fault tojind with you ; I have the utmost confi- 
 dence in you as a gentleman, and one who will ever aim to act you?" 
 part well in accordance with the strictest honor and integrity ; we 
 have both exerted ourselves to the utmost, and I believe that our 
 ill-success cannot be attributed to either of us so far as ' go- 
 aheaditiveness ' is concerned." 
 
 One of the first objects of Dr. Morton on commencing his ca- 
 reer in Boston, had been to visit and endeavor to cultivate so- 
 cial relations with all the principal and best educated dentists of 
 the city. His idea being, by the cultivation of amicable relations, 
 and a free social communication to bring about a free inter-
 
 28 DISCOVKRY OF ETHERIZ.VTION. [CHAP. II 
 
 change of thought and knowledge which might prove mutually 
 advantageous, and enable him to acquire much of that informa- 
 tion which can only be received from one of practical experience. 
 For although at this time the results of the " American Society 
 of Dental Surgeons " were beginning to manifest themselves, and 
 much valuable information was diffused among the profession by 
 the " American Journal of Dental Science," a magazine a short 
 time previously established under the auspices of the new socie- 
 ty ; still this was but limited in amount, and not explicit or in 
 quantity to satisfy the demands of an ambitious inquiring mind. 
 But all these attempts met but with indifferent success. Jealous 
 of each other, and of their own reputation; afraid that some pro- 
 cess or appliance introduced by themselves might be adopted 
 and improved upon by some successful rival ; depending for their 
 incomes upon the reputation and notoriety of some private spe- 
 cific or peculiar operation — they could not act otherwise than shy 
 or morose at the request ot any co-laborer to enter their labora- 
 tories or operating rooms. 
 
 Rebuffed but not discouraged, this awoke in his mind the de- 
 termination to investigate for himself. With a firm reliance on 
 his own shrewdness and courage, and a professional knowledge 
 equal for his years to any of his competitors, what reason 
 could exist why he should not put together the scattered items 
 of information which he could collect, and slowly and more la- 
 boriously work out the same results, with a chance of being even 
 more successful '? This bold determination, and the consequent 
 mental energy and unsatisfied craving which it induced, have 
 produced as fruits the results of his subsequent discovery. With 
 the fixed idea in his mind that there was constantly more to be 
 known beyond the horizon of his then limited experience and 
 knowledge, it induced a constant exploration in new paths — a 
 reaching out for fresh results. Often blindly and in error, he 
 groped after some end to be attained ; frequently disappointed — 
 and with some fine theory leveled with the ground by its solu- 
 tion in actual fact, he still resolutely pushed his investigations, 
 cheered by the discovery of some hitherto to him unknown fact, 
 or useful bit of information ; and gaining for himself each day,
 
 CHAP. II.] PROFESSIONAL INTERCOURSE. 29 
 
 what was far more valuable to him, proofs of his own power, 
 and authority for his determination to know all, and more than 
 others knew, of his own peculiar branch of labor, and ranked 
 him among that courageous class who "ask no favors and shrink 
 from no responsibility." His naturally strong impulses by this 
 schooling were controlled by patience, and his fiery nature stead- 
 ied by fortitude. The necessity for action which constantly agi- 
 tated his mind, engendered deep, fresh, original thought 
 
 without which no man can be really great as a discoverer or 
 public benefactor. 
 
 Among those who most freely extended to him the right hand 
 of friendship, and imparted the much needed information, was 
 Dr. N. C. Keep, of Boston, then Vice-President of the American 
 Society of Dental Surgeons, and second to none in the practice 
 of his own peculiar branch. This gentleman wrote of him at 
 that time, " as a very enterprising dentist — his mind ever active 
 and seeking for improvement," and said, " I have taken great 
 pleasure in exchanging professional thoughts with him, and am 
 desirous of promoting his honorable intentions." With the hope 
 that much might be acquired from Dr. Keep, which would prove 
 useful to him and his patients an agreement was entered into 
 between them, by which, for the sum of $500, Morton was to be 
 allowed free access to him and his laboratory at all times, and 
 liberty to use whatever his inquiries showed to be advantageous 
 in his own business. 
 
 At the same time he employed himself in collecting a cabinet 
 of specimens, and in perfecting the appliances in his rooms, so 
 that in a short time he possessed the most perfect laboratory and 
 operating rooms in the whole city. 
 
 It was a habit, at the period of which we write, for all den- 
 tists, when fitting false teeth, to set them upon gold plate placed 
 directly upon the fangs of the old teeth, which were never removed. 
 In order to fasten them upon the plate, they were obliged to 
 use a gold solder, which it was necessary to make of a softer 
 character than the plate beneath, as it was universally sup- 
 posed that a heat which would be great enough to fuse the 
 solder, would also be sufficient to melt the plate. As a conse-
 
 30 DISCOVERT OP ETHERIZATION. [chap. I. 
 
 quence of this procedure, a galvanic action was established be- 
 tween the metals composing the solder and the gold plate, which 
 soon changed the color of the solder, and established around the 
 margin of each tooth a most unsightly black line. But this was 
 by no means the worst, the enclosure of the salivary secretions 
 between the roots of the old teeth and the plate, together with 
 this galvanic action, produced a most unpleasant odor in the 
 breath, and even a disagreeable taste in the mouth. 
 
 Struck with the stupid and barbarous character of this custom, 
 Dr. Morton, when in company with Dr. Wells, had devised a 
 plan by which a solder of the same character as the plate could 
 be used. In order to diffuse this information and enable him 
 to experiment more fully, he had extensively advertised what 
 he was able to accomplish, offering to make all pecuniary com- 
 pensation to him contingent upon the success, and giving one 
 year for the tnal. 
 
 But as one necessary adjunct, and in order not to confuse the 
 two causes which then brought about the existing disagreeable 
 result, it was made one of the express stipulations of the agi-ee- 
 ment, that all the old fangs should be removed. The pain of 
 this process, and its difference from the advice given at any other 
 establishment, deterred many from the trial, and, as a conse- 
 quence, he had the mortification of seeing the majority of the 
 many hundreds who flocked to his office, depart with a shrug of 
 the shoulders or a contemptuous denial. 
 
 It was evident if any success was to flow from this invention, 
 that something was necessary to remove this objection, or 
 render the infliction as light as possible ; for this purpose every 
 plan and remedy was tried. Copious libations of brandy or 
 champagne, carried even to intoxication ; laudanum in doses of 
 from 100 to 300 drops,* and opium in masses of 10 or 12 grains. 
 Magnetism was also tried, but in each case with a subsequent 
 
 * Case from note book of Dr. Morton. " Mrs. S — to have the whole of 
 teeth in both jaws extracted. Commenced giving opiates about noon. 
 Gave first 150 drops of laudanum. Twenty minutes later, gave 150 addi- 
 tional. "Waited ten minutes, and gave 100 drops more. Gave 200 drops 
 more with intervals of five minutes. Whole amount given, 500 drops in
 
 CHAP. II.] DISCOVERS THE THEORY OF ETHERIZAIIOX. 31 
 
 trouble and present annoyance, co-equal with the amount of the 
 success. 
 
 Searching after something which would in some way supply 
 this want, he attended many of the meetings of those persons 
 who then went round the country lecturing on mesmerism, and 
 professing to relieve pain and " every ill which flesh is heir to," by 
 certain vapors. But the results of their experiments soon show- 
 ed him their inefficiency, and the falsity of the statements made. 
 He became busied with this one idea ; pre-occupied, he could 
 hardly give his attention to his business, his students and others 
 about him ; consequently, he acquired the reputation of a morose 
 and rather stupid man. It "was an evident and fixed fact with 
 him that there must be something found which would in some 
 way benumb sensation, and that if he could not learn it from 
 others, he must devise the means himself. 
 
 The limited amount of medical knowledge which he possessed 
 be found most seriously to interfere with the prosecution of any 
 investigations he might make ; and as a realization of his old cher- 
 ished hope, he determined to enter his name as a medical student, 
 which he accordingly did in March, 1844, in the office of a phy- 
 sician of Boston. 
 
 In May of the same year. Dr. Morton married Miss Elizabeth 
 AYhitman, a daughter of Edward Whitman, Esq., of Farmington, 
 Connecticut — a union which has received no subsequent shock, 
 and has conduced to the unalloyed happiness of both parties. 
 But he no more allowed domestic felicity to interrupt his investi- 
 gations than he had the requirements of his profession. 
 
 Among the many professional demands during this year made 
 upon him, he was one day in July called upon by a Miss Parrot, 
 of Gloucester, who presented herself to have a tooth filled, which 
 pained her excessively. Finding the agony caused by the use 
 
 forty-five minutes. At the expiration of this, she was sleepy, but able to 
 •walk to the chair. Immediately on extraction of the first tooth, she 
 vomited. She continued in this way for one hour, during which time the 
 rest of the teeth were extracted. She was conscious, but insensible to a 
 considerable degree. On returning home, she continued to vomit at inter- 
 vals during the afternoon. Entirely recovered in a week."
 
 32 DISCOVERT OF ETIIKKIZATION. [CHAP. II. 
 
 of instruments too great for her endurance, he applied to the 
 tooth, in order to deaden the pain, a little common sulphuric 
 ether, the effect of which, as a local application in subduing pain, 
 he well knew. The operation of the ether being slow, and re- 
 quiring time to produce its full eftect, she called several times, on 
 subsequent days, and each time the same application was made, 
 and with equal success. One day, having detained her rather 
 longer than common, and used the agent a little more freely, he 
 was surprised to find, by examining, how completely the sur- 
 rounding parts had become benumbed by it, and the idea occur- 
 red to him, that if the whole system could in some way be brought 
 under its influence, a most valuable means of relief in more in- 
 tense or more diifused pain would be afforded. But the difficulty 
 which arose was, how this could be done. It was obviously im- 
 possible to immerse the whole body in the ether, and it was doubt- 
 ful if it could be washed over the parts in sufficient quantities to 
 produce the desired result. 
 
 It was necessary that some method should be discovered and 
 to this he at once decided to give his whole attention. The in- 
 halation of ether in small quantities, as well as nitrous oxide gas, 
 he had often heard spoken of as having been practised for amuse- 
 ment in his boyhood, and at the various lectures which he had 
 attended ; but the suspicion that the effects could be carried fur- 
 ther than he had seen them never crossed his mind. 
 
 The phenomena which he had just witnessed, seemed to him 
 however, so curious, that he determined to investigate the subject 
 still further, and, with this object in view, collected and perused 
 carefully all the works upon the subject which he could procure. 
 The results of this examination soon showed him that ether was 
 a powerful anti-spasmodic anodyne and narcotic, capable of in- 
 toxicating, and even of stupifying by inhalation ; that it had oft- 
 en been used in this manner as a remedial measure, and in one 
 work he even found an apparatus for its administration described. 
 
 The next move was to verify some of the statements; with this 
 view he repaired to his father-in-law's house in Connecticut, and 
 commenced a series of experiments upon birds and other animals, 
 which however proved but very indifferent successes ; and the
 
 CHAP. II. j ENTERS MASSACHUSETTS MEDICAL COLLEGE. 33 
 
 fact being knoTm among his friends, he felt much mortified at 
 the result. 
 
 On his return to Boston some weeks later, he matriculated at 
 the Medical School of Hai'vard University, and at last reached 
 the ultima thide, the goal for which his ambition for so long a 
 time had pined. 
 
 2*
 
 34 DISCOVERY OF ETHEEIZA.TION. fCHAP. lU. 
 
 CHAPTEE III 
 
 ATTENDS THE MASSACHUSETTS BIEDICAL COLLEGE. 
 
 " Assure yourself that -when you are a perfect master of these institutes, you will 
 Beldom meet -with any point in physic to which you will not be able to speak like a 
 man.— /Sir Thomas Browne. 
 
 The " Medical School of Harvard University," so long and 
 favorably known, from whose halls so many good and eminent 
 men have emerged to give joy to the despairing and hope to the 
 afflicted, had not then been removed to the commodious and 
 completely appointed building which it at present occupies 
 on Grove-street, Boston, but was situated in Mason-street, nearly 
 in the heart of the city, in the building now occupied by the 
 Boston Society of Natural History. This low antiquated struc- 
 ture, not peculiarly well adapted to the purposes for which it 
 was used, had always been regarded by the public with a vague 
 feeling of curiosity, not unmixed with dread. The sombre color 
 of the brick-work, its carefully protected windows, and the 
 general loneliness and gloom of the street, were all well calcu- 
 lated to impress the uninitiated with a sense of distrust and fear, 
 not in any way alleviated by the many scattered stories and 
 reports told of the fearful deeds transacted within, and the hor- 
 rible sights and sounds which some curious interloper professed 
 to have been a witness of 
 
 In company with about fifty other new aspirants for medical 
 favor, Morton presented himself in this building before the Dean 
 of the Faculty, Dr. Channing, and a little dapper old gentleman, 
 whose keen, spectacled eyes, bent on a large pile of bank-bills, 
 told of profit and loss, and showed the business man of the insti-
 
 CHAP. III.] THE DISSECTING ROOM. 35 
 
 tution, to procure the necessary tickets of admission to the 
 several courses of lectures, which were to commence on the 
 ensuing day. This mercantile transaction occupied but a short 
 time, and, soon armed with some large and variously colored 
 pieces of pasteboard, covered with printing, and certified by the 
 signatures of the professors, he started for a survey of the build- 
 ing and his future field of action. 
 
 With that sentiment of curiosity which each tyro feels, he first 
 directed his steps to the dissecting-room, that golgotha whose 
 secrets are so faithfully kept from the prying world. The long, 
 low room, dimly lighted from above ; the rows of dark red 
 wooden tables ; the students lounging about in their red woolen 
 shirts, knit caps and india-rubber sleeves ; some smoking cigars, 
 or short clay pipes, chatting or cracking jokes ; others busily 
 engaged in their work over some unsightly relic of humanity ; 
 the nauseating odor which pervaded the air, in no wise favorably 
 neutralized by the clouds of tobacco-smoke ; the blood dripping 
 to the floor from many a divided vein ; the bits of flesh, hair, 
 and bones, scattered at random over the dirty floor ; the broken 
 colfins piled in the corners ; and the sole ornaments, some grinning 
 skeletons — were not of so cheerful a character, but that he was 
 soon glad to escape into the freer air of some of the other rooms. 
 Such was the place where he was afterward destined to pass so 
 many useful hours. 
 
 The lecture-rooms, which composed the rest of the building, 
 presented little that was curious or attractive. Nearly uniform 
 in their arrangement, there was simply a desk for the lecturer, 
 surrounded, in circular rows, by seats rising one higher than the 
 other. Perfectly plain, with no ornaments or comfortable luxu- 
 ries, they were fitting types of the dry, hard labor which was 
 there to be undertaken. 
 
 The first lecture, attended the next day, was upon chemistry, 
 delivered by Dr. John W. Webster, whose name afterwards 
 attained so public and unenviable a notoriety. This professor, a 
 short, thick-set man, quick and energetic in his movements, with 
 his restless, ever-watchful eye partially concealed by gold spec- 
 taclCvS — at one moment explaining some point or elucidating
 
 86 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. lU. 
 
 some theory ; at the next clashing, in an apparently reckless and 
 careless manner, among his curiously shaped jars and various 
 apparatus and concealed troughs, to establish the fact in the per- 
 formance of the experiment — was never very well patronized by 
 a full attendance of the students. His lectures were not of that 
 value expected and needed by his hearers, as they bore too little 
 upon chemistry in its relations to medicine, and treated too 
 much of the science itself, and of various theories and disputed 
 facts — a mere rudimentary knowledge of which could only be 
 acquired by a course of study much longer than any of those 
 present had either the wish or the time to pursue. 
 
 The anatomical lecture which followed, delivered by Dr. John 
 C. Warren — whose recent death has left a void which can never 
 be filled, and whose singular request, as regards the disposition 
 of his remains, shows the devotee of science and the reasoning 
 man — always secured a crowd of eager students. The Venus de 
 Medici and Belvidere Apollo, the first in marble, the second in 
 plaster, stood sentinels at each side of the door which he entered. 
 A long table for the reception of any specimens or preparations 
 which he designed to exhibit, and before which he stood when 
 lecturing, a number of carefully prepared diagrams and models, 
 were all that disturbed the simple character of the room. 
 
 The Professor, full of years and honors, was at this time at 
 the zenith of his fame, and in the full enjoyment of the confi- 
 dence and esteem of his fellow-practitioners and the public. 
 The change, brought about by age, which a few years later came 
 upon him, had not then in the least dimmed the lustre of his 
 name or brought a shadow of a doubt as to his physical incapa- 
 city. 
 
 His appearance was remarkable, and such as to attract 
 the attention of every one who came in contact with him ; his 
 almost painfully thin, yet upright form ; his high forehead covered 
 with scanty gray hair ; his shaggy eyebrows shading his bright 
 piercing eye ; the deep lines in his strongly-marked face, all 
 showed the man of iron will, and cool, fearless determination. 
 Nor was this in any way disproved by the high brusque authori- 
 tative tones of his voice when lecturing, or about to engage in
 
 CHAP, m.] HIS INSTRUCTOR IN ANATOMY. 37 
 
 some operation. Here the wonderful steadiness of his hand, the 
 unyielding, unimpressionable character of his nervous system, 
 when interested in any detail of his profession, showed one rea- 
 son for his professional success and the benefits which he had 
 been enabled to confer on so many of his fellow-men. It has 
 been said that he was cold, haughty, and even unfeeling ; that 
 he looked upon and cared for nothing beyond his own success 
 and reputation ; that he regarded suffering humanity but as a 
 medium for the exhibition of his skill and knowledge ; but how 
 well was this afterward disproved when he had given up the 
 active exercise of his profession. To him, medicine, the world 
 over, but especially in Massachusetts, owes much ; and his strenu- 
 ous efforts and subsequent successes in the legalization of dissec- 
 tion, and many dissertations and selected cases, will bear their 
 fruits as long as the ars curandi shall remain a praiseworthy pur- 
 suit for man. Nor has science less cause to thank him for his 
 exertions ; and his museum of comparative anatomy, and careful- 
 ly-prepared collection of fossil remains, remain as enduring monu- 
 ments of his patience and industry. His lectures, full of sound 
 instruction for the student of surgery, and of simple plainly-stated 
 facts for the novice in descriptive anatomy, were freely illustra- 
 ted by cases from his varied and extensive practice, together with 
 such bits of information as he knew would prove useful, and 
 which could not be acquired in any other way. Peace to his 
 ashes ! and may honor always cling to the memory of this high- 
 minded, humane man and bold surgeon, whose happy lot it was 
 to be the first to use publicly, regardless of sneers and doubts, 
 that soother of anguish, whose advent he rejoiced in as much as 
 the many whose sufferings it relieved. 
 
 The lecturer on midwifery, Dr. "Walter Channing, whose genial 
 good-natured countenance, rotund form, free and easy manner, 
 still gladden the hearts and eyes of the inhabitants of Bos- 
 ton, although he has retired from his chair at the college, was a 
 universal favorite. The most abtruse points were made attrac- 
 tive by his manner of description, and the most common-place 
 topics were invested with a peculiar and constant interest, while 
 the whole discourse was enlivened with such a never-failing sup-
 
 38 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. III. 
 
 ply of quaint stories, lively jokes, and sparkling wit, that the 
 mere collection of one half that was dropped with such an un- 
 sparing hand, would fill a volume for the retailing of some modern 
 Joe Miller. 
 
 The most important, but perhaps with the exception of chem- 
 istry, the least attractive at first, of any of the subjects pursued 
 by the medical student, is the " Theory and Practice of Medi- 
 cine." The least attractive, because the length and apparent re- 
 petition of the descriptions of the various diseases, the stringency 
 made in the distinctions, and the minutiae of the rules for treat- 
 ment, all demand a constant and persistent attention of 
 the mind, and a severe effort of the memory. Important, because 
 it is the grand aim and object of the course of medical study ; the 
 one gi'eat head to which all the others must be subservient, and 
 to a proper preparation for which they all lead. Even surgery, 
 distinct branch as it is, and apparently in no way allied to its 
 less-showy and non-obtrusive sister, depends for much of its 
 success upon the assistance which is afforded by the knowledge of 
 the body in disease, and the means for its restoration ; and futile 
 would be the efforts, no matter how good the anatomist, or how 
 skillful the surgeon, were there not an auxiliary knowledge of a 
 subsequent course of treatment, and the remedies to be employed. 
 The stillness of the lecture-room, the compressed lips, strained 
 attention, and ever-moving pencils of the students, all evidenced 
 the appreciation of this, and not a word which fell from the lips 
 of the speaker was allowed to pass unnoticed. 
 
 Dr. John AYare, who was then the professor of that particular 
 branch, but who has now in a great measure retired from his 
 connection with the college, and lives in the calm quiet enjoy- 
 ment of a well -spent life, and the results of an extensive and 
 lucrative practice, still nominally engaged in the pursuit from 
 which he has found it so hard to separate himself, but really hav- 
 ing moved his urbs in rure — lectured as he has practised, to the 
 point and successfully, stating what he had to say in a simple and 
 almost too severe a manner. Without a particle of rhetorical 
 flourish, or spai'k of facetiousness, he expounded the greatest 
 principles of his noble profession. No crude theories, wild
 
 CHAP. III.] HIS TEACHER IX SURGERY. 89 
 
 speculations, disjointed thoughts, nor half-digested ideas, fell 
 from his lips ; but all was sure and carefully prepared, composed 
 of the gifts of centuries, and his omi great experience. To the 
 latest day of his life, the student can always refer to the notes 
 taken at his lectures with profit and a feeling that he will not 
 be deceived. 
 
 In appearance he was rather small, but with a trim, well- 
 balanced figure, a singularly pleasing intelligent countenance, and 
 a calm, dignified manner, which was sure to attract and rivet the 
 attention of his pupils. 
 
 Dr. George Hayward, now living in Boston, and in the full 
 practice of his profession, though in no way at present connected 
 with the college, was then the professor of surgery. His lectures 
 were instructive, and his clinical remarks on the cases at the 
 hospital, were full of practical application and of undoubted value. 
 The note-books, the index to the hard-working student, were vigor- 
 ously employed, and many a subsequent operation and wise decis- 
 ion has taken its origin from the lessons acquired under his tuition. 
 Last, though by no means the least on the list of professors, was 
 Dr. Jacob Bigelow, the lecturer on materia medica, who now stands 
 at the head of his profession as a medical botanist, skillful diag- 
 nostician, and scientific practitioner. Nor alone for these will 
 he be remembered, but as the man of refinement and polite culti- 
 vated taste, the votary of art and architecture, the author of no 
 little note, and as the one who has done more than all others to 
 abolish the disagreeable and unhealthy custom of intermural 
 burials, and at the same time founded that ornament and pride 
 of Boston, the cemetery of Mount Auburn. 
 
 With a dignified, but rather stern countenance, a quiet, and 
 unpretending manner of speaking, he at first impressed the stu- 
 dent unfavorably; but when interested in his subject, and warmed 
 by the many thoughts which crowded upon him, so many jokes, 
 and such real wit fell from that grave face, as to almost rival in 
 number those of his brother professor in midwifery. 
 
 Of these six men, it will be seen, not one is now really on 
 active duty at the new college. Two are numbered with the 
 dead, and all have been succeeded by younger men, their former
 
 40 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [OHAP. HI. 
 
 pupils. Well, however, has the mantle fallen, and right trustwor- 
 thily are they putting in practice what the wisdom and instruc- 
 tion of those before them have inculcated. And never at any 
 time since its foundation, has the old college been in better hands, 
 or more deserving of the respect of its absent pupils or of those 
 which are to come. 
 
 As one part of the course to be pursued by the medical student 
 was a daily attendance upon the clinical instructions, in the 
 wards of the Massachusetts General Hospital, young Morton tool 
 every opportunity to avail himself of the advantages which this 
 furnished. 
 
 This noble charity, one of the finest institutions of the kind in 
 the world, is a model of arrangement and constant care. With 
 all its appointments, if in any way erring too much to the side 
 of luxury, with its scrupulously clean halls, its entries carpeted 
 with Canton matting, its stone stair-ways and waxed floors pol- 
 ished to a painful nicety, its attendants, beds and tables so well 
 cleaned that one would almost suspect that it was done for that 
 occasion, did not the visits day after day, show the same result, it 
 presents, the perfection of those buildings, whose principal visit- 
 ors are sickness and death. 
 
 A visit made at an hospital at the time of the daily round of 
 Bome surgeon or physician, is well worth the trouble of any per- 
 son even not engaged or interested in the practice of medicine.. 
 To see him as he passes from the bedside, where the flushed face, 
 shining eye, and restless limbs, show some acute disease, to that 
 where the extended emaciated form and pallid face betoken the 
 chronic, wasting malady, and witness his gentleness, tact, and 
 ready adaptability to circumstances, a lesson can be learned 
 which will not be forgotten for a lifetime ; at one moment with 
 quiet, shrewd smile, humoring yet guiding in the right direction 
 the vagaries of some querulous hypochondriac ; at the next, con- 
 trolling, by his stringent orders and firm will, the delirious ravings 
 of some person under the violence of fever ; now bringing 
 comfort and consolation to the bedside of some frail, delicate 
 girl, whose startled eye, as she looks upon his face to seek for 
 hope and relief, betokens a world of confidence and trust ; and
 
 CHAP, m.] THE INQUISITORIAL TORTURE-CHAMBER. 41 
 
 then, perhaps at the next step, to thi'ow aside apparently all 
 feeling and thought of self, and amid the agony which some oper- 
 ation, rendered imperative, forces him to cause, to preserve a 
 placid, calm exterior, as if there was nothing farther from his 
 mind than that upon Avhich he was then engaged. Here are 
 pronounced those terrible decrees which condemn the strong man 
 to lose those limbs of which he has so long and so fearlessly 
 availed himself; or the delicate w^oman, that bosom, upon which 
 her cherished children so often have pillowed themselves. On 
 all sides can be seen the quiet, uncomplaining, suffering, of hip 
 or spine disease, or the convulsive, overwhelming agony of some 
 maimed or bruised relic of an accident. Can it be otherwise 
 than natural that even if softness of heart exist, it must be hid- 
 den under the cold and callous exterior, and that the welfare of 
 the sick prohibits all other display than what the world calls 
 reckless, unfeeling determination. 
 
 The operating theater of the hospital (in which the first pub- 
 lic exhibition was made of the anaesthetic powers of ether) is 
 situated high up immediately beneath the central dome, arranged 
 very much like the lecture-rooms; it is smaller, in order to allow 
 free view from every part of what is going on in the centre, and 
 has certain other peculiarities. In one corner are the Egyptian 
 mummy and some cases, so long among the popular sights at 
 the hospital ; along one side, in large glass cases, are arranged 
 and kept in careful order long rows of glittering knives, saws, 
 and other surgical appliances, all looking as innocent as if they 
 knew nothing of physical suffering. In various pai'ts of the room 
 are tables, chairs of various patterns, and each made for some 
 especial object ; hooks, rings, and pulleys, are inserted into the 
 wall, and everywhere something meets the eye which shows that 
 it was designed for some specific and terrible purpose. 
 
 Now let us imagine ourselves as spectators in this inquisitorial 
 torture-chamber — and see in review one or two of those opera- 
 tions, common, and rendered necessary, before the introduction of 
 that blessing, ethereal inhalation. The first patient to be brought 
 in is a large and powerful man, who, by a fall, has dislocated the 
 hip joint. The muscles, irritated and contracted, have drawn the
 
 42 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. III. 
 
 head of the bone far from its socket. Laid upon a mattress, the 
 end of the cord of a pulley is attached to the affected limb, while 
 the body, trussed up by appropriate bands, is fastened to another ; 
 now several powerful, muscular assistants seize the ropes, and 
 with a careful, steady drawing, tighten the cords. Soon the ten- 
 sion makes itself felt, and as the stubborn muscles stretch and 
 yield to the strain, one can almost imagine that he hears the 
 crack of parting sinews. Big drops of perspiration, started by 
 the excess of agony, bestrew the patient's forehead, sharp screams 
 burst from him in peal after peal — all his struggles to free him- 
 self and escape the horrid torture, are valueless, for he is in the 
 powerful hands of men then as inexorable as death. But still 
 this must go on, the end is not yet — still a distance intervenes be- 
 tween the ball and its socket; stronger comes the pull, more force 
 is added to the ropes, the tugs, cruel and unyielding, seem as if 
 they would burst the tendons where they stand out like whip- 
 cords. At last the agony becomes too great for human endur- 
 ance, and with a wild, despairing yell, the sufferer relapses into 
 unconsciousness. Providence, merciful in its wisdom to man, has 
 brought the only relief which can be afforded now. The sur- 
 geon avails himself of this opportunity and the relaxation of the 
 tissues consequent upon the insensibility, and seizing the limb by 
 a dexterous twist snaps the head of the bone into its socket. The 
 operation is done, and the poor, prostrated, bruised sufferer can 
 be removed to his pallet to recover from the fearful results of the 
 operation as best he can. 
 
 But at this date how different is the procedure. Now, under 
 the influence of the ether, the same state of insensibility and re- 
 laxation can be at once produced ; and, in most cases, without 
 the aid of pulleys, or any of those other dreadful appliances, 
 with the exhibition of but a moderate amount of force, the sur- 
 geon can at once rotate the bone into its cup. No more of those 
 scenes which would rival the palmiest days of the Inquisition, 
 shock the nerves of sensitive friends — no more screaming and 
 brutal violence accompany each reduction, but all is painless, 
 quiet, unobtrusive. 
 
 Let the next supposable case be one of the many operations
 
 CHAP. III.] WOilAN'S FEAR OF THE SCALPEL BANISHED. 43 
 
 demanded by woman. With a meek, imploring look, and tlie 
 startled air of a fawn, as her modest gaze meets the bold eyes 
 fixed upon her, she is brought into the amphitheatre crowded 
 with men anxious to see the shedding of her blood, and laid upon 
 the table. With a knowledge and merciful regard to the inten* 
 sity of the agony which she is to suffer, opiates and stimulants 
 have been freely given her, which, perhaps, at this last stage, are 
 again repeated. She is cheered by kind words, and the informa- 
 tion that it will soon be over, and she freed forever from what 
 now afflicts her ; she is enjoined to be calm, and to keep quiet and 
 still, and with assistance at hand to hold her struggling form, the 
 operation is commenced. 
 
 But of what avail are all her attempts at fortitude. At the first 
 clear crisp cut of the scalpel, agonizing screams bui'st from her 
 and with convulsive struggles, she endeavors to leap from the 
 table. But the force is nigh. Strong men throw themselves 
 upon her, and pinion her limbs. Shrieks upon shrieks make their 
 horrible way into the stillness of the room, until the heart of the 
 boldest sinks in his bosom like a lump of lead. 
 
 At length it is finished, and, prostrated with pain, weak from 
 her exertions, and bruised by the violence used, she is borne from 
 the amphitheatre to her bed in the wards, to recover from the 
 shock by slow degrees. 
 
 How would the same case be now ? With a sweet, calm smile 
 playing around her mouth — an evidence of pleasant dreams — her 
 eyes fast closed, as in a gentle sleep ; her body extended lan- 
 guidly and listlessly, as in the repose of early childhood, sur- 
 rounded by no ill-favored men, whose powerful aid will be needed ; 
 with no crowd of medical men to guard against unforeseen acci- 
 dents. The surgeon, and his two assistants, to pass the necessary 
 implements, or to assist in stanching the blood, are all who are 
 required. At his leisure — not hurried by the demands of pain 
 to complete as soon as possible — he can coolly prosecute his 
 work, varying it to suit any exigency of the occasion, and 
 ready to profit by any favorable contingency which its course 
 may present. 
 
 When finished, and all is in that proper condition \n hich will
 
 44: DISCOTERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. III. 
 
 demand no fresh interference for some time, the patient is awa- 
 kened from her slumber, and receives the glad information, that 
 it is all over, and she to be tortured no more. The one happy, 
 grateful look which answers this news, can have no value placed 
 upon it. Alone, it is worth a lifetime of exertion and trouble. 
 
 Amid such scenes, at the college, and under the careful pri- 
 vate course at the dissecting-room, under the late Dr. Samuel 
 Parkman, whose death has been so severely felt, Morton passed 
 the ensuing winter, laboriously working, and known as a zealous 
 and faithful student. 
 
 The tedium of the course, and the monotony of study, were 
 occasionally varied by social reunions at the houses of the various 
 professors. Here, refreshed by songs, free and easy chat, and the 
 many luxuries of a well-spread board, he was enabled to form 
 many pleasant and profitable acquaintances, some of whom 
 have since risen to eminence in their profession, and acquired the 
 confidence and esteem of their many clients. How little did his 
 fellow-students dream, as he joined them in their walks through 
 the wards, and witnessed the acute sufferings seen on every side, 
 or as he met with them at these social gatherings, that within a 
 few months Morton would demonstrate before these very profes- 
 sors, and before many of themselves, that he possessed a boon 
 for suffering humanity that had for ages been sought in vain !
 
 CHAP. IV.] MAKES AKTIFICIAL NOSE AND PALATE. 45 
 
 OHAPTEE lY. 
 
 PRACTICES DENTAL SURGERY. 
 " There fields of light and liquid ether flow."— i^z-ycfen. 
 
 During the whole of the period of his attendance at the hospi- 
 tal and school, Morton was obliged to devote a large amount of 
 time, every moment which his studies permitted him to spare, to 
 his own operating rooms and dental laboratory. Being widely 
 and favorably known as a good mechanician and careful operator, 
 the calls, although now aided by a large corps of assistants, were 
 so frequent as to allow him little rest from morning until night. 
 In addition to tliis physical labor, he during this time communi- 
 cated several valuable papers to the medical journals, either upon 
 some improvement in practice, or some novelty in mechanism or 
 dental surgery, for which he received much credit. 
 
 Among these were reports of two cases which are well worthy 
 of mention, as being somewhat out of the line of the dentist, and 
 lying within the domain of the surgeon, and showing what was 
 then his skill and ingenuity. 
 
 A young man applied to him for relief of a deformity, con- 
 sisting of a hare-lip, cleft palate, deJScient palatine arch and na- 
 sal septum, which, in addition to the hideous appearance it gave 
 him, almost prevented his intelligible utterance. Employing the 
 same principles which he had made use of in his new method of 
 sustaining the plates for artificial teeth, namely, atmospheric 
 pressure, Dr. Morton constructed a gold plate, on which were in-
 
 46 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP IV. 
 
 serted the three front teeth which were deficient. This he ad- 
 justed so accurately over the place where the tissues were defi- 
 cient, that not only was all appearance of deformity nearly rem- 
 edied, but the young man could distinctly pronounce each letter 
 of the alphabet, and was soon able to converse nearly as well as 
 any ordinary person. 
 
 This success attracted in a great degree the attention of many dis- 
 tinguished persons, among others, Dr. J. Mason Warren, who has 
 done so much himself for the relief of this very deformity, and added 
 so much valuable matter to the literature of the subject of the ope- 
 ration for Staphyloraphy. The well known elocutionist, Mr. 
 William Russell, stated in a letter : "I have been much impress- 
 ed with the success attending the use of the artificial substitute. 
 The exact and skillful adjustment of the article to the defective 
 parts of the mouth, seemed not only to contribute to the conve- 
 nience and comfort of the patient, but to secure, to a very great 
 extent, the natural and proper sound of the voice, and the dis- 
 tinctness of the articulation. In this instance the good effect 
 was such as I could not have credited without actual observa- 
 tion. " 
 
 The second case was that of a young woman who, by disease 
 bad been so unfortunate as to lose the whole of her nose. Hav- 
 ing taken an accurate mould from a dwarf in the city, who 
 was noted for the beauty and symmetry of her nasal protuber- 
 ance, an exact copy was made by Dr. Morton, in platina, and 
 enamelled. This, colored as nearly to life as art could make it, 
 was attached to her spectacles. With this accessory appendage 
 well adjusted, and a piece of court-plaster placed as a beauty 
 spot upon her forehead, to act as a foil and attract the atten- 
 tion of those who saw her, the defect was hardly to be 
 noticed. 
 
 For the manufacture of artificial teeth, a large number of 
 which were consumed in his own practice and in supplying other 
 dentists of the country, he acquired a high reputation. Knowing 
 " that it is indispensable for a dentist to manufacture the teeth 
 which he uses, although it be more expensive than to purchase, 
 as the difference of fit is as great as in the case of a suit of
 
 CHAP. lY.] SMILING APPENDAGES. 47 
 
 clothes made to order, and a suit ready made," he established 
 a manufactory in the country. 
 
 A description of this factory, and of the process of manufac- 
 turing artificial teeth, which was published in one of the papers 
 at that time, may prove novel and interesting to many of the 
 readers. " But we had not come out to admire the landscape. 
 Our curiosity had been awakened by hearing that a show-case, 
 destined for the London Exhibition, of which we spoke a fort- 
 night since, was to contain nearly one hundred thousand false teeth ! 
 And having visited nearly every description of "mill" in 
 various quarters of the globe, we had some curiosity to examine 
 a Tooth Mill 1 Our curiosity was gratified in the most 
 obliging manner, and we, kind reader, will now pass with you 
 through his large establishment. Mr. Flagg, the foreman of the 
 establishment, will accompany us. He is a brother-in-law of 
 Dr. Morton, and has been fully initiated by him into the mys- 
 teries of what we are to witness. 
 
 " Entering, we first examine a steam-engine, throbbing away 
 like a fettered giant, yet obedient as a child to its vigilant direc- 
 tor. He has but to move a finger, and his iron slave, still pur- 
 suing its labor, pumps water, blows the fire, or propels supple- 
 mentary mechanical devices, of which we shall hereafter speak. 
 
 "Now we enter the 'Mill' proper, where the stones revolve 
 with fearful velocity, and send forth a delicate flour. Taste it 
 not, unless you wish to have your teeth set on edge, for it is "pul- 
 verized stone ; ay, and that of the hardest kind, as you may see 
 by examining one of the lumps in yonder pile. Let us take one 
 of these, and have it put through by the workmen. 
 
 "The quarry whence this obdurate mass of quartz and 
 spar comes, is in New-Jersey, whence tons are brought to the 
 factory by the iron horse. Once in this establishment, it is 
 broken into small pieces, and the best bits are culled with care. 
 
 " They go into the mill, whose hard quartz stones revolve with 
 almost electrical swiftness. * Munch, munch, munch,' as said 
 the chestnut-eating dame in Macbeth. Out it comes, at last, in 
 a white, pure-looking powder, which resembles pulverized pearls, 
 sprinkled with diamond dust.
 
 48 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. IV. 
 
 " This would make teeth which would rival those of the 
 freshest country beauty ; but they seldom require them. The 
 future wearers will be on the shady side of life, or disease may 
 have left tell-tale marks. So various metallic oxides are called 
 into requisition, and mixed with silex in fixed proportions. 
 
 " This tinted powder then goes into ' mullers,' gigantic bowls 
 dug from masses of rock quartz, in which iron arms knead and 
 stir and mix the powder into a well-digested paste. 
 
 " Now we will go upstairs, where the teeth are manufactured. 
 In a long room, lighted from the ceiling, sit fourteen young 
 women, each with her implements before her. 
 
 **The parts which we saw mixed down below, is brought up 
 and placed before the first damsel. Taking a ' mould ' in her 
 left hand — (it is an American invention) — she proceeds to fill each 
 division of it with paste, using an instrument to ram it home- 
 Then, by a simple movement, the mould is opened, and, presto, 
 we see a dozen teeth moulded after nature. 
 
 " A small furnace, placed upon the bench, is next used to so 
 harden the paste that the teeth can be handled, and after passing 
 through several hands, they are placed in a larger furnace, and 
 agglutinated, platina pins having been previously inserted. Im- 
 perfections are removed, the shapes are perfected, and the teeth 
 (though not vitrified) are in a state to receive enamel, and, as it 
 is technically called, are biscuit. 
 
 " The enamel is applied, a process which requires much care. 
 Having a quantity of the enamel prepared of the consistence of 
 cream, and of the exact tint required, it is applied to the face of 
 the tooth with a camel's hair brush. 
 
 " Another operator (or rather operatress) then goes over the 
 tooth with a delicate instrument, to even its surface, and give it 
 the perfect appearance of one of Nature's handiworks. It is 
 now ready for the furnace. 
 
 " Descending to the lower floor, we find the furnace, which is 
 heated by an anthracite coal fire, fanned by a steam-propelled 
 blower. The teeth, placed on platina slides, which are inserted 
 into platina ovens, set in the middle of the furnace, are there sub- 
 jected to a heat of the most intense description. When sufficiently
 
 CHAP. IT.] LONDON EXHIBITION. 49 
 
 baked in this Vesuvius, they are * annealed,' and then 'tested.' 
 Those which are now approved may be thrown from a considera- 
 ble height, while red hot, into a tub of water, without explod- 
 ing, or driven with a hammer into a pine board. The furnace is 
 one of the most interesting departments of the establishment, and 
 is placed under the supervision of an operative possessing great 
 skiU. 
 
 "The perfect teeth are carried from the furnace up-stairs, and 
 we will follow them. One of the females examines them witli 
 care, and assorts those destined to form sets. Another arranges 
 these sets, by sticking the teeth on strips of wax, and they are 
 then taken to the counting-room. 
 
 " In the counting-room, assortments are arranged in pasteboard 
 boxes, and these are packed for every part of the United States. 
 There are also extensive agencies in Europe, and, if we mistake 
 not, the case at the London exhibition will ' astonish the na- 
 tives.' In the counting-room is a gigantic safe, where the valu- 
 able moulds and tlie platina wire are deposited every night. 
 
 " There is also a department for the manufacture of ' moulds,' 
 a workshop, turning lathe, and other appliances ; but we must 
 leave them." 
 
 Applications for teeth of his manufacture, and for permission 
 to act as his agents for their sale, were constantly received from 
 various parts of our own country and Europe. Some of these 
 orders, and the figures stating the amounts required, would be 
 perfectly astounding to any uninitiated person, who is not aware 
 how generally the absence or defect of one of Nature's greatest 
 beauties is supplied by what is false, and the result of man's 
 handicraft.* 
 
 * To show the amount of business transacted by Dr. Morton at this fac- 
 tory, I give a copy of a note from among his papers : 
 
 " Boston, May 21st. 
 •' Dr. Morton — Dear Sir : You may send me 2,000 lbs. of your best Field- 
 spar, finely powdered ; 1,000 lbs. of your best Silex do. do, if pure, and like 
 samples furuislied. 
 
 " Yours, very truly, Joseph Burnett." 
 
 Three thousand pounds wanted, enough to raanufactui*e an almost incal- 
 culable number of teeth, for the retail trade of one man alone. 
 
 8
 
 50 DISCOVERY OF ETIIEKIZATION. [cHAP. IV 
 
 In addition to these, he was at tliis time besieged by numbers 
 of letters from young men, or their parents or friends, soliciting 
 his services as an instructor. His correspondence with these 
 persons shows the amounts which he could have received from 
 this source alone. Had he wished to comply with all these de- 
 mands, it would have furnished him with quite an income. 
 
 But his numberless engagements, and a feeling that the oppor- 
 tunities would be wanting to do full justice did he comply with 
 so many applicants, prevented his receiving more than a limited 
 number. No idle time was now allowed ; his appointment book 
 was commonly filled for several days ahead, and he and his as- 
 sistants were obliged to labor zealously from early morning late 
 into the night. 
 
 Such at this time was the position and standing of that man 
 who in after-years was assailed by an opponent before a Congres- 
 sional Committee, by the declaration that " in knowledge and in- 
 tellect he is an ignoramus and an imbecile, not only not possessed of 
 science, but mentally incapable of attaining it." Is the assertion 
 well sustained by facts ? Does the history of the past warrant 
 an assumption so bold and contemptuous? 
 
 In order to show the amount and character of the business 
 which he afterward sacrificed in prosecuting his claim to the 
 discovery of etherization, I have copied from his day-book, to 
 which I have had access, the principal entries made for the 
 month of May, for three successive years — considering them as 
 a fair average of the aggregate of his receipts for the whole 
 year. 
 
 By the appended note, it will be seen that if we consider this 
 as a fair average for the three years, Dr. Morton at the time of his 
 discovery, and when in the full tide of professional practice, was 
 in the annual receipt of more than $20,000 per annum ; nor 
 were the expenses for conducting this large business and the 
 purchase of the amount of costly materials used in less propor- 
 tion. His account-books show that during these years he paid 
 to Joseph Burnett, the well-known druggist, more than ^10,000 
 for dental materials alone. In addition to the above large expense 
 he was obliged to pay for his rooms, laboratory, and far salaries,
 
 CHAP. IV. 1 
 
 HIS PROFESSIONAL INCOME. 
 
 51 
 
 and to his assistants, seven thousand dollars — making his annual 
 expenses when in full tide of practice, $10,000, in round num- 
 bers. As he was careful and economical in his expenses in every- 
 thing but what was needed in his business, he had every pros- 
 pect of being able, in a few years, to retire with an independent 
 fortune, and pass the rest of his life free from professional cares 
 in its quiet enjoyment. 
 
 Mat, 1844. 
 
 
 Moses street, LL. D 
 
 .Andover 
 
 $60 00 
 
 Nath'l Whittemore 
 
 .Hingham 
 
 90 00 
 
 Hon. B. Buckinan.. 
 
 .Woburn 
 
 60 00 
 
 Mr. Stephen Smith. 
 
 .Brighton .... 
 
 65 00 
 
 '' Ezra Farrer 
 
 .Watertown... 
 
 75 00 
 
 " John H. Parsons.Boston 
 
 22 50 
 
 " H.D.Rice 
 
 .Stoning'n, Ct. 
 
 10 00 
 
 Miss Stone 
 
 Boston 
 
 35 00 
 
 Orin A. Tomblin... 
 
 .N. Brookfield. 
 
 100 00 
 
 George De "Wolfe... 
 
 .Cuba 
 
 2.50 CO 
 
 D.F. Bumsteacl.... 
 
 New Bedford. 
 
 10 CO 
 
 
 
 74 00 
 
 Thos. B. Dascorabe. 
 
 Boston 
 
 60 00 
 
 Joseph R.Healy 
 
 
 12.T 00 
 
 Eben.T. Andrews... 
 
 " 
 
 90 00 
 
 Total 
 
 $1,126 50 
 
 Mat, 1845. 
 
 
 William Ropes 
 
 .Boston 
 
 $300 CO 
 
 Alexander 11. Ladd. 
 
 .Portsmouth . 
 
 350 00 
 
 Andrew Robeson . . . 
 
 .New Bedford 
 
 400 00 
 
 Dr. J. B. Brown.... 
 
 .Boston 
 
 50 00 
 
 Joseph Loring 
 
 " 
 
 200 00 
 
 John W. Capron . . 
 
 .Uxbridge 
 
 150 00 
 
 Rufus Bremer 
 
 .Framingham 
 
 125 00 
 
 John Downs 
 
 .Com. U.S.N. 
 
 100 00 
 
 Mrs. Dr. Charles) 
 T. Jackson j 
 
 Boston 
 
 35 00 
 
 Jo.seph Pratt 
 
 .Worcester... 
 
 125 00 
 
 Mrs. Brigham 
 
 .Boston 
 
 40 00 
 
 Asa Combe 
 
 .Rochester . . . 
 
 112 00 
 
 Mrs. Briggs 
 
 Scitnate 
 
 24 00 
 
 Mr. Harding 
 
 
 6 00 
 
 John Liscombe 
 
 -Boston 
 
 117 00 
 
 Mr. Ira Gale 
 
 
 40 00 
 
 " Holman. 
 
 i( 
 
 5 50 
 
 Mrs. Luther 
 
 13 75 
 
 Rev. Uriah Under- ) x'^^j. t> i„„ oc nn 
 
 ^ood j -^^^^ Douglas. 35 00 
 
 MissColburn Boston 10 00 
 
 Mr. Wetherbee " 50 00 
 
 •' Richardson " 50 00 
 
 " Foster Woburn 10 00 
 
 " Walcott Peck....Attleborougli 165 00 
 
 " Ja.s. E. Murdock.Boston 12 00 
 
 " JohnChorley.... " .... 125 00 
 
 Total $2,650 25 
 
 Mat, 1846. 
 
 ^Irs. Hayward Boston $200 00 
 
 •' Prescott '•' 200 00 
 
 Dr. McLean " 50 00 
 
 Mr. Thomas Budlong.Proviience. 175 00 
 
 " Sam. Whitmarsh.Northamp'n.. 300 00 
 
 •' William Fo/jes...Boston 150 00 
 
 " S. R. Raymond... " 50 00 
 
 "E.H.Davis " 125 00 
 
 " H. Blake " 50 00 
 
 Mrs.Gavet " 40 00 
 
 Mr. Wm. Smith " 40 00 
 
 " Elisha Innes .... Quincy 125 00 
 
 " Nathan Doty Milford 35 00 
 
 " Emery Bell Boston 135 00 
 
 Professor Farrar Cambridge 225 00 
 
 Mr. L. M. Hardy Maiden 75 00 
 
 Miss Sarah FoLsom. .Jam'ca Plains 37 00 
 
 Mr. Wm. B. Pratt... Milbury 50 00 
 
 Miss Reed Lowell 70 00 
 
 Rev. Wm. M. Rogers.Boston 12 00 
 
 " Wm. Crowell.. " 11 00 
 
 Mr. Piper " 4 00 
 
 Miss Hagerston Watertown. . 12 00 
 
 Mrs. Elizab'h Stonc.Worcester .. . . 100 00 
 
 Dr. Robbius Roxbury .... 75 00 
 
 Total $2,.346 CO
 
 fi2 DISCOVEKY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. V. 
 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 
 DISCOVERY OF ANESTHESIA. 
 
 " He alone disco^vers who proves."— Dr. Paley. 
 
 "This assertion is just ; not only because, until a theory is proved to be the true one, 
 it has no pre-eminence over the numerous other guesses among which it circulates, and 
 above which alone the proof elevates it, but also because he who takes hold of the 
 theory so as to apply calculation to it, possesses it with a distinctness of conception 
 which makes it peculiarly his." — Whewell, History of the Inductive Sciences. 
 
 "While Dr. Morton was still a student of medicine, and en- 
 gaged, as has been described in the two previous cliapters, there 
 were occasional exhibitions before the students of Nitrous Oxide 
 Gas. On one of these occasions, during the winter of 1844 and 
 1845, it was exhibited in the presence of the whole class, for the 
 purpose of extracting a tooth VrUthout pain. The patient scream- 
 ed, the students laughed and hissed, and the experiment was 
 looked upon as a failure of course. 
 
 But one good effect was produced by this failure : it rejuvenat- 
 ed, in the mind of Morton, that idea which had always remained 
 nestled there, asleep part of the time, but with its vigor in no 
 wise extinguished, that some agent existed, and would in time be 
 found, which could be safely taken, and would deaden all feeling 
 of pain. 
 
 His old speculations upon the effects of the ether, which he 
 had noticed when he had used it locally in the. tooth of Miss 
 Parrott, came back to his mind, and again he determined to pro- 
 secute the subject, notwithstanding his previous temporary ill 
 success. 
 
 If ether, rubbed or laid upon a mucous membrane, would pro- 
 duce such an amount of local insensibility, what prevented its 
 being used in larger quantities, and upon a more extended surface 
 of membrane, so as to produce a general insensibility. But the
 
 H AP. y.J HIS SPECULATIONS UPON ETHER. 53 
 
 question was, " How is this to be done V " Why not?" said his 
 ingenuity, "by the same means that you have just given the nitrous 
 oxide gas ; it is nearly as volatile as gas — it can be inhaled, and 
 taken into the lungs ; it will at once be appHed to a surface of 
 mucous membrane greater than the amount in the rest of the 
 body put together ; moreover, it will be at the spot the most pro- 
 bable to produce its effects, where the blood to be sent to all 
 parts of the system is prepared and rendered fit for use." 
 
 But then came the doubt, " Is this safe ? can an agent so power- 
 ful be taken in such quantities, or into such a place, with impu- 
 nity ?" To this inquiry he directed his attention, and again com- 
 menced a course of investigation and reading on all that related 
 to this particular method of using the ether. 
 
 Among many other books, he referred to "Pereira's Materia 
 Medica," where, under the head of ether, he found stated, that, 
 *' the vapor of ether is inhaled in spasmodic asthma, chronic ca- 
 tarrh, whooping-cough, and dyspepsia, and to relieve the effects 
 caused by the accidental inhalation of chlorine gas;" also, that 
 " when the vapor of ether, sufficiently diluted with atmospheric 
 air, is inhaled, it causes irritation about the epiglottis, a sensation 
 of fullness in the head, and a succession of effects analogous to 
 those caused by the protoxide of nitrogen (laughing gas), and 
 persons peculiarly susceptible to the action of the one are also 
 powerfully affected by the other. If the air be too strongly im- 
 pregnated with the ether, stupefaction ensues. In one case this 
 continued with occasional periods of intermission for more than 
 thirty hours. For many days the pulse was so much lowered that 
 considerable fears were entertained for the safety of the patient. 
 In another case, an apoplectic condition, which continued for some 
 hours, was produced." 
 
 Here certainly was some information ; it could be inhaled in 
 small quantities with safety, although with slight discomfort, but 
 large amounts were dangerous. How dangerous, and what 
 amounts were required to constitute this, he determined to dis- 
 cover by a gradual course of experiment.
 
 54 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZA.TION. tCHAP. V. 
 
 But the first plan that occurred to him was to combine the 
 ether with the narcotics which he had been previously in the 
 habit of using, and see if the two together would not produce a 
 relief from pain, quicker and more safely than ether alone. 
 With this vicAv, he placed various narcotic substances, such as 
 morphine, opium, and others, and ether, in a retort, which lie 
 surrounded with a hot towel, and then cautiously, slowly, and 
 with man}' misgivings, inhaled, little by little, from the other 
 end. The effect of this was to give him atrocious headaches, 
 but at the same time a general feeling of numbness, which was 
 increased as rapidly as his boldness induced him to prolong the 
 time of the inhalation. 
 
 He declared to Dr. A. A. Gould as follows : — " I will have 
 some way yet by which I will perform my operations without 
 pain."* 
 
 At this time, in the spring of 1846, his desire to experiment 
 more fully, received an additional stimulus, from the informa- 
 tion of a Mr. Thomas R. Spear, whom, at the recommendation 
 of Hon. John P. Bigelow, he had lately received as a student 
 into his laboratory. This person, in the course of a conversa- 
 tion upon these attempts, informed him that he had often 
 inhaled pure, unmixed ether, when a student at Lexington 
 Academy, in quantities sufficient to exhilarate him to a high de- 
 gree; and that he had never experienced any injurious effects 
 from its use. 
 
 From these representations, and in order to learn more of the 
 character of the ether itself than he then knew, Morton took a 
 vial, which contained a little of the same ether which he had 
 been using, and repaired to the store of Mr. Theodore Metcalf, f 
 an eminent druggist and chemist, who was then domiciled 
 where he remains at present, at No. 33 Tremont-street ; and who, 
 from his supplying the medicines and drugs for the city institu- 
 tions and the government hospitals at Qielsoa, was fully compe- 
 tent to inform him as to its purity and condition. 
 
 * The sworn testimony of Dr. Augustus A. Gould, the Iliraturalist. 
 
 t The sworn testimony of Theodore Metcalf, a well known druggist, or
 
 dllAP. v.] GIVES ETHER TO A DOG- SSt 
 
 Mr. Metcalf, during the conversation which lasted about half 
 an hour, spoke of many cases in which he had known of its 
 being used, for the sake of producing exhilaration. Among others, 
 of a man who became exceedingly wild, and in his struggles 
 severely injured his head, and yet who, after the subsidence of the 
 wild state, knew nothing of his injury until his attention was 
 called to it. He stated that it could be inhaled in small quantities, 
 but that it was the general impression that if taken in larger 
 quantities, its effects would be dangerous and lasting, if not 
 fatal.* 
 
 Taking v,^t\\ him a quantity of sulphuric ether, Morton re- 
 paired to the country, where, among several experiments which 
 he made with it, the most marked and satisfactory was upon a 
 water spaniel. The ether was poured upon some cotton placed 
 in the bottom of a tin pan, and the dog's head was held directly 
 over it. In a short time, (to use his own words,) " the dog wilted 
 completely away in his hands, and remained insensible to all 
 his efforts to arouse him by moving or pinching him ;" and yet. 
 after the removal of the pan, became in two or three minutes as 
 lively, and conscious as ever. Here was the effect sought, and 
 here was demonstrated a complete success. If this same effect 
 could be produced in man, his long-wished-for hope would be 
 attained. 
 
 Now, for the first time, he communicated his ideas and his firm 
 
 Boston, whose store was within a few doors of Dr. Morton's office, seta 
 forth, that on the Glh day of Juhj, 1846, he left Boston for Europe, and did 
 not return until October, 1847. That on some day before his departure, " Dr. 
 Morton came in and had a vial filled will sulphuric ether. "While he had it in 
 his hands, he asked various questions with regard to its quahties and me- 
 dicinal effects. He asked with regard to its effects when inhaled. That 
 the conversation was half an hour long at least : it was a general conversa- 
 tion, entirely about the inhaling of ether, interspersed with anecdotes on the 
 Bubjeet." 
 
 * Mr. Metcalf remarked, upon testifying before the commission, as to this 
 interview, that he was in Italy when the ether discovery was announced, 
 and that when he read an account of it, and ascribing the discovery to a 
 Dentist in Boston, without any name, that he fixed it in his mind at once, 
 that Dr. Morton was the man, remembering this conversation.
 
 66 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. V. 
 
 belief that he should be able to discover a means of extracting 
 teeth without pain, to his brother-in-law, Mr. Francis Whitman,* 
 and his assistant, Dr. Hayden, and his lawyer, Mr. Dana,t (this 
 was in June, 184G.) and said jocosely, " that soon he should have 
 his patients come in at one door, having all their teeth extracted 
 without pain and without knowing it, and then, going into the 
 next room, have a full set put in.f 
 
 Finding that his prosecution of this idea required all his time, 
 and that the onerous duties of his profession demanded too much 
 of it, he determined to make some arrangement which should 
 relieve him of a great portion of the burden. For this purpose, 
 he had an interview Avith Dr. Grenville C. Hayden, and stated§ 
 that having made a discovery which required all his time and 
 attention to pursue, he wished to procure some one to super- 
 
 * The s-u'orn testimony of Francis Whitman, another assistant of Dr. 
 Morton, sets forth : That he had often heard Dr. Morton speak about dis- 
 covering some means of extracting teeth -without pain. This discovery 
 appeared to be the subject of his thoughts and investigations, during the 
 greater part of 1846. 
 
 t Vide, sworn testimony of Francis Wliitman, Grenville G. Hayden, and 
 Richard H. Dana. 
 
 t Evidence and affidavit of Francis "Whitman, Esq. 
 
 ^ The sworn testimony of Grenville G. Hayden, of Boston, sets forth : 
 "That on the last day of June, 1846, Dr. Morton visited him to make ar- 
 rangements for him (Hayden) to superintend the business in his office, 
 giving as a reason, that he had an idea in his head, which he thought 
 would be one of the greatest things ever known ; that it was something he 
 had discovered which would enable him to extract teeth without pain; that 
 it was something that neither Dr. Wells, nor any one else had ever used ; 
 that he had already tried it upon a dog, and described its efifects upon him, 
 which exactly correspond with the effects of ether. That about a month 
 after this, or the first of August, Dr. Morton asked me where he could get 
 some pure ether, and asked me to go to Joseph Burnett's apothecary shop, 
 and purchase a four-ounce vial full of ether ; and about the same time 
 explained the nature and effects of ether; that if he could get any patient 
 to inhale a certain quantity of ether gas, it would cause insensibility to the 
 pain of extracting teeth, and he tried to induce me to take it. That the 
 first successful experiment upon any patient was made September 30th, 
 1846, by inhaling ether through a folded cloth, and on that occasion a 
 tooth was extra^'tod without pain."
 
 CHAP. T.] HIS EXPERIMENT UPON HIMSELF. 57 
 
 intend his business on a saimy, and that he could arrange it on 
 advantageous terms. In the course of the conversation with 
 hira, Morton stated the substance of his ideas and the experi- 
 ments which he had ah-eady made. 
 
 Having agreed upon a basis of contract with him to take 
 charge of his business, their next step was to the office of Richard 
 H. Dana, Jr. , who had been for some time Morton's legal adviser. 
 Tliis distinguished lawj'er, who had seen the many struggles 
 and trials endured by Morton before he acquired his present 
 lucrative business, was naturally very much astonished that he 
 should be willing to turn over so many valuable patients to 
 another person's care, and inquired the reasons for this extraor- 
 dinary move. The same explanation was given which had been 
 previously employed in the cases of the two others, and upon 
 these representations the agreement was soon drawn up and 
 signed. 
 
 Up to this time Morton had employed for inhalation indiiFer- 
 ently, sulphuric and chlorine ethers ; and as his number of ex- 
 periments had used up his supply, he requested Dr. Hayden, 
 during the early part of August, to procure him a fresh quantity 
 from the store of Mr. Joseph Burnett, and proposed that he 
 should inhale it, stating, at the same time, that he had already 
 used it several times ; but this suggestion Dr. Hayden respect- 
 fully declined. 
 
 This last supply procured was taken to the country. As, one 
 day, he was giving it to his former patient, the spaniel, the 
 animal, intoxicated, sprang against the jar, breaking the glass, 
 and spilling all its contents but a small quantity. Morton, 
 soaking his handkerchief in the portion which remained, applied 
 it to his own mouth and nostrils, and by deep inspirations 
 inhaled the vapor. Soon a feeling of lassitude came over him, 
 followed by a complete but very momentary state of uncon- 
 sciousness, as he states : " I am firmly convinced that, at that 
 time, a tooth could have been drawn with no feeling of pain or 
 consciousness." This was the first real verification of the theory 
 on man — but on himself. Now it remained to corroborate it 
 upon others. 
 
 3*
 
 58 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP V. 
 
 Satisfied by this proof of the greatness of the discovery which 
 he was so soon to give to the world, he became apprehensive, 
 that his secret and future plans would be discovered, if he 
 continued to buy ether at one place, and so often. He deter- 
 mined, therefore, to lay in a large supply, but to procure it 
 where he should not be known, nor for what purpose it was 
 intended. With this view, he dispatched one of his students, 
 to the well-known wholesale house of Brewer, Stevens & Co., 
 on Washington-street, and purchased a large demijohn, full. 
 
 The next move was to find a subject to whom to give it, and 
 upon whom to experiment as to the state of insensibility. Mor- 
 ton had determined that if it was found sufficiently perfect, that 
 he would extract a tooth while the person was under the influ- 
 ence. Search was made around the wharves, and the stimulus 
 of a liberal reward was made, but all without avail. The vota- 
 ries of science did not exist in the purlieus of Ann -street or 
 Quincy market, and the mouths which would have readily 
 opened to take any amount of bad rum, could not be induced to 
 take anything for experiment, even on the assertion of a medical 
 man. 
 
 The same proposition which had been made to Dr. Hayden 
 was, therefore, made to -two of his students, William P. Leavitt* 
 and Spear,t but for some time they refused, until, at last, con- 
 
 * " The sworn testimony of "William P. Leavitt, one of Dr. Morton's assist- 
 ants, sets forth, that a conversation took place between him and Dr. 
 Morton, subsequent to the first of July, before the occasion when a man by 
 the name of Eben Frost had his tooth pulled out — (30th of September) — 
 some days, I should think, some weeks," which was commenced by Dr. 
 Morton's coming " from his front office into the back otSce, in an animated 
 sort of a way, and saying : ' I've got it. I shall take my patients into the 
 front room, extract their teeth, and send them off without their knowing 
 it.' " Further, that on some day subsequent to July 1st, he " heard Dr. Mor- 
 ton ask Dr. Hayden where he could procure some pure ether. He then 
 spoke to me, and asked me to go down, take a demijohn, and get it filled, 
 and be careful and not let any one know who it was for." That he did 
 go ; purchased the ether ; " returned to Dr. Morton, and gave the ether to 
 him." 
 
 t The sworn testimony of Thomas P. Spear, another assistant of Dr.
 
 CHAP. T.] EXPEREMENTS UPON HIS STUDENTS. 59 
 
 vineed by his assertions, that it was the same OTticle which he 
 had inhaled at Lexington Academy, Spear consented. 
 
 Under the influence of the ether, he became drowsy and 
 stupid, and so far insensible as to drop the handkerchief; but as 
 this passed off, he became so excited and furious, that force was 
 necessary to confine him in his chair. 
 
 Some was then given to Leavitt with the same result. This 
 was discouraging, and Morton was puzzled to know why the 
 same effects were not produced on them which had been upon 
 him. All at once the idea occurred to him, that as this last 
 amount had been purchased of a wholesale firm, perhaps it was 
 not so pure and good an article as that he had before used, and 
 purchased of Mr. Burnett. This could only be told by an anal- 
 ysis. Consequently, to find out the truth of his supposition, 
 Dr. Hayden took some of it to Dr. Martin Gay, and he being 
 absent, to Mr. Burnett, who at once discovered that it was not 
 chemically pure, but that it was adulterated by the admixture of 
 several ingredients, but especially by the addition of a large 
 amount of alcohol. This answer accounted to his satisfaction at 
 once for the difference of the effects. 
 
 While at his house in the country where most of his experi- 
 ments were conducted, he had formed the acquaintance of Mr. 
 Joseph M. Wightman,"^ a scientific man and distinguislied manu- 
 
 Morton's, sets forth, "That about the first of August, 184G, at the request 
 of Dr. Morton, I inhaled a portion of ether, which William P. Leavitt 
 brought from Brewer, Stevens <k Co.'s, in a demijohn, in Dr. Morton's 
 ofl&ce. About a week after the ether was purchased of Brewer, Stevens 
 & Co., Dr. Morton was expecting some persons at his office to witness an 
 experiment, and he then offered me a sum of money if I would be present, 
 and inhale the ether. I went home, and consulted my parents, and they 
 advised me not to go. I have often heard Dr. M. say, that when he had 
 concluded his invention for extracting teeth without pain he should be 
 satisfied." 
 
 * The sworn testimony of Joseph M. "Wightman, a philosophical in- 
 strument maker, of Boston, sets forth, that in the summer of 1846, Dr. 
 Morton visited his store, and '• asked to see some India-rubber bags ; 
 after examining them, he asked me if they u'ould hold ether. He then in- 
 quired whether oiled silk bags could he used. I told him I had no practi-
 
 60 DISCOVERY OF EXnERIZATION. [CHAP, V. 
 
 facturer of scientific instruments, who was then spending the 
 summer in a neighboring town. During a desultory conversa- 
 tion held with this gentleman, the idea occurred to Morton, that 
 Mr. Wightman, with his knowledge of philosophical instruments, 
 could devise some apparatus, having some analogy to the inhal- 
 ing bag used in giving nitrous oxide gas, which would enable him 
 to give the ether with more satisfactory results than from a hand- 
 kerchief For this purpose he one day called upon him, and 
 keeping as much in the dark what he intended to do as pos- 
 sible, held a conversation with him on the subject. Besides some 
 corroborative information as regards the effects of ether upon the 
 human system, secured from him, Morton procured a glass tunnel 
 or globe, with two apertures, and on his way home, likewise 
 purchased an india-rubber bag, or bottle, near the neck of which 
 he cut a small hole, of the shape of those in a common whistle, 
 for the admission of atmospheric air. 
 
 By putting a sponge into the glass globe, or the body of the bag, 
 and pouring the ether upon it, he formed two very satisfac- 
 tory inhaling instruments. These were the first two used for 
 the inhalation of ether, with a view of producing insensibility ; 
 although, as before stated, one had been devised for medical in- 
 halation for disease. 
 
 Without going more into the details of his various experi- 
 ments, or endeavoring to analyze, by what process of reasoning, 
 Morton arrived at the conclusion of a probable reason for his 
 many failures, or the appropriate remedies, I will state, for the 
 edification of those who possess an extended knowledge of chem- 
 istry, that the ether sold in most of the stores, but particular- 
 ly in the wholesale ones, under the head of " Commercial Sul- 
 phuric Ether," is not by any means pure ; that is, what is called 
 chemically pure ; but is unavoidably mixed with other matters, 
 
 cal knowledge in relation to that matter. I advised him to call on Dr. 
 Jackson, who could probably give him the necessary information." That 
 this occurred at some time between the first of August, and the 28;/i of Sep- 
 tember, is proved by the fact of a conversation which took place between 
 Dr. Morton and himself, on the cars, while on their way from the country.
 
 CHAP. T] EXPERIMENT ENDANGERING HIS IJFE. 61 
 
 whicli weaken it, but especially with alcohol. Dr. Ure states, 
 that it contains from three to four per cent, of foreign matter ; this 
 can only be got rid of by a second careful distillation, at which 
 time only it is fit to be inhaled. 
 
 The object with Morton, all this time, was to procure it as free 
 from these objections as possible, and from the time when this 
 fault was remedied he dates the success of his experiments. 
 There is no reason whatever to doubt that had the ether ad- 
 ministered by him to Leavitt and Spear been perfectly pure, 
 this glorious discovery would have been made on the 30th day 
 of August, instead of the later date, when it actually was. 
 
 Unfortunately for Dr. Morton, the investigations which his 
 slight knowledge of chemistry rendered necessary to discover 
 this fact, threw him into communication with others, who, taking 
 advantage of the character of the questions asked, the uncom- 
 municative manner of their being put, and induced by the credit 
 subsequently thrown around the discovery by its public disclo- 
 sure, have since stated that it was by suggestion that he made 
 all his experiments, and have involved him in a constant and 
 unhappy controversy. 
 
 The chemically pure ether which he now used, was procured 
 from the store of Mr. Barrett, and was of the same quality as 
 that which he had previously used upon himself With this he 
 made the grand experiment, which resulted in a complete corrob- 
 oration of his behef ; and so settled, to his mind, the truth of his 
 convictions, that he could freely and boldly declare it to the 
 world, and feeling certain of success, defy any one to deny its 
 benefits. But in referring to this exciting and wondrous trial, 
 let us quote his own simple, but well-stated description, contain- 
 ed in his memoir to the Academy of Arts and Sciences, at Paris, 
 and which was presented by M. Arago : 
 
 " Taking the tube and flask, I shut myself up in my room, 
 seated myself in the operating chair, and commenced inhaling. 
 I found the ether so strong that it partially suffocated me, but pro- 
 duced no decided effect. I then saturated my handkerchief and 
 inhaled it from that. I looked at my watch and soon lost con- 
 sciousness. As I recovered, T felt a numbness in my limbs, with
 
 62 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. r. 
 
 a sensation like nightmare, and would have given the world for 
 some one to come and arouse me. I thought for a moment I 
 should die in that state, and the world would only pity or ridi- 
 cule my folly. At length I felt a slight tingling of the blood in 
 the end of my third finger, and made an effort to touch it with 
 my thumb, but without success. At a second effort, I touched 
 it, but there seemed to be no sensation. I gradually raised my 
 arm, and pinched my thigh, but I could see that sensation was 
 imperfect. I attempted to rise from my chair, but fell back. 
 Gradually I regained jDOwer over my limbs, and full conscious- 
 ness. I immediately looked at my watch, and found that I had 
 been insensible between seven and eight minutes. 
 
 " Delighted with the success of this experiment, I immediately 
 announced the result to the persons employed in my establish- 
 ment, and waited impatiently for some one upon whom I could 
 make a fuller trial. Toward evening, a man, residing in Bos- 
 ton,* came in, suffering great pain, and wishing to have a tooth 
 extracted. He was afraid of the operation, and asked if he 
 
 * Mr. Eben II. Frost, who on the same evening gave Dr. Morton the 
 following certificate, stating the performance of the operation, and what 
 had been done to relieve him of the pain : 
 
 "Boston, September Z^th, 1858. 
 " This is to certify, that I applied to Dr. Morton, at 9 o'clock this evening. 
 Buffering under the most violent toothache ; that Dr. Morton took out his 
 pocket-liandkercbief, saturated it with a prejjaration of his, from which I 
 breathed for about half a minute, and then was lost in sleep. In an in- 
 stant more I awoke, and saw my tooth lying upon the floor. I did not 
 experience the sligbtest pain whatever. I remained twenty minutes in his 
 office afterward, and felt no unpleasant effects from the operation. 
 
 " Eben H. Frost, 
 
 *' 42 Princc-strcct, Boston. 
 
 " "We witnessed the above operation, and the statement is, in all respects, 
 correct ; and, what is more, the man asked where his tooth was, or if it 
 was out. 
 
 " A. G. Tenxey, Journal-ojjice. 
 *• G. Hayden, Surgeon Dentist. 
 "Boston, September ZOtk, 1846."
 
 CHAP, v.] FIRST PAIXLESS OrERATION ON MAN. 63 
 
 could be mesmerized. I told him I had something better, and 
 saturating my handkerchief, gave it to him to inhale. He be- 
 came unconscious almost immediately. It was dark, and Dr. 
 Hayden held the lamp, while I extracted a firmly-rooted bicuspid 
 tooth. There was not much alteration in the pulse, and no re- 
 laxation of the muscles. Pie recovered in a minute, and knew 
 nothing of what had been done to him. He remained for some 
 time talking about the experiment. This was on the 30th of 
 September, 1846. This I consider to be the first demonstration 
 of this new fact in science. I have heard of no one who can 
 prove an earlier demonstration. If any one can do so, I yield to 
 him the point of priority in time. 
 
 "Afterward I made several additional experiments in my office, 
 %\nth various success. I administered it to a boy, but it pro- 
 duced no other effect than sickness, with vomiting, and the boy 
 was taken home in a coach, and pronounced by a physician to be 
 poisoned. His friends were excited, and threatened proceedings 
 against me. A notice of my successful experiment having, with- 
 out my knowledge, got into the papers, several persons called, 
 wishing to have it administered. I gave it to a lady, but it pro- 
 duced no other effect than drowsiness, and when breathed through 
 the apparatus, it produced suffocation. I was obliged to abandon 
 this mode and tiy the globe, and procured one from Mr. Wight- 
 man ; placing a saturated sponge in the larger end, she breathed 
 through that. In this way she seemed to be in an unnatural 
 state, but continued talking, and refused to have the tooth ex- 
 tracted. I made her some trilling offer, to which she assented, 
 and I drew the tooth, without any indication of pain on her 
 part, not a muscle moving. Her pulse was at 90, her face much 
 flushed, and after coming to she remained a long time excessively 
 drowsy. From this experiment I became satisfied of what is 
 now well proved, that consciousness will sometimes remain after 
 insensibility to pain is removed. 
 
 " I afterward gave it to a ISIiss L., a lady of about twenty-five. 
 The effect upon her was rather alarming. She sprang up from 
 the chair, leaped into the air, screamed, and wos held down with 
 difficulty. When she came to, she was unconscious of what had
 
 64 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. V. 
 
 passed, but was willing to have it administered again, which I 
 did with perfect success, extracting two molar teeth. After this, 
 I tried several other experiments, some with more and some with 
 less success, giving my principal attention to the perfecting of my 
 modes of administering it." 
 
 The public notice which had been drawn to these trials by the 
 publication in the newspapers,* induced many to visit his office 
 as patients, and from motives of curiosity or interest ; among 
 them Dr. Henry J. Bigelow, the eminent surgeon, from whoso 
 notes, made at the time, the following cases were taken, and are 
 good examples of the usual results produced by the inhalation of 
 ether, and of the feelings and expressions of patients under its 
 influence. 
 
 " A boy of 16, of medium stature and strength, was seated in the 
 chair. The first few inhalations occasioned a quick cough, which 
 afterward subsided ; at the end of eight minutes the head fell 
 back, and the arms dropped, but owing to some resistance in 
 opening the mouth, the tooth could not be reached before he 
 awoke. He again inhaled for two minutes, and slept three min- 
 utes, during which time the tooth, an inferior molar, was extract- 
 ed. At the moment of extraction the features assumed an ex- 
 pression of pain, and the hand was raised. Upon coming to him- 
 self he said he had had a ' first rate dream — very quiet,' he said, 
 *and had dreamed of Napoleon — had not the shghtest conscious- 
 ness of pain — the time had seemed long ;' and he left the chair, 
 feeling no uneasiness of any kind, and evidently in a high state 
 of admiration. 
 
 " A girl of IG immediately occupied the chair. After cough- 
 ing a little she inhaled during three minutes, and fell asleep, when 
 I molar tooth was extracted, after which she continued to slum- 
 ber tranquilly during three minutes more. At the moment when 
 
 * " Last evening, as we were informed by a gentleman who witnessed 
 the operation, an ulcerated tooth was extracted from the mouth of an indi- 
 vidual, without giving him the shghtest pain. He was put into a kind of 
 sleep, by inhaling a preparation, the effects of which lasted for about three 
 quarters of a minute, just long enough to extract the tooth." — Boston Daily 
 Journal, Oct. 1st, 1846.
 
 CHAP, v.] FURTHER EXPERIMENTS. 65 
 
 force was applied she flinched and frowned, raising her hand to 
 her mouth, but said she had been dreaming a pleasant dream, and 
 knew nothing of the operation. 
 
 "A stout boy of 12, at the first inspiration, coughed considera- 
 bly, and required a good deal of encouragement to induce him to 
 go on. At the end of three minutes from the first fair inhala- 
 tion, the muscles were relaxed and the pupil dilated. During 
 the attempt to force open the mouth he recovered his conscious- 
 ness, and again inhaled during two minutes, and in the ensuing 
 one minute two teeth were extracted, the patient seeming some- 
 what conscious, but upon actually awaking he declared ' it was 
 the best fun he ever saw,' avowed his intention of coming there 
 again, and insisted upon having another tooth extracted upon the 
 spot. 
 
 ''The next patient was a healthy-looking, middle-aged woman, 
 who inhaled the vapor for four minutes ; in the course of the 
 next two minutes a back tooth was extracted, and the patient 
 continued smiling in her sleep for three minutes more. Pulse 
 120, not affected at the moment of the operation, but smaller 
 during sleep. Upon coming to herself, she exclaimed that ' it 
 was beautiful — she dreamed of being at home — it seemed as if 
 she had been gone a month.' "
 
 66 
 
 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. VL 
 
 CHAPTEE yi. 
 
 KNO^^.EDGE ON SUBJECT ANTERIOR TO DISCOVERT. 
 
 " Divinum est opus sedare dolorem." — Eippocrates. 
 
 In order that the reader may fairly appreciate the difficulty 
 Dr. Morton labored under in forming the conclusions which led 
 to his making the discovery, owing^jto the slender basis of infor- 
 mation which then existed on the subject, and the doubts which 
 were generally held regarding the safety of the internal use of 
 ether, let us review, from his own stand-point, and see what, in 
 1846, was the amount of knowledge concerning the inhalation 
 of any vapors, the universal belief of chemists and physicians 
 as regards all anaesthetics, and the means resorted to by them for 
 relieving pain. 
 
 As pain has been the lot of all human beings since the first 
 fault, attention from the earliest known time has been devoted 
 to its relief or alleviation. Various have been the means sug- 
 gested, and various the degrees of success, but all, unhappily, 
 until this almost perfect remedy was proposed, proved either 
 insufficient or dangerous. 
 
 Perhaps the earliest allusion to anything which our present 
 knowledge can torture into a state of ana3sthesia, or of exhilara- 
 tion, anterior to that stage, can be found in the mythological 
 account of the famous oracle of Apollo at Delphi, whose myste- 
 rious utterances, and artful directions, given to those who con- 
 sulted its shrine, so long controlled the religious, social, and
 
 CHAP. VI.] DELPHIC ORACLE ITS ANESTHETIC ORIGIN. 67 
 
 political thoughts of the nation. The fable connected with its 
 establishment runs, that a shepherd, pasturing his flocks upon 
 the south side of Mount Parnassus, had his attention, upon 
 several occasions, drawn to his flocks, which, upon approaching 
 a certain hole or cavern, were instantly seized with convulsions 
 and insensibility. Led by curiosity to the spot, he was himself 
 seized in the same manner, and, r.s he supposed, became inspired 
 with the gift of prophecy, evidenced by a species of delirious 
 raving, and a pleasant, dreaming condition of the mind. The 
 priests, ever alive to the necessity of craft in the rehgious 
 government of the people, were soon informed of the occurrence, 
 and did not neglect to avail themselves of this fine opportunity 
 for deceiving the superstitious, and carrying on the jugglery of 
 their sect. A temple was built by them over the spot, and in 
 its interior a tripod was erected, upon which, the priestess 
 Pythea, through whose mouth Apollo was said to speak, placed 
 herself As she gradually felt the effects of the diluted vapor, 
 delirium seized her, which was soon followed by strong convul- 
 sions. And it was under the influence of this excitement and 
 physical agitation that the oracles, in prose and verse, were 
 uttered. 
 
 There is no reason to doubt, but that the vapor, which was 
 here referred to, was carbonic acid gas, or some sulphureous me- 
 phitic air ; most probably the former, as its effects at present 
 recognized are more nearly allied to the exhibition described. 
 The result of breathing these airs, for any length of time, would 
 be certain death ; but it is supposed that the priestess was re- 
 moved, by attendants, in time to prevent such a catastrophe. 
 
 At the present time there exists near Naples the well-known 
 Grotta del Cane, described as long ago as the time of Pliny as 
 among the " spiracula et scrohies Charonece mortiferum spiritum ex- 
 Juxlantes,^* from whose sides exhales steam mixed with carbonic 
 acid gas, which accumulates in great quantities on the floor, and 
 flows over the side of the door. Claverius states that it was for- 
 merly used as a place of execution for Turkish captives, who 
 were shut up in the cave and suffocated by the noxious fumes. 
 T)on Pedro de Toledo, at a much later day, tried the same ex-
 
 68 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CDAP. VI 
 
 periment on two galley slaves. At present its peculiar proper- 
 ties are only used to furnish a cruel amusement to gaping travel- 
 ers, and put a few pauls in the pockets of its lazy custodian. It 
 is his custom to take a dog, and putting him into the cave, let 
 him feel the poisonous effects of the air, which, as its superior 
 weight keeps it elevated but a few inches from the floor, he soon 
 feels, while the spectators, raised above the stratum of carbonic 
 acid gas, breathe only the pure atmospheric air, and escape un- 
 harmed. As soon as the convulsions have been followed by in- 
 sensibility, the animal is removed to the open air to recover from 
 the effects, and prepare himself for a second exhibition, at the 
 order of the next visitor. 
 
 The employment of this same agent for producing insensibility 
 has been at various times suggested and tried ; but the imper- 
 fect and satisfactory results, and the great danger to life from its 
 really poisonous properties, have hitherto deterred any approach 
 to a general adoption. Within the past two years, however, its 
 use has been suggested in England, as a means of producing a 
 heal anassthesia of any part to be injured, by throwing upon the 
 surface of the skin, immediately over and around the part, for a 
 length of time, a stream of the gas, and some very extraordinary 
 and satisfactory results by this method have been mentioned in 
 the medical journals. 
 
 As the herbs and flowers of the field first formed the materia 
 medica, it was natural that the narcotic properties of certain 
 plants should have been discovered at a very early period ; and 
 it was by the administration of some of these that a benumbing, 
 deadening, or intoxicating effect was produced. It is probable 
 that the juices of the poppy, henbane {Jiijoscyamus), mandragora 
 {atropa mandragora)^ deadly nightshade {belladonna), Indian 
 hemp {cannabis Indica), and other narcotics, were employed at very 
 early dates to produce partial or perfect anaesthesia by being 
 taken into the stomach. The effects, as described by Homer, 
 produced on Ulysses and his companions, by drinking the Egyp- 
 tian nepenthe, are much like those now known to be occasioned 
 by the Indian hemp. They were also used to counteract pain 
 produced by artificial causes, especially that caused by the horri-
 
 CHAP. ri. ] ANESTHETIC AGENT OFFERED THE SAVIOUR. 69 
 
 ble and lingeriug death by crucifixion. The draught of vinegar 
 and gall, or myrrh, offered to our Saviour, and which the pious 
 belief of his followers has considered as another insult offered 
 to him by his enemies, or as a last act of kindness and devotion 
 from his friends, has been asserted by high biblical authorities 
 to have been a narcotic mixture of this kind offered to him as it 
 was given to the thieves who were crucified with him. Even 
 700 years before this time it had been spoken of by the prophet 
 Amos as the '• wine of the condemned." In enumerating the 
 transgressions of Israel, for which the anger of the Lord has 
 been incurred, he says : " And they lay themselves down upon 
 clothes, laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of 
 the condemned in the house of their God." Chap. ii. 8. 
 
 Evidently meaning by this that the people in their demoral- 
 ized state, were not satisfied with the ordinary means of intoxi- 
 cation used in debauch, but wished to increase or hasten the ef- 
 fect by the addition to their wine of narcotics, and actually 
 drank the narcotized wine which was kept for criminals, and 
 most probably in the temples. The use of the same drugs even 
 in the form of vapor to produce an intoxication by inhalation 
 would seem to have been known, for Herodotus speaks of a habit 
 of the Scythians, who employed for this purpose a vapor in some 
 way made from the hemp-seed. 
 
 The bathing of wounded surfaces, or those which were about 
 to be cut, with narcotic lotions, was not only an ancient theory, 
 but had, to a certain extent, been reduced to practice. Pliny, 
 the naturalist, who perished at the destruction of Plercuianeum, 
 A. D. 79, curiously enough perfectly anesthetized by the poison- 
 ous fumes from the eruption of Vesuvius, bears distinct and de- 
 cided testimony to this fact : " It has a soporific power," he 
 writes, under the description of the plant mandragora or circe- 
 nis, " on the faculties of those who drink it. The ordinary pc- 
 tion is half a cup. It is drunk against serpents, and before cut- 
 tings and puncturings, lest they should be felt. " {Bibitur et contra 
 serpentes, et ante sectiones, piinctioncsque, ne sentiantur.) 
 
 " When he speaks of the plant eruca^ called by us the rocket, 
 he informs that its seeds, when drank, infused in wine, by crimi-
 
 70 . DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. VI. 
 
 aid, about to undergo the lash, produce a certain callousness, or 
 induration of feeling," (duritiam quondam contra sensum induere.) 
 
 " Pliny also asserts tliat the stone Memphitis, as the ancients 
 called a species of marble from Cairo, powdered and applied in 
 a liniment with vinegar, will stupify parts to be cut or cauterized, 
 for it so paralyzes the part that it feels no pain ; nee nentit cru- 
 ciatum.'''' 
 
 Dioscorides, the great physician of Cilicia, in Asia, states in 
 his chapter on the mandragora : 
 
 " Some boil down the roots in wine to a third part, and pre- 
 serve the juice thus procured, and give one cyathus of it to cause 
 the insensibility (ttolslv avaid l7]6i,av) of those who are to he cut or 
 cauterized. 
 
 Besides this decoction, he speaks also of a wine made from 
 the bark of this same root, which was to be used for the same 
 purpose. Speaking of another variety of mandragora, called 
 morion^ he observes, '' medical men use it also for those who are 
 to be cut or cauterized." 
 
 Dioscorides describes also the stone memphitis, mentioned by 
 Pliny, as of the size of a talent, of a greasy nature, and of 
 various colors, and ascribes to it the same virtues and uses. This 
 is, however, probably mere fable, and one among the many 
 thousand superstitious beliefs which are constantly to be found 
 in the medical works of antiquity. 
 
 Matthiolus, the commentator on Dioscorides, confirms all his 
 various statements, which are subsequently vouched for by 
 Dodoneus, who states that, " wine, in which the roots of man- 
 dragora have been steeped, brings on sleep, and appeases all 
 pains ; so that it is given to those who are to be cut, savred, or 
 burned in any parts of their body, that they may not perceive 
 pain." 
 
 Apuleius, of Madaura, who lived about a century later than 
 Pliny, writes: "If any one is to have a member mutilated, 
 burned, or sawed, (mM^zYandMm comburendum, vel serrandum,^ let 
 him drink half an ounce with wine, and let him sleep till the mem- 
 ber is cut away, without any 2')ain or sensation, (et tantum dormiet, 
 quous que abscindatur menibrum aliquo sine dolore et sensu/^
 
 CHAP. VI.] ANAESTHETICS TWENTY CENTURIES AGO. 71 
 
 The Chinese, who seem to have the credit, if they have not, 
 in fact, anticipated the Europeans in many useful inventions, 
 as well as in the science of medicine, claim to have used from 
 remote ages medicaments to paralyze the nervous system, and 
 prevent pain in surgical operations. Indeed, the effects are de- 
 scribed in a work on the pharmacopoeia and medicine, which be- 
 longs to the Biblioteque Imperial, at Paris, some of which has 
 been lately translated, and read before the Academy of Sciences. 
 This work, entitled Kou-Jcin-i-tong, or. General Collection of 
 Ancient and Modern Medicine, has prefixed to it, biogi'aphical 
 sketches of several hundred of the most distinguished physicians 
 of China. Under the biographical notice of Hoatho, who 
 flourished under the dynasty of Wei — that is, between the years 
 220 and 230 of our era — occurs the following passage : 
 
 " But if the disease resided in parts upon which the needle, 
 the moxa, or liquid medicaments, could not operate — for exam- 
 ple, in the bones, or the marrow of the bones, in the stomach, 
 or the intestines — he gave the patient a preparation of liemp (in 
 the Chinese, ma-yo), and after a few moments he became as insen- 
 sible as if he had been drunk or dead. Then, as the case 
 required, he performed operations, incisions, or amputations, and 
 removed the cause of the malady ; then, he brought together and 
 secured the tissues, and applied liniments. After a certain 
 number of days, the patient recovered, without Jiaviny experienced^ 
 during the operation, the slightest j)ainJ^ 
 
 This ma-yo employed by Hoatho, also called .Hans, mafo-san, 
 or hemp-essence powder, the same drug as mentioned by Hero- 
 dotus twenty-three centuries ago, is the cannabis indica, the 
 haschisch or hasheesh of the East, now much cultivated and used 
 there, for the preparation of Bhang, the intoxicating effects of 
 which, and the terrible results of its use have been so often de- 
 scribed. " This," wrote Sir Joseph Banks, about the commence- 
 ment of this century, '^^ is prepared, and, I believe, used in all parts 
 of the East, from Morocco to China. In Barbary, it is always 
 taken, if it can be procured, by criminals condemned to 
 suffer amputation ; and it is said to enable those miserables to 
 bear the rough operations of an unfeeling executioner, more
 
 72 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. VI. 
 
 than we Europeans can the keen knife of our most skillful sur- 
 geons." 
 
 According to the narrative of Marco Polo, and the testimony 
 of William of Tyre, and other chroniclers of the crusades, the 
 knowledge of the effects of these drugs was applied for exciting 
 religious excitement and fanaticism among the ignorant and su- 
 perstitious denizens of the East. The old man of the mountain, 
 so zealous in his opposition to the expeditions for the recovery of 
 the holy sepulchre, was in the habit of drugging the youths whose 
 energy and boldness seemed to fit them for his purposes, with 
 some preparation, and after they were fully under the influence 
 of the agent, of conveying them to his castle, situated on the 
 summit of one of the mountains of Syria. There, when the in- 
 toxication had passed away, they were surrounded by every ex- 
 citement and pleasure which could act upon the senses — by beau- 
 tiful gardens and fountains — by the most delicious music, and the 
 finest dancers. The most delectable food was offered them, while 
 the choicest wines, poured for them by the loveliest beauties from 
 Circassia, were freely given. This place they were informed was 
 Paradise, the abode of the blessed — the repose after death of those 
 who should devote themselves in life to the service of Allah and 
 his Prophet Mahomet. When the crafty old man saw that his 
 dupes were sufficiently impressed with the fascinations and delir- 
 ium of the scene, they were again drugged with the same prep- 
 aration, and conveyed back to their domiciles. Is it to be Avon- 
 dered at that for the future they should become submissive and 
 zealous agents for a faith which promised such an elysium to its 
 disciples ? They were then enrolled in a band under the leader- 
 ship of the old man as chief, to whom the most perfect obedience 
 was enjoined. Whenever any chief or man had become obnox- 
 ious, one of these apostles was directed to slay him ; this he at 
 once, without hesitation, either secretly or, if necessary, openly, 
 accomplished, happy, if he survived the attempt, that he had been 
 found worthy of the confidence reposed in him ; and glorying, if 
 his life was the forfeit, that he was gaining admission by its gift 
 to the much desired Paradise. 
 
 Many were the attempts made by neighboring powers to sur-
 
 <ffiAP. VI.] OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN. 73 
 
 prise and subdue this indomitable tyrant ; but owing to his vigi- 
 lance, and the devoted courage of his followers, this could not 
 be accomplished. The Sultan of the Selkjicks, during one of his 
 crusades for his subjugation, dispatched an envoy to demand his 
 instant submission. But to all demands the old man at fust made 
 no reply, until at length, turning to two of his followers, he com- 
 manded one to stab himself, and the other to throw himself from 
 the tower upon which they were then standing. These two, with 
 the recollections of the Paradise into which they were to enter 
 fresh in their minds, instantly complied with the orders. Then 
 the old man, turning to the astonished envoy, said, "Take what 
 thou hast seen for thy answer ; I am obeyed by seventy thousand 
 such men as these." 
 
 The intoxicating agent furnished them was probably Bhang, 
 or, in Arabic, Hasheesh, and from this word the drinker was call- 
 ed " baschischim,"' which was corrupted by the languages of the 
 crusaders into assassin, a word which has ever since been applied 
 to those who practiced their murderous employment. 
 
 '^ The Orientals make a deplorable use of the preparations of 
 Indian hemp, which they smoke under the name of kifF, haschich, 
 or tekliouri. Sometimes they fry the leaves in fat, butter, or 
 honey, so as to extract the active resinous portion ; this prepara- 
 tion, termed maadjaun or tomowese, they eat. The Algerine 
 Moors, besides using Indian hemp in the ways described above, 
 sometimes add to it opium or tobacco for smoking ; sometimes 
 they eat it mixed with fat, sesame, cloves, canella, or ginger ; 
 and^ when insensible to its effects from long use, they add nux vo- 
 mica, and thus for a time succeed in procuring a state of stimu- 
 lation which soon ends in insanity. More than one-half of the 
 natives received provisionally into the insane wards of the civil 
 hospital in Algiers, have been smokers of haschich or eaters of 
 maadjaun : and scarcely one of them is ever found to recover.'"'^ 
 
 B.ut the employment of drugs, was not entirely confined 
 to this abuse at this time. Theodoric, who died in 1298, order- 
 
 * '* Journal de Medecine etde Chirurgie Pratique," and "Medico-Chirur- 
 gical Review," 1858.
 
 74 DISCOVEEY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. TI. 
 
 ed the inhalation of an anodyne vapor, to prevent pain, by means 
 of a " spongia soranifera " (or sleeping ball) as it is called in 
 the rubric. Hugo, of Lucca, who was the teacher of Theodoric 
 and had often used it, thus describes its preparation : " Take of 
 opium and the juice of unripe mulberry, of hyoscyamus, of the 
 juice of the hemlock, of the juice of the leaves of the mandra- 
 gora, of the juice of the woody ivy, of the juice of the forest 
 mulberry, of the seeds of lettuce, of the seed of the burdock, 
 which has large and round apples, and of the water-hemlock, 
 each one ounce ; mix the whole of these together in a brazen 
 vessel, and then in it place a new sponge, and let the whole boil, 
 and as long as the sun on the dog-days, till it (the sponge) con- 
 sumes it all, and let it be boiled away in it. As often as there 
 is need of it, place this same sponge into warm water for one 
 hour, and let it be applied to the nostrils till he who is to be 
 operated on {qui incidendus est) has fallen asleep ; and in this 
 state let the operation be performed, {et eic fiat chirugia.) When 
 this is finished, in order to rouse him, place another dipped in 
 vinegar, frequently to his nose, or let the juice of the roots of 
 fenigreek, be squirted into his nostrils. Presently he awakens." 
 
 M. Dauriol, a French physician, residing in the neighborhood 
 of Toulouse, asserts that in 1832, he followed the directions 
 given by Theodoric, and operated several times with success. He 
 even reports five cases of painless operations.* 
 
 According to the statements of many writers, during the 14th, 
 15th, and 16th centuries, it was the custom to give criminals 
 about to undergo the torture, a compound which deadened their 
 sensibility. This is borne witness to by Nicholas Eymerie, Grand 
 Inquisitor of Aragon. 
 
 This was also the opinion of Pegna, who commentated the 
 work of Eymerie in 1578, who attributed it to sorcery .f In 
 1524 Hippolitus, Professor of Jurisprudence, at Bologna, wrote 
 in his Criminal Practice, that he had seen accused persons, as it 
 
 * Journal de Medecineet de Chii-urgie de Toulouse, Janvier, 1847. 
 t Directorium Inquisitorum. Rome et Venez, 1578-1597. Part III. 
 p. 481.
 
 CHAP. VI.] ANESTHETICS GIVEN TO CRIMINALS. 75 
 
 were, asleep, under the most cruel tortures; and in such a stupor 
 as resembles the action of narcotic medicines. This result is 
 regretted by Tabouneau, a contemporary of Pegna, who com- 
 plained that it had become almost useless to apply the torture, 
 for the means of stupefaction being known to every jailor, they 
 seldom fail to impart the benefit of their secret to the wretches, 
 put to the question. 
 
 Although at this time the means of deadening sensibility by 
 drugs, were so well known to the criminals and their jailors, it 
 does not appear that their use to relieve pain during opera- 
 tions, was by any means common. It is probable the deadly results 
 which must have often ensued from their use, the long- continued 
 depression which they exert upon the nervous system, the con- 
 firmed stupor, and the congestions and other accidents which are 
 so liable to follow, all conspired to prevent their use, or even 
 examination by the surgeons. 
 
 Guy de Chauliac,* or Chaulieu, and Brunus, are the only 
 ones during this period who refer in their medical works to 
 agents to relieve pain. But as especial reference is made by 
 them to their bad effects, and the danger of producing asphyxia, 
 congestions, and death, it is probable that they were seldom, and 
 most unsuccessfully employed. 
 
 J. Canape, or Canappe, physician to Francis I., wrote a work,t 
 in which he speaks of the procedure of Theodoric and others, 
 and thus refers to the dangers of the internal administration of 
 narcotics : "Zc5 autres donnent opium a hoire, et font raal, speciale- 
 ment s'il est jeune, et I'aper^oivent ; car cest avec une grande 
 bataille de vertu animale et naturelle. J'ai oui qu'ils encourent 
 manie, et par consequent, la mort." 
 
 The celebrated French surgeon, Ambrose Pare, toward the 
 close of the same century, mentions, that a decoction of man- 
 dragora, " to avert the pain attendant upon the amputation of a 
 limb," was " formerly used." In 1579, an English author, Bul- 
 leyn, stated, that it was possible to put a patient into an anass- 
 
 * Inventarium sive collectorium partis chirurgicali.s medicinse. 1498. 
 t Le Guidon pour les Barbiera et les Chirurgiens. Lyons, 1538.
 
 7$ DISCOVERY ON EniEKIZATION. [CHAP. VI. 
 
 thetic state during the operation of lithotomy, but speaks of the 
 sleep produced as " a trance, or a deepe terrible dreame." 
 
 Many of the older authors affected a secrecy and mystery as 
 regards these preparations. Baptista Porta,* describes a " pomiim 
 somnijicum,'' (a sleeping apple,) "the smelling of which, binds 
 the eyes with a deep sleep." He states that there can be extract- 
 ed from plants, " a quintessence, which must be kept in leaden 
 vessels, very closely stopped, that it may not have the least vent 
 lest it fly out. When you would use it, uncover it, and hold it 
 to a sleeping man's nostrils, whose breath will suck up this sub- 
 tile essence, which will so besiege the castle of his senses, that 
 he will be overwhelmed with a most profound sleep, not to be 
 shook off without much labor. After sleep, no heaviness will 
 remain in his head, nor any suspicion of art. These things," he 
 adds, " are manifest to a wise physician ; to a wicked one, ob- 
 scure. " 
 
 Meisner, gives in detail, an account of a secret remedy given 
 toward the close of the 17th century, by Weiss, to Augu^lus II., 
 king of Poland, which produced such a perfect state of ancesthe- 
 sin, that the king's diseased foot was amputated without his feel- 
 ing it. Indeed, the operation was performed without the royal 
 patient's consent, and was not discovered by him until the follow- 
 ing morninor. 
 
 A general belief existed during the whole of this period, which 
 was interwoven in many romances and dramas, that there were 
 certain drugs which could produce a profound and temporary 
 sleep. In the history of Taliesin, (an ancient Welsh tale, con- 
 tained in the Mabino^on,) it is narrated, that Ehun mixed a 
 powder with the drink of the wife of Elphin, which threw her 
 into so deep a sleep, that one of her fingers was cut off without 
 her cognizance. 
 
 In the Arabian Nights' Entertainment frequent reference is 
 made to this power as a means of accounting for many of the 
 peculiar situations in which the heroes and heroines found them- 
 selves. Thus the Caliph Haroun Alraschid, wishing to play a 
 
 • Magiffl Naturalis, 1589.
 
 CHAP. TI.] SPECIFIC GIFT OF THE CREATOR. 77 
 
 practical joke on Abou Hassan, " slyly threw into his cup a lit- 
 tle powder which he had with him, and poured upon it the re- 
 mainder of the bottle ; Abou Plassan took the cup and swallow- 
 ed the whole at a breath. But scarcely had he put the cup on 
 the table, when the powder began to take effect. He instantly 
 dropped so fast asleep, and his head dropped almost upon his 
 knees so suddenly, that the caliph could not help laughing." 
 Again, in " Ganem, the slave of Love," it is told that the sleep 
 produced on the female locked up in the chest, continued as long 
 as a piece of narcotic drug was held in her mouth. 
 
 Shakespeare alludes more than once to the same thing — for in- 
 stance, in Romeo and Juliet : 
 
 * * "This distilled Hquor drink thou off: 
 When presently through all thy veins shall run 
 A cold and drowsy humor, which shall seize 
 Each vital spirit ; for no pulse shall keep 
 His natural progress, but surcease to beat ; 
 No warmth, no breath, shall testify thou liv'st ; 
 The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade 
 To paly ashes ; thy eyes' windows fall 
 Like death, when he shuts up the day of life ; 
 Each part, deprived of supple government, 
 Shall stiff, and stark, and cold, appear like death; 
 And in this borrowed likeness of shrunk death 
 Thou shalt remain full two-and-forty hours." 
 
 And again in Cymbeline — Act 1st, Scene 6th — occur the 
 lines which have been quoted upon the title-page of this work. 
 
 But perhaps the most curious reference occurs in the tragedy 
 of " AVomen Beware Women," written by Middleton, and pub- 
 lished in 1657, who alludes in the following terms to anaesthesia 
 in surgery : 
 
 " I'll imitate the pities of old surgeons 
 To this lost limb, who, ere they show their art, 
 Cast one asleep ; then cut the diseased part.'" 
 
 Of all the narcotics which have been employed to relieve pain, 
 opium (which Van Helmont calls the " specific gift of the Creator") 
 and its various preparations lias been the longest time in vogue,
 
 78 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. VI. 
 
 and with by far the most certain and satisfactoiy results. The- 
 odoric and Guy de Chauliac gave it internally, and many other 
 surgeons have constantly since advocated its use. Up to the 
 time of the discovery of etherization it was in reality the only 
 means relied upon to deaden the anguish of an operation ; it was 
 the custom to administer a large dose, but one varied according 
 to the age, to the patient a short time previous to the commence- 
 ment of the operation ; and, if grave, it was never begun until the 
 effects manifested themselves. Although the effect was never 
 pushed to the state of stupefaction, and consequently a great de- 
 gree of pain could be felt, it could never be looked upon as a 
 reliable or safe agent. The uncertainty of the time or power of 
 its action ; the delirious excitement which it often occasioned 
 instead of insensibility ; its really poisonous properties, and the 
 subsequent troubles which it rendered liable — all conspired to 
 render its use as seldom as possible, and then only for extreme 
 cases. 
 
 But it was not alone by the action of narcotics that surgeons 
 endeavored to produce a state of anaesthesia : but many other 
 means were also tried. 
 
 At the battle of Eylau, Baron Larrey noticed a wonderful lack 
 of sensitiveness in the wounded and those operated on owing to 
 the intense cold ; and it was suggested that this same means 
 might be put to some useful end. Within the last few years a 
 measure practiced by Dr. Arnott, of London, of producing a 
 heal anaesthesia, has grown out of these hints. His plan con- 
 sists in absolutely freezing the part by a mixture of ice and salt 
 in a muslin bag, laid directly upon the flesh ; and I have seen 
 many operations performed in this way with some success, but the 
 disadvantages are too great to be easily counteracted. 
 
 Haller, Deneux, and Blandin, narrate cases of patients opera- 
 ted upon under the influence of alcoholic intoxication. Van 
 Swieten, Juvet, and Teden, advised long-continued mechanical 
 compression. In 1784, Dr. Moore attempted to produce a local 
 anaesthesia by compressing and obtunding the nerves previous to 
 the operation — a measure suggested before by Ambrose Pare ; 
 but the serious inconveniences of such a measure need not be
 
 CHAP. TI.] ANESTHESIA BY GAKOTTING. 79 
 
 enumerated. Some authorities in the 16th and 17th centu- 
 ries even went so far as to seriously propose as a means of 
 producing insensibility, to compress the vessels of the neck as in 
 our modern method of "garotting." While others recommend- 
 ed that a faintness should be induced by an ex'^essive and rapid 
 bleeding. 
 
 In 1776, Mesmer arrived in Paris, and at once began to ex- 
 pound and practice that curious phenomenon of which he was the 
 author. Animal Magnetism, or Mesmerism, so called, seemed, by 
 the absolute power which it gave one person over another, the 
 perfect state of insensibility to pain and all external objects which 
 it caused, to solve the question as to whether any means of dead- 
 ening^ sensation without danf]rer would ever be discovered. It 
 would be too long a task to enumerate the means by which this 
 state was occasioned, or the many cases in which it was employ- 
 ed. But in the hospitals of France and England, and also in the 
 private practice .of many of the most distinguished surgeons, trials 
 were made, the published reports of which show a wonderful de- 
 gree of success ; many severe operations actually having been per- 
 formed upon patients who were thrown into this state, without 
 their apparently feeling in the slightest degree the pain of the 
 procedure. During a residence at Calcutta by the writer of this 
 book in the year 1849, he paid a visit to the public hospitals of 
 the city, where some experiments with animal magnetism were 
 then being made. The trials of the power made there were even 
 carried so far as to have the patients thrown into the insensible 
 state by their merely drinking water which had been magnetized, 
 and which was given them to drink before the operation without 
 their being aware of its character. Some certainly very remark- 
 able results were -witnessed ; patients were operated upon with- 
 out their evidencing pain, who, it was averred, were acted upon 
 by no agent but mesmerism. But the effects were by no means 
 certain or uniform ; some were not affected at all, or were affect- 
 ed in a different manner from what was intended. 
 
 If, however, there is " something in it," the reason is plain why 
 its use could never be introduced into surgical practice. It re- 
 quires a long time and many continued attempts before the pa- 
 
 4*
 
 80 DISCOVERY OF ETHEKIZATIOX. [CHAP. VI 
 
 tient can be thrown into a perfect state of general or local insen- 
 sibility. But few persons are in any degree sensible to the influ- 
 ence, while the real subject who can be thrown into the state of 
 trance, is as rare as a white blackbird. The peculiar sensitive, 
 nervous organization which is demanded in the medium is one 
 rarely met with in a surgical hospital, that is, in one w^here inju- 
 ries from accidents are generally received. The class of persons 
 who are the most exposed to injuries being that which is strength- 
 ened and fortified by labor and good health against a very acute- 
 ly nervous organization. 
 
 In th2 year 1828, M. GIrardin read a letter before the Acade- 
 my of Medicine, addressed to his majesty Charles X., by Mr. 
 Hickman, of London, in which he asserted that he could, by in- 
 troducing certain gases into the lungs of the patient, perform the 
 most painful and dangerous operations without his feeling it in 
 the slightest degree. The proposition of Mr. Hickman met with 
 little or no favor in France ; and even in England all the experi- 
 ments made by him were attended with very poor success. The 
 gas used by him is supposed to Iiave been diluted or otherwise 
 prepared carbonic acid gas ; but nothing is kno^vn certainly or 
 definitely upon the subject. 
 
 In 1799, Sir Humphrey Davy, then simply an assistant in the 
 " Pneumatic institution," or, private hospital of Dr. Beddoes, 
 established for the treatment of diseases by the inhalation of 
 various vapors or gases, commenced experimenting with nitrous 
 oxide gas. The same year he published an account of his re- 
 searches and experiments,* made on himself, in which he describes 
 the exhilarating and intoxicating eiFect which it produces ; and 
 also the use which he made of it for relieving the pain of tooth- 
 ache and head-ache. He does not seem to have pushed it to the 
 full extent of insensibility, as he was always conscious of his 
 own sensations, but he carried it sufficiently far to be perfectly 
 intoxicated and delirious. 
 
 The reports of his experiments induced many to follow them, 
 and his certificate of the safety and curious effects of the gas, 
 
 * Researches on nitrous oxide.
 
 CHAP. VI.] NITROUS OXIDE GAS. 81 
 
 induced its use all over the world, both for purposes, of amuse- 
 ment, and as an exhibition at lectures on the effects of breathing 
 other vapors than pure air. 
 
 On the 556th page of tue -work of Sir Humphrey Davy, occurs 
 the following passage : " As nitrous oxide, in its extensive operation, 
 appears capable of destroying physical pain, it may probably be 
 used with advantage during surgical operations, in which no great 
 eifusion of blood takes place." It was probably the perusal of 
 this paragraph which induced Horace Wells to make his experi- 
 ments with the gas, for relieving the pain of operations ; that is, 
 he reduced to practice and actual experiment what had been 
 suggested nearly fifty years before. If the use of the gas had 
 proved safe and effectual, and it had been found, that a true 
 anaesthetic state could be produced by it, Horace Wells would 
 still have been entitled to all the credit of having been the dis- 
 coverer of anassthesia, notwithstanding this previous hint, as it is 
 plain, that at the time of his death. Sir Humphrey Davy was 
 not certain that what he had suggested would prove true, and had 
 not experimented enough, or advanced in them sufficiently far to 
 corroborate even what he suspected. 
 
 It will thus be seen, that of all the remedies used, and means 
 tried, none had proved complete or effectual on all occasions, or 
 even in a degree safe. Discouragement, and a disbelief in any 
 method of relieving pain followed, which surgeons made no hesi- 
 tation in declaring. For instance, M. Velpeau, in 1839, wrote : 
 " To escape pain in surgical operations, is a chimera which we 
 are not permitted to look for in our day. A cutting instrument 
 and pain, in operative medicine, are two words which never 
 present themselves, the one without the other, in the mind of 
 patients, and it is necessary for us surgeons to admit their associ- 
 ation." * Although the strong inducements existed, no real and 
 practical advance from this state was made, until the great dis- 
 covery of the powers of sulphuric ether. This agent had been 
 known since the 13th century, when reference was made to it by 
 Raymond Lully. But it has been supposed, that certain ambigu- 
 
 * Traite de medicine operatoire.
 
 82 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. YI. 
 
 ous passages which occur in much older authors can be explained, 
 if it is supposed that they were also conversant with its use as a 
 medicine. In 1540, Valerius Cordus, spoke of it under the 
 name of "oleum vitrioli dulce." But its first mention under 
 the name of ether, was by M. Godfrey, in the transactions of the 
 Royal Society of London, in 1730, who states, that it was dis- 
 covered by Frobenius. Eeference is made to the works of his 
 former master, Bayle, and also to those of Sir Isaac Newton, who 
 calls it " spiritus vini astheris." 
 
 Its uses as a medicine, were perfectly well known, during the 
 whole of the last century, and were constantly referred to by 
 medical writers. But its application for purposes of inhalation 
 was first publicly mentioned in a pamphlet, published in 1795, by 
 Richard Pearson. Several other communications from the same 
 hand, are to be found in a work by Dr. Beddoes, on factitious 
 airs, published at Bristol, England, in 1796. In the same work 
 will also be found a letter, written by a patient, giving an account 
 of the use of ether, by the advice of a Dr. Thornton, for a pec- 
 toral catarrh, which says, " it gives almost immediate relief, both 
 to the oppression and 2mm in the chest." On the second trial, 
 he inhaled two spoonfuls, with "immediate relief as before, and 
 I very soon after fell asleep.*^ 
 
 In 1805, Dr. John C. Warren, of Boston, used ethereal inha- 
 lation, as a means of relieving the last stages of pulmonary 
 inflammation. In 1815, Nysten, in the Dictionary of Medical 
 Sciences, spoke of ethereal inhalation, as being familiarly known 
 for mitigating pains in colic ; and in 1816, he described an instru- 
 ment for its use. 
 
 Indeed, for the past fifty years, nearly all authors recommend 
 inhalation, for asthma, bronchitis, and many other diseases. As 
 early as 1812, the vapor was often inhaled for experiment or 
 diversion, its exhilarating and intoxicating effects being perfectly 
 well known ; and probably hundreds throughout the country 
 can recollect having witnessed its administration, or have in- 
 haled it themselves. 
 
 But after the discovery of the safety and efficacy of the inha- 
 lation of the ether for the relief of pain, it was wonderful what
 
 CHAP. VI.] JTMP-UP-BEHINDERS. 83 
 
 a number, either had previously discovered it themselves, or 
 were well aware of its effects. In addition to Dr. Charles T. 
 Jackson of Boston and Dr. Horace Wells of Hartford, Con- 
 necticut, many others, in various parts of the world, arose and 
 advanced their claims. 
 
 In the autumn of 1844, Dr. E. E. Marcy, of Hartford, Con- 
 necticut, as appears from his own affidavit, and that of F. C, 
 Goodrich, made in 1846, suggested the substitution of ether for 
 nitrous oxide gas, and even, as he states, administered the vapor 
 of rectified sulphuric ether to a young man, and " removed an 
 encysted tumor, an operation entirely unattended with pain." 
 
 A Dr. R. H. Collyer, of Jersey, England, asserted that, in 
 1843, he had suggested and caused "an unconscious state, by 
 the inhalation of narcotic or stimulating vapors," and in a com- 
 munication to the London Lancet, of the date of January, 1847, 
 he even has the generosity and public spirit "to offer to all who 
 may choose to use it, the process of inhalation for the production 
 of unconsciousness, so that surgical operations can be perfonned with- 
 out pain to the patient.'" 
 
 In other parts of England, and also in France, several other 
 of these postfacto claimants arose ; but as beyond the printed 
 statement of their assertion of priority, nothing was ever done 
 to establish or advance the claim, it is not necessary to consider 
 them at all, but to rank them in what the editor of the Lancet 
 I'ustly called " the large class of jump-up-behinders."* 
 
 Since the establishment of the heretofore unknown uses of 
 sulphuric ether many other substances have been discovered, or 
 suggested as its substitute. Of these, the one which has found 
 
 * In the London Lancet of the date of February 13th, 1847, is the report 
 of an operation by J. Gorringe, Esq., M. R. C. S. L., in which occurs the fol- 
 lowing passage : " Remembering that while an apprentice at the University 
 College Hospital, I had, on several occasions, inhaled sulphuric ether 
 from a common bladder, until marked intoxicating effects were produced 
 (indeed it used to be a great source of fun with us) ; and in the chemical 
 lecture-room of the College, I had, a distinct remembrance of two cases 
 of insensibility being produced by the inhalation of ether from a bladder 
 — ^the students falhng flat upon their backs ; this was in the session o f 
 '38-'39— while others were merely intensely excited."
 
 84' DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAr. VI 
 
 the most favor, and is at this moment the most extensively used, 
 is chloroform. This substance, \vhich differs essentially from ether 
 in its appearance, taste, and smell, was discovered in the year 1831 
 nearly at the same time by Mr. Samuel Guthrie, of Sackett's Har- 
 bor, New-York, M. Soubeiran, in France, and Professor Liebig, in 
 Germany ; but its use for the same purpose as ether, was first 
 suggested by Dr. J. Y. Simpson, the eminent physician of Edin- 
 burg, in 1847. It is a dense, limpid, colorless liquid, readily 
 evaporating and possessing an agreeable, fragrant, fruit-like 
 odor, and a saccharine pleasant taste. The advantages claimed, 
 for it over ether, are the smallness of the dose required, a more 
 perfect action, less depression when the heart or lungs are dis- 
 eased, a more rapid effect, less disgust to the patient during in- 
 halation, absence of persistent odor, and, lastly, that it is 
 cheaper. But it has the serious objection that it is much more 
 dangerous. The following table of the relative advantages and 
 disadvantages of the two agents, by Dr. H. J. Bigelow, of Bos- 
 ton, very fairly estimates them : 
 
 Ether. 
 Chloroform. 
 
 Conveniences. 
 
 Inconveniences. 
 Pervading Smell. 
 
 Dangers. 
 Little. 
 
 More portable and less of 
 it answers the purpose. 
 
 Blisters skin unless the 
 face is thoroughly oiled. 
 
 It kills peo- 
 ple. 
 
 I have no hesitation in asserting, that I think no death has 
 yet occurred which can be distinctly and decidedly traced to the 
 action of sulphuric ether, while a large number have been occa- 
 sioned by chloroform. Dr. Hayward, of Boston, as long ago as 
 1854, had collected proofs of between 50 and 100, which were 
 directly caused by the inhalation of chloroform. 
 
 M. Malgaigne, in his report on chloroform to the Academy of 
 Medicine, at Paris, thus strongly expresses his belief: " Chloro- 
 form possesses a toxic action, peculiar to itself, which has been 
 taken advantage of in medicine, by arresting it at the period of 
 insensibility ; which action however may, by being too much 
 prolonged, cause death." Chloric ether, which was proposed and 
 used by Dr. J. C Warren, as a substitute, is simply a diluted 
 chloroform, and is open to the same objections, but in a less degree.
 
 CHAP. VI.] OUK children's CHILDREN. 85 
 
 The other substances which have been employed to produce 
 anoesthesia, in addition to those before mentioned, are the other 
 ethers, viz. : the nitric, acetic, &c., aldehyde olefiant gas, naphtha, 
 carburetted hydrogen, Dutch liquid, benzoin, vapor of iodoform, 
 and, latterly, a substance called aimjkne, or the *' hydride or 
 amyle," the anassthetic properties of which were first discovered 
 in November, 1856, by Dr. Snow, of London. It has the repu- 
 tation of being the lightest fluid known, and, consequently, seems 
 particularly applicable to this use, but it has not, as yet, come 
 extensively enough into use to be fully judged. 
 
 To the introduction of anaesthetics, medicine, surgery, and 
 midwifery, owe much — not alone for the freedom from that sight 
 of suffering which formerly so unmanned the surgeon, but from 
 real and practical advantages which the action of the agent itself 
 produces. Many new operations have been introduced, and old 
 ones modified, since the discovery, all of which tend to the safety 
 or more perfect sanitary restoration of the patient. No opera- 
 tion now need be hurried to its completion. Every detail required 
 can be performed as leisurely and quietly as if the body in the 
 surgeon's hands were a log, and not a living and breathing par- 
 ticle of humanity. The sickly, feeble woman now need have no 
 fears of the gravest operations, or look forward with apprehen- 
 sion and dread to that period of suffering when she is called upon 
 to answer to the name of mother. Great agony and long-con- 
 tinued pain are banished from all those now upon the earth, and 
 our children, and children's children, in their happy ignorance of 
 great suffering, as they hear told and read the accounts of the 
 agony and suffering of their ancestors, will marvel at their powers 
 of endurance, and bless the donor of etherization, who has spared 
 them a repetition of the same tortures. 
 
 But, as there is a bane for every antidote, crime has also taken 
 advantage of the benefits conferred by the discovery, and turning 
 the powers of ether from their only proper use, has employed 
 them for its own wicked and selfish ends. We quote the follow- 
 ing from the New- York Daily Thnes : — 
 
 "The burglar avails himself of all the discoveries of science 
 "which can be rendered serviceable in his profession. The inven-
 
 86 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. VI. 
 
 tion of chloroform may be called, with entire propriety, the bur- 
 clar's best friend. By the use of that anaesthetic agent some 
 very remarkable burglaries have recently been perpetrated which 
 are calculated to excite the greatest alarm. The burglar forces 
 his way into a mansion when all its inmates are wrapped in pro- 
 found slumber, and applying chloroform to them, he has the 
 house all to himself. While they are under the stupifying in- 
 fluences of the subtile poison, he rifles the closets, leisurely opens 
 bureaus, cabinets and safes, rips up the carpets from the floors 
 even, selects the most valuable articles of clothing, picks out the 
 real plate from the German silver, ties up all the little family 
 heirlooms and jewels in a shawl, crams the children's silver cups 
 into his pockets, and walks oflT, unmolested, with spoil, leaving, 
 sometimes, a facetious note behind, addressed to the head of the 
 family." 
 
 Various theories were at that time, and have since been formed 
 to explain the action of the ether, and the condition of insensi- 
 bility which it produces. The most common and best accredit- 
 ed opinion is, that it is a complete intoxication, as when pro- 
 duced by narcotics or alcoholic liquors. But that owing to the 
 volatile and evanescent character of the ether, its effects are 
 much more transitory and quickly produced. Moreover from 
 being inhaled into the lungs, it is brought into a much more fa- 
 vorable condition for a quick action than when taken into the 
 stomach. 
 
 A local and less marked effect can be produced by it when ap- 
 plied to the surface of the body, especially to the mucous mem- 
 branes, as was mentioned when it was applied to the jaw of Miss 
 Parrott, which was the seed from which the whole discovery 
 took its origin ; but this is so feeble and slow in being produced, 
 that it is never made use of. The same effect, but in a more de- 
 cisive and quicker ratio, is produced when given in sub- 
 stance by the mouth ; but, although from the stomach it is ab- 
 sorbed, and intoxicates much more rapidly than alcohol, it is too 
 slow in acting, and its effects are too lasting to be in that way 
 conveniently employed. 
 
 But taken in the form of vapor into the lungs, it is brought
 
 CHAP. TI.J HOW ETHER GOES THROUGH THE SYSTEM. 87 
 
 at once into combination with the blood collected for purification 
 in those reservoirs, and is at once distributed through the myriad 
 of arterial ramifications to the brain and every part of the nerv- 
 ous system. 
 
 The eminent Dr. John C. Warren stated as his opinion, '' that 
 the insensibility arose from the brain and spinal marrow being 
 supplied with unoxygenated blood, which does not nourish it, nor 
 support its natural functions." In his treatise on Etherization, 
 he says, " on the whole, the opinion that the efiect is produced 
 through the blood-vessels, is the most satisfactory." 
 
 Dr. Geo. Hayward, his associate in the medical college, ex- 
 pressed similar sentiments, affirming that the most powerful effect 
 is "upon the brain and nervous system." 
 
 Taken from the lungs into the blood for distribution, it is from 
 the same place exhaled when the administration is discontinued, 
 by the return of the blood to the same source for oxygenation. 
 Less time is usually required to so far free the blood from its in- 
 fluence, that consciousness can be restored, than is demanded for 
 producing the anaesthesia. But although this process of dilution 
 in the body takes place so rapidly, much more time is required 
 to entirely free the system from a slight presence of the agent 
 itself ; as, in even the short time required, the ether becomes 
 thoroughly incorporated with the blood and other tissues. This 
 is why the odor of the etlier is for so long a time perceptible 
 after its effects have entirely disappeared, and is apparent in the 
 breath. And limbs amputated from persons in the anaesthetic 
 state, and wrapped up and laid away, will often have a persist- 
 ent and strong odor of ether from the blood-vessels, for many 
 days after their separation from the body.
 
 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHA.P. VII. 
 
 CHAPTEK YII 
 
 HIS FIRST OPERATIONS AT ITIE HOSPITAL. 
 
 " Oh ! thou beautiful 
 And unimaginable Ether. ''^ — Byron. 
 
 The day after the successful experiment before related, Dr. 
 Morton held a consultation with his friend and assistant, Dr. 
 Hayden, to decide on the most proper and judicious course to 
 be pursued, in order to bring his discovery to the favorable no- 
 tice of the public, and the medical profession. As endorsements 
 of its safety and efficacy would be needed from some well-known 
 and scientific persons, and as the agent was to be employed for 
 the benefit of the public, it was ultimately agreed upon by them, 
 Ihat some further and more impressive experiments should be 
 made at the hands of some surgeon, and in the presence of who- 
 ever might desire to witness the exhibition. The Massachusetts 
 General Hospital at once occurred to them as the most fitting 
 place, and its staff of eminent surgeons as the most trustworthy 
 and unbiased persons to pronounce upon it. 
 
 In order to procure permission to have the trial made, Morton 
 made up his mind to call at once upon Dr. John C. \yarren, the 
 senior surgeon, and without detailing to him more than would 
 be sufficient to attract his attention, and show what had already 
 been accomplished, to solicit his interest in the discovery, and an 
 opportunity to employ it in some grave case which should be at 
 the hospital, and under Dr. Warren's own immediate supervis- 
 ion. But before calling upon Dr. Warren, Morton took the 
 precaution of visiting his patient, IVIr. Frost, and found him per-
 
 CHAP. Til.] A CRITICAL MOMENT. 89 
 
 fectlj well and enraptured with the novelty and successful result 
 of the experiment. 
 
 On the 4th or 5th of October, Dr. Morton made his call upon 
 Dr. Warren. His sensations on his way to the house can be bet- 
 ter imagined than described. In addition to the awe, not to say 
 fear, which alone the presence of Dr. Warreil was calculated to 
 inspire, was the thought that he was about to stake before these 
 severe judges his reputation, even his credit for possession of com- 
 mon sense, upon a public trial of an agent which only the few 
 experiments he had made had convinced of its safety and utility. 
 Suppose that on this momentous occasion, and when, if ever, he 
 should feel certain of its action, the agent should fail in its effects, 
 would the sneers and laughter which greeted him from his fel- 
 low-students at his former public trial, bear a comparison to the 
 present demonstration ? Or suppose that some unpleasant or fatal 
 result should at the time or afterward happen, and he there, in 
 his impudence and hardihood, to recommend its use, where could 
 he look for a place far enough from his fellow-man to hide his 
 confusion and shame ? 
 
 On arriving at Dr. "Warren's house, he found him at home, and, 
 what did much toward placing him at his ease, was received by 
 him most kindly. The case was soon stated, and the request 
 made, which was listened to by Dr. Warren with the deepest at- 
 tention. He said that he had long wished for something of the 
 kind, that he had experimented with this object in view, but had 
 gained but unsatisfactory and indefinite results; that he was fully 
 conscious of the magnitude of the requirement, and would do 
 all in his power to further the wish of Dr. Morton. 
 
 A short time after this interview the following note was re- 
 ceived : 
 
 " Dear Sir : I write at the request of Dr. J. C. "^^'arren, to invite you to 
 be present on Friday morning at 10 o'clock, at the hospital, to administer 
 to a patient who is then to be operated upon the preparation which you 
 have invented to diminish the sensibility to pain. 
 " Yours, respectfully, 
 
 " C. F. Heywood, 
 '■'■House Surgeon to the Gener il Hospital, October l^th, 1816. 
 " Dr. Morton, Tremont Row."
 
 90 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. fCHAP. VII. 
 
 As the time drew near for his experiment at the hospital, 
 Morton became exceedingly anxious, and devoted himself, night 
 and day, to the perfection of his apparatus, and to a still more 
 complete investigation of the subject. 
 
 Among others whom he conferred with at this time, was Dr. 
 A. A. Gould,* who gave it his earnest attention, and devoted 
 himself to making sketches of apparatus, and in experimenting 
 and suggesting antidotes for its unfavorable effects ; and in still 
 further extending to Morton the knowledge of the literature of 
 the subject. One form of apparatus, which had been agreed 
 upon by him, as possessing advantages over the old one used by 
 Morton, had been ordered of Mr. Chamberlain, the instrument- 
 maker, who had promised to have it finished early on the 
 morning of the trial at the hospital. 
 
 But, as the hour drew near, it w^as found that some last 
 changes were required to finish it ; and Morton, becoming ner- 
 vous and impatient, hurried him on in his work, until at last, 
 fearing lest he should be too late, he seized the instrument 
 directly from his hands, and started in haste for the hospital, 
 almost breathless with apprehension and the celerity of his 
 movements. 
 
 He had taken the precaution to request Mr. Frost to accom- 
 pany him, to conduce in some way to his relief, in case of 
 
 * Dr. Augustus A. Gould, a physician of Boston, is widely known, both 
 for his contributions to natural science, and also for his success and zeal in 
 the practice of his profession. As a proof of his scientific attainments, 
 it is merely necessary to state that he was selected to prepare the 
 work on the " Shells collected by the United States Exploring Expedi- 
 tion," which he has done with the discrimination and knowledge which 
 were expected ; that he is a member of the American Academy of Arts and 
 Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the Academy of ISTatural 
 Sciences of Philadelphia, the Boston Society of Xatuz'al History, and 
 others on this continent ; with the Imperial Mineralogical Society of St. 
 Petersburgh, and other foreign literary institutions. He is also one of the 
 visiting physicians to the Massachusetts General Hospital. As the success 
 which afterward attended the discovery owes much to his firm advocacy 
 and freely rendered assistance to Dr. Morton, who then resided in his family, 
 this public acknowledgment is no more than justice due.
 
 CUAP. VII.] OPPORTUNE AERIVAL OF DK. MORTON* 91 
 
 failure, and act as a voucher as regards his statements of what 
 he had already accomplished. At this moment his mind was in 
 one great whirl of doubts and conflicting emotions. Mixed 
 with the fear that his new and untried instrument might not 
 work, and perhaps render the issue abortive, was his own vague 
 doubt of a successful exhibition. 
 
 He had already had sufficient experience in administering the 
 vapor to know that its effects were v/idely different upon various 
 persons, and he could hardly dare to hope that the case would 
 be as favorable as that of the man who was accompanying him. 
 Suppose the patient should be affected as some had already been 
 at his house, and should scream, or leap into the air, requiring 
 force to keep him in his seat. Would not the surgeons at once 
 feel obliged to interfere, take the patient from his hands, and 
 politely request him to retire? Then, too, there were cases on 
 record of patients, debilitated by disease, dying before the eyes 
 of the operating surgeon ; and the question flashed through his 
 mind : '' If this experiment should result adversely, shall I not 
 be charged with its fatal issue." 
 
 A second unfavorable fact in the case, was his entire ignorance 
 as to what his patient might be : whether some hardened toper, 
 saturated with strong drink, upon whom the preparation might 
 produce no more effect than his ordinary daily "nipper," or 
 some delicate and timid female, who would tremble and be 
 overcome at the very thought of being experimented upon. 
 
 Luckily for Morton was it that he arrived at the precise mo- 
 ment at which he did. For " previous to the operation. Dr. 
 AVarren, having waited ten or fifteen minutes, again turned to 
 those present, and said : * As Dr. Morton has not arrived, I pre- 
 sume he is otherwise engaged ;' apparently conveying the idea 
 that Dr. Morton did not intend to appear. The remark of Dr. 
 Warren brought out a great laugh. Dr. Warren then sat down 
 to his patient. Just as he raised his knife Dr. Morton ap- 
 peared."* ■ 
 
 The first glance of Dr. Morton, on entering the side-door of 
 
 * Testimony of Dr. A. A. Gould.
 
 92 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. VII. 
 
 the amphitheatre, was upon his patient, whom he found to 
 be a thin, spare man, of apparently 25 years of age, suffering 
 from a tumor on the jaw, composed of a knot of enlarged and tortu- 
 ous veins ; the next was upon the faces of the expectant crowd. 
 But here was no pleasant or assuring picture ; each betokened 
 either common curiosity or plain incredulity. 
 
 From the confused state which his novel position had throv/n 
 him into, he was suddenly recalled by the clear, abrupt tones of 
 Dr. Warren, who turning first to the patient and then to him- 
 self, said, " Well, sir ! your patient is ready." 
 
 With a slight apology for having detained him, and a state- 
 ment of his excuse that he had been compelled to wait for the 
 completion of his instrument, Dr. Morton stepped to the bed- 
 side of the patient. Taking the man by the hand he spoke a 
 few encouraging words to him, assuring him that he would partial- 
 ly relieve, if he did not entirely prevent all pain during the opera- 
 tion, and pointing to Mr. Frost, told him there was a man who had 
 taken it and could testify to its success. *' Are you afraid?" 
 he asked. "No !" replied the man ; " I feel confident, and will 
 do precisely as you tell me." 
 
 Having adjusted his apparatus, he commenced the administra- 
 tion, overwhelmed by a painful sense of responsibility and fear, 
 lest a present failure should bring his long-cherished plan into 
 contempt and perpetual disrepute. Under the first influence of 
 the agent, the man became flushed and exhilarated, but soon its 
 more powerful effects became manifest, and in four or five min- 
 utes he lay as quietly and soundly asleep as any child, in that 
 curious state which is — 
 
 " 'Twixt gloom and gleam, 
 "With Death and Life at each exti-eme. 
 
 Even under the absorbing interest of his employment, Dr. Mor- 
 ton had noticed that tlie confused hum, or scraping of the feet 
 made by the audience in their endeavor to obtain a better view, 
 had been succeeded by the most breathless silence, and as he 
 turned to announce to Dr. Warren that his patient was ready,
 
 CHAP. VII.] A PROUD MOMENT FOR DR. MORTON. 93 
 
 he noticed that the looks of incredulity and contempt had given 
 place to an expression of astonishment and settled interest. 
 
 As Dr. Warren, seizing the bunch of veins in his hand, made 
 the first incision through the skin, the patient made no sound 
 nor moved one muscle of his body ; as the operation progressed, 
 all eyes were riveted on this novel scene in eager expectancy and 
 amazement. Tlie silence of the tomb reigned in the large amphi- 
 theatre, and the form of each beholder was as still and immova- 
 ble as the skeletons and mummies which hung in the cases be- 
 hind them. 
 
 At length the operation was finished, and the blood having 
 been washed from his face, the patient was gradually allowed to 
 come from his anaesthetic state. When fully restored to con- 
 sciousness and able to answer questions, he gave the triumphant 
 and gratifying intelligence, " I have experienced no pain, but 
 only a sensation like that of scraping the part with a blunt in- 
 strument.'* This arose from the fact that as the operation had 
 taken rather longer than anticipated, Dr. Morton had several 
 times removed the inhaling instrument from his mouth. 
 
 With the patient still lying like a log upon the table, Dr. 
 Warren turned to the audience and said slowly and emphatically 
 " Gentlemen ! this is no humbug." 
 
 This was a proud moment for the hitherto unnoticed dentist — 
 the medical student, previously undistinguished from any of 
 his fellows. Now was the practicability of what he had imagined 
 fully and satisfactorily proved to the world ; and as he stood 
 there at that moment, his breast swelling with the honest pride 
 of success, and his brain giddy with reaction from the first excite- 
 ment, he formed the cynosure of the eyes of men of all ages and 
 conditions, completely forgetful of self in the excitement of the 
 moment. In the front, were grave and dignified men, who, for 
 a better view, had absolutely placed themselves upon their knees 
 on the board floor. On the rows of benches above, were mixed 
 students and men of science, attracted thither by the novelty of 
 the announcement, grouped in every imaginable position, all anx- 
 ious and breathless as they had been while watching that small 
 group in the centre of the room.
 
 94 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. VII. 
 
 Soon, however, the spell was broken, and crowding around 
 him, they offered him their congratulations, and besieged him 
 with questions. At this operation there were present in the cen- 
 tral circle, in addition to the large number among the packed 
 audience, Drs. J. C. Warren, J. Mason Warren, S. D. Town- 
 Bend, H. J. 15igelow, Samuel Parkman, George Hayward, Dr. 
 Pierson, of Salem, (subsequently killed at the Norwalk accident,) 
 Dr. Gould, and Dr. Wellington, of Cambridge, Dr. Morton's 
 former preceptor. 
 
 After arranging with Dr. Hayward, to administer it the next 
 day to a patient upon whom he was to operate^ Morton left the 
 hospital, and returned to his own home.* 
 
 Thus was this 16th day of October, 184G, made ever memo- 
 
 * Report of this first case of ethereal inhalation, copied from the records 
 of the Massachusetts General Hospital. " This case is remarkable in the 
 annals of surgery. It was the first surgical operation performed under the 
 influence of ether. Dr. "Warren had been applied to by Dr. Morton, a den- 
 tist, "with the request that he would try the inhalation of a fluid, which he 
 said he had found to be effectual in preventing pain during operations on 
 the teeth. Dr. "Warren, having satisfied himself, that the breathing of 
 the fluid would be harmless, agreed to employ it when an opportunity pre- 
 sented. None occurring in private practice within a day or two, he deter- 
 mined to use it on this patient. 
 
 " Before the opei*ation began, some time was lost in waiting for Dr. Mor- 
 ton, and ultimately it was thought he would not appear ; at length he ar- 
 rived, and explained his detention, by informing Dr. "Wari'cn, that he bad 
 been occupied in preparing his apparatus, which consisted of a tube con- 
 nected with a glass globe. This apparatus he then proceeded to apply, 
 and after four or five minutes, the patient appeared to be asleep, and the 
 operation was performed as above described. To the surprise of Dr. "War- 
 ren, and the other gentlemen present, the patient did not shriek or cry out ; 
 but during the insulation of the veins, he began to move his limbs and 
 utter extraordinary expressions. These movements seemed to indicate the 
 existence of pain, but after he had recovered his faculties, he said he had 
 experienced none, but only a sensation like that of scraping the part with 
 a blunt instrument, and he ever after continued to say he had not felt any 
 pain. The result of this operation led to the repetition of the use of ether 
 in other cases, and in a few days its success was established, and its use 
 resorted to in every considerable operation in the city of Boston and its 
 vicinity."
 
 CHAP. VII.] MORTON HOLDS ONE OF THE GATES OF DEATH. 95 
 
 rable and glorious, as long as man shall suffer pain. From this 
 small beginning dates the promulgation of that discovery, which 
 has done more than any other for the "welfare of the human race. 
 Thanks to the universal spirit of kindness and humanity, which 
 have ever formed the characteristics of the medical profession, 
 the news spread like wild-fire over the length and breadth of the 
 land, across the water to the '• remotest isles of the sea," to every 
 place where sickness and death are found, and wherever a pang 
 exists to be relieved. 
 
 On the subsequent day, in compliance with the agi-eement 
 with Dr. Hayward, the ether was administered to a young wo- 
 man, from whom a large tumor on the arm was to be removed, 
 and with even more success. But after this, to the surprise of 
 Dr. Morton, the practice was discontinued, and for the ensuing 
 three weeks, the patients were all operated upon as before, though 
 numerous operations were daily being performed at his OTvn house. 
 
 Being desirous of employing it in a case of amputation, Mor- 
 ton applied to Dr. Hayward, then on duty, for an opportunity, 
 as he had heard that there was then a patient requiring that 
 operation waiting in the hospital. To this request he received 
 the information that the " surgeons of the hospital thought 
 it their duty to decline the use of the preparation until informed 
 what it was." As soon as informed of their decision, Morton 
 despatched the following note to Dr. "Warren, the senior sur- 
 geon : 
 
 " Boston, Nov. bth, 1846. 
 
 " Dear Sir : — As it may sometimes be desirable that surgical operations 
 should be performed at the Massachusetts General Hospital under the in- 
 fluence of the preparation employed by me for producing temporary insen- 
 sibility to pain, you will allow me, through you, to offer to the hospital the 
 free use of it for all the hospital operations. I should be pleased to give to 
 the surgeons of the hospital any information, in addition to what they now 
 possess, which they may think desirable in order to employ it with confi- 
 dence. I will also instruct such persons as they may select, connected 
 with the hospital, in the mode of employing it. This information, I must 
 request, should be regarded as confidential, as I wish for ample time to 
 make such modifications as experience may suggest in its exhibition. It is 
 also my intention to have persons suitably instructed, who will go wher-
 
 9G DISCOVEKr OF ETHEKIZATIOX. [CHAP. VII. 
 
 ever desired, for a reasonable compensation, and administer it for private 
 operations : thus enabling any surgeon to employ it in his private practice 
 vrhcnever he may have occasion. I think you will agree with me that this 
 will be wiser until its merits are fuller established, than to put it into the 
 hands of everybody, thereby bringing discredit upon the preparation by 
 its injudicious emploj'ment. Should you wish me to administer at any of 
 the operations to-morrow, I shall do so with pleasure ; and should the above 
 proposition be deemed worthy of being entertained, I shall be ready to 
 make the arrangement as soon as informed of your wishes. 
 
 "W. T. G. Morton." 
 " Dr. Warren." 
 
 This was on the day when the operation was to be performed. 
 To this the following reply was received : 
 
 " Dear Sir : — I beg leave to acknowledge the reception of your polite 
 letter. I shall lose no time in laying it before the surgeons of the hospital. 
 " I remain respectfully yours, 
 
 "J. C. Warren." 
 " Park-street, November 6th.'' 
 
 While still waiting at his own house, in this undecided state, 
 Morton was called upon by Dr. Henry J. Bigelow (now one of 
 the most distinguished surgeons in Boston, and Professor of Sur- 
 gery at the college), who had been present at the first experiments 
 at his office, and had ever since manifested the kindest interest in 
 him and his discovery, who requested him to accompany him to 
 the hospital. 
 
 On their arrival, leaving Morton in the reception-room, Dr. 
 Bigelow repaired to his post as one of the surgeons of the hos- 
 pital, to discover whether the ether was to be employed or not. 
 From this interview he soon returned, and informed Morton that 
 the surgeons had decided not to use his preparation, their objec- 
 tion being the professional rule as regards the use of secret rem- 
 edies. He, however, said, by way of encouragement, that he 
 should urge it, by every means in his power, but that no disap- 
 pointment must be felt in case of failure. Left alone, Morton, 
 no doubt, indulged in some rather bitter reflections on those strict 
 rules of etiquette, which could not be made to yield to the 
 claims of suffering humanity. 
 
 After a short time Dr. Bigelow again returned, and requested
 
 CHAP. TIL] THE VEIL REMOVED. 97 
 
 Morton to accompany him to the amphitheatre, on the way in- 
 forming him that on his return to the operating room, he had 
 publicly stated that a letter had been furnished Dr. AYarren 
 Avhich would relieve their objections : that on this announcement 
 Dr. Warren had read the letter aloud, and its wording had been 
 made the turning point of their decision. 
 
 As soon as IMorton had entered the room, and the railed space 
 where the surgeons were standing, he informed them that to pre- 
 vent any hesitation on their part, and prevent all further embar- 
 rassment, the agent employed was simple sulphuric ether, and 
 that after this statement, he hoped that they would permit him 
 to continue his experiments there. To this, no objection was 
 raised, and the operation (for the patient, at that time, was lying 
 ready upon the operating table) was at once begun, and satisfac- 
 torily ended.* 
 
 Subsequently many other operations were performed without 
 the slightest objections on this score or any other by these sur- 
 geons or the public. Dr. Morton continued in charge of the 
 antesthetical portion of the test-experiments during that year and 
 into the next, published reports of which can be found in all the 
 medical and surgical journals of that period. Many of the experi- 
 ments of that time present curious and various facts for those par- 
 ticularly interested in this subject, and were of various kinds and 
 degrees of severity but would possess little interest for the general 
 reader. 
 
 One only shall I refer to as possessing any singular phases or 
 extraordinary interest, and as showing the marvelous powers of 
 
 * By some, especially in Boston, this has been the operation considered 
 as demonstrating the value and practicability of the use of ether, and it has 
 been contended that because it was after the announcement of the substance 
 emplo3-ed, and because the patient was more thoroughly anaesthetized than , 
 in the two previous instances, that it was from this case that the public 
 should date the success of etherization. As to a certain extent this may 
 be true, it may not be uninteresting for the reader to know more of the 
 case. Th« patient, Ahce Mohan, had entered the hospital, March 7th, 1845, 
 for disease of the knee joint ; amputation above the kn^e was performed 
 Nov. 7th, 1846. She was discharged cured, Dec. 22d, 184^, The opera- 
 tion was entirely painless. 
 
 5
 
 98 DISCOVEllY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. VII. 
 
 the new agent. The case was that of a man at an advanced 
 age, who was afflicted with a paralysis of the lower extremities, 
 owing to a disease of the bones of the spine. 
 
 For the relief of this, and to prevent the extension of the 
 disease in the bones, it was decided necessary to cauterize him 
 with the potential cautery the whole length of the back, on each 
 side of the spine. How painful this would be, unless with the sen- 
 sation benumbed, the slight burn of a finger can give some idea. 
 
 He inhaled the ether, and soon was lying in a quiet and easy 
 slumber ; then the surgeon taking the irons, heated to a white 
 heat, passed them over his white and tender skin. As the hot 
 iron hissed, and the flesh, blackened by the intensity, shrunk 
 crisply away before it, without one groan or movement from the 
 patient, the enthusiasm of those present knew no bounds, and 
 had it not been for the stillness demanded in the place, and 
 the exigency of the occasion, they would so far have forgotten 
 all propriety as to have broken out into tumultuous applause ; 
 nor was this subdued when the patient, on his return to con- 
 sciousness, declared himself ignorant of the performance of the 
 operation, and informed the bystanders that he had been having 
 a most delightful dream, and had experienced more agreeable 
 seasations than he had felt for many a day. 
 
 The government of the Massachusetts General Hospital cer- 
 tainly manifested a liberality of spirit in thus permitting Dr. 
 Morton to submit his discovery to the test of public experiment. 
 Many such discoveries had failed — indeed it is seldom that one 
 has ever thus appeared in the full glory of perfection at the first 
 trial — and to be a party to the introduction of an unknown reme- 
 dial agent, is contrary to the almost undeviating laws of profes- 
 sional etiquette. Indeed, it is evident that nothing but the per- 
 sonal acquaintance of Dr. AYarren and the other surgeons, with 
 Dr. Morton, could have inspired them with sufficient confidence 
 in him to warrant their introduction of his discovery. They did 
 not know it, but they knew Mm, and it is clearly evident that his 
 deportment while attending the lectures of the institution, must 
 have impressed them with a conviction that he was not only- 
 master of what he so confidently announced, but that he had
 
 CHAP. TIL] RISK OP INDICTMENT FOR MANSLAUGHTER. 99 
 
 that scientific knowledge which was a guarantee that no evil 
 consequences would follow his experiments. The reputation of 
 the institution, or of those gentlemen who sustained that reputa- 
 tion by their professional ability, would not have been peril- 
 ed by admitting any one wlio did not enjoy their confidence 
 by possessing scientific and professional claims to their considera- 
 tion. And they had an endorsing proof of Dr. Morton's claim to 
 their attention, in his personal deportment during the ordeal, thus 
 carried on before those so recently his professors and his fellow- 
 students. Well did one of the ofiiciating surgeons, Dr. Bigelow, 
 remark (in his testimony before the commission) " that new ex- 
 periments, and many of them, were to be made. Great prob- 
 able danger was to be encountered, and great responsibility 
 assumed ; even to the extent that, had Dr. Morton killed some- 
 body with the new agent, of which Sir Benjamin Brodie, long 
 after, said that ' it had killed Guinea pigs, and that the great 
 question was, whether it was safe,' he would very likely have 
 been indicted for manslaughter, in rashly and ignorantly experi- 
 menting with an unknown agent."
 
 100 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. VIII- 
 
 CHAPTER YIII. 
 
 EXCITEMENT ATTENDING ANNOUNCE3IENT. 
 
 " The invention all admired, and each how he 
 To be the inventor missed, so easy it seemed 
 Once found, which yet unfound most would have thought 
 Impossible." — Milton. 
 
 By the operations performed by Dr. Morton at his own rooms, 
 at private houses, and at the public hospital, a profound impres- 
 sion was made upon the public mind. All hailed with joy the 
 perfect success of the ethereal vapor in annihilating pain, its evi- 
 dent safety, and the readiness of recovery from the anaesthetic 
 state, which resembled the waldng from a deep and quiet sleep. 
 "The success of tlie discovery," as Dr. "William H. Bissell re- 
 marks in his able report, "was established; Boston, its native 
 city, was proud of its maternity, and it was about to be hailed in 
 Europe, whither a power swifter than the winds was wafting it 
 with wonder and applause." 
 
 Upon this discovery Dr. Morton had staked everj-^thing dear in 
 life, his hopes of fortune and fame. He gave his labor by day 
 and his thoughts by night to the perfecting of all that was in- 
 complete in its application. 
 
 The history of his mind while meditating upon the probable 
 issue of his investigations, and carrying them to their final ac- 
 complishment, must have been exactly parallel to that of Dr. 
 Jenner while seeking how to avert the evils of small-pox, as nar- 
 rated by Dr. John Brown. Like Jenner, " it required a mind pos- 
 sessed of all the firmness of purpose which he enjoyed to induce 
 him to persevere in his pursuits." Like Jenner, "he seemed at 
 times to feel that it might, in God's good providence, be bis lot
 
 CHAP. VI ir.] JENNKR AND MORTON. 101 
 
 to stand between the living and the dead, and that through him 
 [suffering] might be stayed. On the other side, the dread of dis- 
 appointment, and the probability of failing to accomplish his 
 purpose, restrained that eagerness which otherwise would have 
 prompted him prematurely to publish the result of his inquiries, 
 and thereby, probably, by conveying insufficient knowledge, blight 
 forever his favorite hope." Like Jenner, he had not been favor- 
 ed with that collegiate education perhaps too often made a requi- 
 site for public confidence, and he felt that " should anything un- 
 toward turn up in his experiments, he should be made, particu- 
 larly by his medical brethren, the subject of ridicule — the mark 
 for all to shoot at." Like Jenner, he " encountered numerous 
 difficulties in carrying on the preliminary part of his inquiry ;" 
 " but resistance and difficulty only augmented his energ}', and he 
 resumed his labors with redoubled zeal." We may imagine that 
 his feelings, while rambling about the pleasant solitudes around 
 his residence at Etheron, were those of Dr. Jenner when medi- 
 tating in the meadows under the castle at Berkeley. Each " felt 
 the prospect before him of becoming the instrument destined to 
 take away from the world one of its greatest calamities, blended 
 with the fond hope of enjoying independence, with domestic peace 
 and happiness." 
 
 The parallel can be continued even after the research of Dr. 
 Morton had been crowned with success ; for there are no inven- 
 tions "which, when made, promised to have such an immediate 
 and extensive influence upon humanity — no discoveries elaborat- 
 ed by the patience, or skill, or science of man, ever calculated 
 to produce such consequences as those which at this period cen- 
 tred in the hearts of Jenner" and of Morton. Each at that par- 
 ticular epoch " had it in his power to impart knowledge, the ad- 
 vantages of which might be rendered as manifest and palpable 
 as they were universal." Each " felt a great struggle within him 
 how to conduct himself." And it can be said of each, that "in 
 this, certainly one of the most trj-ing emergencies that ever oc- 
 curred in the life of any man, he was enabled to conduct himself 
 with all the prudence, all the generosity and caution, that befit- 
 ted an individual to whom such high things were committed.
 
 102 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. X. 
 
 He was not led away by selfish feelings ; neither was he elated 
 hy pride or vainglory, nor hurried beyond propriety by over- 
 eagerness and zeal." 
 
 Even still further can we continue the parallel between Dr. 
 Morton and Dr. Jenner. Tlie friends of the latter, who met him 
 at Rudhall in 1797, were like the surgeons of the Massachusetts 
 General Hospital : " Deeply interested in the investigation, they 
 listened to all the details with jealous ears ; they sat in judgment 
 on the work, and did honestly and kindly acquit them of their 
 duty. Their judgment approved, their most benevolent feelings 
 were gratified, and it only remained for them to applaud their 
 friend, who then stood before them in a situation more truly 
 interesting than they could express, and to urge him on his path 
 by encouraging him in his purpose of opening, for the benefit of 
 all, that stream of life and health which he had been permitted to 
 discover. 
 
 " It was a special honor to have been associated with Jenner 
 [or Morton] on such an occasion. The mind, in dwelling upon 
 occurrences of this kind, naturally seeks for parallels in the his- 
 tories of the lives of eminent men in other times. But the situa- 
 tion of Jenner [or Morton] scarcely admits of illustrations of this 
 sort ; he seemed to hold in his hand one of the ' gates of death,* 
 anl to him it seemed to be given to close it. 
 
 " When Columbus, by his judicious study of cosmography, an- 
 ticipated the discovery of another hemisphere — when Newton 
 beheld the hosts of heaven yielding up the secret of their move- 
 ments to his patient and sublime researches — when Bacon, in 
 the well-founded reliance on his almost superhuman powers, took 
 a flight over the heads of men, and, with perfect confidence, 
 looked forward to a far-distant age for the blossom and the fruits 
 of that intellectual seed which he had so abundantly scattered — 
 the inward gratification derived from the consciousness that truth 
 and wisdom were to be imparted through them to their fellow- 
 mortals, and that the ultimate result would be felt in beneficial 
 consequences to every class of society, doubtless imparted a joy 
 and satisfaction to their souls of the most gratifying description." 
 *' But if discoveries'* — Jenner's biographer goes on to say, and
 
 CHAP. Till.] MORTON FORTIFIES ANESTHESIA. 103 
 
 we can well adopt his conclusion — " if discoveries are to be esti- 
 mated by their power of ministering to the benefit of man, which, 
 of all those that have most distinguished their authors, can be 
 compared with that of which we are now treating ?" Dr. Mor- 
 ton's name will ever stand inscribed in bold relief upon the tem- 
 ple of fame, and suffering humanity will " rise up and call him 
 blessed." 
 
 In order to thoroughly fortify the infant Hercules, against the 
 strangling coils of the serpents public doubt and distrust, appli- 
 cation was at once made to the surgeons of the hospitals for 
 vouchers of what had been done, who at once kindly and freely 
 furnished the following certificates : — 
 
 " I hereby certify, that I have twice seen the administration of Dr. Mor- 
 ton's application for the prevention of pain; that it had a decided effect in 
 preventing the suffering of the patient during the operations, and that no 
 bad consequences resulted . 
 
 " J. C. Warren. 
 
 " Boston, October 17th, 184G." 
 
 " On Saturday last, at the hospital, I removed a tumor from the arm of 
 a patient, who had immediately before inhaled something prepared by Dr. 
 Morton, of this city. The operation lasted seven minutes; the patient gave 
 no indication of suffering ; she answei*ed me afterward that she did not suf- 
 fer, nor has she to the present time experienced any inconvenience from 
 the inhalation. 
 
 " Geo. Hatward. 
 
 " BosTOX, October 20th, 1846." 
 
 " I certify, that I assisted in the administration of Dr. Morton's prepara- 
 tion to two patients, operated upon by Drs. "Warren and Hay ward, at the 
 Massachusetts General Hospital, on the 16th and 17th of October ; that 
 under its influence, both of these individuals submitted to operations last- 
 ing from five to ten minutes, without suffering, and that they speedily re- 
 covered from its effects. 
 
 " C. F. Heywood, 
 " House Surgeon, Massachusetts General Hospital. 
 " October 22d, 1816." 
 
 The first professional announcement of this discovery, in ad- 
 dition to several scattered paragraphs which had appeared in 
 the daily papers, and Dr. Morton's circulars, was in the Boston
 
 104 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP VIII. 
 
 Medical and Surgical Journal of the 21st of October, which 
 states tliat " strange stories are told in the papers of a wonder- 
 ful preparation, in this city, by administering which, a patient is 
 affected just long enough to undergo a surgical operation, with- 
 out pain." 
 
 The next official announcement was an able communication, 
 which appeared on November 18th, from the pen of Dr. Henry 
 J. Bigelow. This had been previously prepared from cases seen 
 at the office of Dr. Morton, together with those at the hospital, 
 and had been read at the Boston Society for Medical Improve- 
 ment, on November 9tli, and also before the American Academy 
 of Arts and Sciences, on November 3d. 
 
 The enthusiasm, as regards the new discovery, increased from 
 day to day ; notices multiplied in the papers, and as the nev/s 
 was spread, it was received with acclamation, by men of science 
 and high social position ; while at the same time it inspired the 
 poor waiting sufferers, at the hospitals and elsewhere, with con- 
 fidence, hope, and joy. 
 
 Even the grave and naturally dispassionate Dr. Warren could 
 not contain his enthusiasm, and indulges in graphic lan- 
 guage. He says : " A new era has opened on the operating sur- 
 geon. His visitations on the most delicate parts are performed, not 
 only without the agonizing screams he has been accustomed to 
 hear, but sometimes in a state of perfect insensibility, and, occa- 
 sionally, even with an expression of pleasure on the part of the 
 patient. Who could have imagined that drawing a knife over 
 the delicate skin of the face, might produce a sensation of 
 unmixed delight ? That the turning and twisting of instruments 
 in the most sensitive bladder, might be accompanied by a delight- 
 ful dream? That the contorting of archylosed joints should 
 coexist with a celestial vision ? If Ambrose Pare, and Louis, 
 and Dessault, and Cheselden, and Hunter, and Cooper, could see 
 Avhat our eyes daily witness, how would they long to come 
 among us, and perform their exploits once more. 
 
 " And with what fresh vigor does the living surgeon, who is 
 ready to resign the scalpel, grasp it, and wish again to go 
 thi'ough his career under the new auspice.^. As philanthropists
 
 CHAP, vm.] WOMAN IN HER HOUR OF TRIAL. 105 
 
 we may well rejoice that we have had an agency, however, 
 slight, in conferring on poor suffering humanity so precious a 
 gift. Unrestrained and free as God's own sunshine, it has gone 
 forth to cheer and gladden the earth ; it will awaken the grati- 
 tude of the present, and of all coming generations. The student, 
 who, from distant lands or in distant ages, may visit this spot, 
 will view it with increased interest, as he remembers that here 
 was first demonstrated one of the most glorious truths of science." 
 
 Dr. Ohver Wendel Holmes, who is alike the favorite of science 
 and of the Muses, thus vividly described its beneficent effects, in 
 his introductory lecture, delivered before the medical class at 
 Harvard University, Nov. 3, 1847 : " The knife is searching for 
 disease — the pulleys are dragging back dislocated limbs — Nature 
 herself is working out the primal curse which doomed the tender- 
 est of her creatures to the sharpest of her trials, but the fierce 
 extremity of suffering has been steeped in the waters of forget- 
 fulness, and the deepest furrow in the knotted brow of agony has 
 been smoothed forever." 
 
 Nor was this rejoicing confined to the city and state of its 
 birth, but soon extended to all parts of the Union ; one of the 
 leading journals* of this city (New- York) thus hailed the an- 
 nouncement : " God bless the inventor of this ' last gift to man !' 
 Till yesterday we never sufficiently appreciated its almost mi- 
 raculous powers. For two long days we have been driven al- 
 most to distraction by an aching tooih, whose pain, apparently 
 nothing could alleviate ; yesterday, however, we ' screwed our 
 courage to the pulling point,' and resolved to test the value of the 
 most wonderful, the most glorious, nay, the most God-like dis- 
 covery of this or any other age." 
 
 Others caught up the joyful cry, and, inspired with the same 
 enthusiasm, its fame, as can be attested by an examination of the 
 newspapers and magazines of that date, was spread far and wide. 
 
 Soon the news of its discovery made its way across the Atlan- 
 tic, and in England, France, and the rest of Europe, produced 
 the same results. In a letter written from Paris to one of the 
 
 * Knickerbocker. 
 5*
 
 106 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. Till 
 
 journals, the writer states that the " discovery there is regarded 
 as only next to those of Harvey and Jenner." 
 
 With the receipt of the verification of the discovery still 
 fresh, the eminent surgeon Liston, naturally so grave and sedate, 
 wrote: "Hurrah! Rejoice! Mesmerism and its professors have 
 met with a heavy blow and great discouragement ! An American 
 dentist has used the inhalation of ether to destroy sensation in 
 his operations, and the plan has succeeded in the hands of War- 
 ren, Hayward, and others, in Boston. In six months no opera- 
 tion will be performed without this previous preparation. Re- 
 joice !" 
 
 *'The greatest blessing," writes another, "vouchsafed in these 
 latter days, to those who live on earth, is for the present in the 
 keeping of one class of men and of that alone. The prevention 
 of pain by the inhalation of ether vapor has hitherto been prac- 
 ticed only by those whose business is with the healing art. As 
 yet, this gift from Heaven to all, is held by us of the medical 
 profession in special and exclusive trust. It is time that we ac- 
 knowledge the Giver. Let not this warrant of mercy pass from 
 us to the world at large without the stamp of worship and 
 thanksojivino-. 
 
 " It has often been said by the Pharisee that, as a class of men, 
 physicians and surgeons are wanting in the sentiments of love 
 and reverence to Him whose sentence is for life or death. Let 
 us refute this idle and petulant slander while occasion serves, at 
 once and forever. Let the chaplain of every hospital, in which 
 these wonders have been witnessed, be invited by the medical 
 officers of the establishment to offer up their humble and hearty 
 thanks for the late mercies vouchsafed to the patients under their 
 charge. Let every student, in every class-room, humble himself 
 with his teacher, in the presence of an agency, which reveals in 
 suffering man the healing miracles of old. Thence should be 
 public acts of thanksgiving throughout the land, for this signal 
 favor to men, present and to come. Let young and old be earn 
 est for this privilege with their clergy, and let physicians and sur- 
 geons be the first to bow the knee." 
 
 The following eloquent tribute to the discovery is copied from
 
 CHAP. Till] JOY IN THE OTJD WORLD. 107 
 
 an article which appeared in the *' People's London Journal," of 
 January 9, 1847, as indicative of the joy with which this acqui- 
 sition to surgical science was hailed in the Old World : 
 
 " Good News from America. — Hail, happy hour ! that 
 brings the glad tidings of another glorious victory. Oh, what 
 delight for every feeling heart to find the new year ushered in 
 with the announcement of this noble discovery of the power tc 
 still the sense of pain, and veil the eye and memory from all the 
 horrors of an operation. And then to find it acted upon almost 
 on the instant by our first operators, is as gratifying as unexpect- 
 ed. AVe have conquered pain. This is, indeed, a glorious 
 victory to announce ; a victory of pure intellect. And from 
 America comes the happy news ; from our brothers in another 
 land, Avith whom we were lately going to war. Oh, shame be 
 in the thought ! This is, indeed, a glorious victory ; but there is 
 no blow struck, there has been no grappling together in the war 
 of savage impulse, no bloodshed, no remorse. It is the victory 
 of knowledge over ignorance, of good over evil ; there is no al- 
 loy ; all our finer sympathies are enlisted in one universal prayer 
 of grateful rejoicing. Benevolence has its triumph. It is a vic- 
 tory not for to-day, nor for our own time, but for another age, 
 and all time ; not for one nation, but for all nations, from gener- 
 ation to generation, as long as the world shall last." 
 
 " Yet, hark ! there is no firing of cannon from the Tower — 
 no banners waving in the air — no drums and fifes sounding be- 
 fore the conquering hero — no hubbub in the streets — no gazing 
 multitudes thronging the towns to see the illuminations ; no, 
 these are for the most part but the instruments of war, the loud 
 rejoicing of the passions of men triumphing over their fellow- 
 men. We have nothing to do with that now ; but only to stretch 
 forth our hand to soothe the as^onizinor wounds the sword has 
 caused, to allay the sufferings of the afllicted, to still the nei've 
 and sense, while the knife performs its friendly office." 
 
 " The rejoicing here is of the heart, in the smile, the tear of 
 joy for suffering relieved, the still voice of the benevolent soul 
 rejoicing inwardly ; for to those who can grasp the full sense of 
 the immense boon which has been given to us, it is, indeed,
 
 108 DISCOVERY OP ETHEEIZATION. [CHAP. VIII. 
 
 overpowering — the blessing is incalculable. Let the joyous news 
 spread quickly from ear to ear through all the length and breadth 
 of the land, and wing its way over the seas from shore to shore. 
 And you, poor sufferers, who are now lying in our hospitals and 
 infirmaries on the bed of sickness, waiting your time for the 
 dreaded operation, hear you the reprieve which has been sent ! 
 fear no more the pain that you shall endure — a sweet oblivion 
 shall steal over your nerves — and it shall all be to you as though 
 it were not ; you shall awake — it is all over, you have felt noth- 
 ing. Go forward, nurse, from ward to ward, from bed to bed, 
 and announce the glad tidings, and cheer the drooping spirits ot 
 the sufferer, and raise a load of fear and anguish from the heart. 
 And see — yes, the pulse beats tranquilly again : they smile — 
 they press your hand in thankfulness. They are prepared. They 
 are ready now, when you will ; the knife is robbed of all its ter- 
 rors." 
 
 A distinguished surgeon in the Westminster Hospital concludes 
 his report of operations, performed under its influence in these 
 remarkable words, " So that in point of fact a surgical operation 
 has now come to be a source of regret as an enjoyment too 
 quickly passed away." 
 
 The following account of the first public operation with ether 
 in the Old World, is an interesting portion of the facts con- 
 nected with Dr. Morton's Biography. It is taken from the 
 London Illustrated News of January 9, 1847 : 
 
 "The new means for rendering surgical operations 
 PAINLESS. — Last week the first experiment was made in this 
 country, of employing the inhalation of the vapor of sulphuric 
 ether as a means of rendering surgical operations painless. The 
 application is of American origin, and was first introduced, a 
 few months since, by Dr. Morton, a dentist of Boston, United 
 States, by whom it was communicated to Dr. Boot, of Gower- 
 street. By this gentleman the discovery was described, on the 
 17th of last month, to Mr. Robinson, the surgeon- dentist, also 
 of Gower-street, who, on the following day, operated upon a 
 young lady, thrown into sleep by the inhalation, during which a 
 molar tooth was extracted from her lower jaw. The inhalation
 
 CHAP, vni.] DK. Morton's deserts. 109 
 
 occupied a minute and a half, and the patient's recovery from 
 sleep another minute. Dr. Boot questioned her respecting the 
 tooth, and she expressed her great surprise on finding that it was 
 removed. She said that all she had felt was merely a sensation 
 of cold around the tooth — a sensation which was caused, per- 
 haps, by the coldness of the extracting instrument." 
 
 The London Lancet, well known as the organ of the surgical 
 and medical professions iu Great Britain, said of the discovery : 
 
 *' The discovery of Dr. Morton — more striking to the general 
 than to the scientific mind — will undoubtedly be placed high 
 among the blessings of human knowledge and discovery. 
 
 *' That its discoverer should be an American, is a high honor 
 to OLU* transatlantic brethren ; next to the discovery of Franklin, 
 it is the second and greatest contribution of the New World to 
 science, and it is the first great addition to the medical art. 
 
 " Dr. Morton deserves, if his discovery stands the test of time, 
 the gratitude and reward of every civilized people and govern- 
 ment upon the face of the earth." 
 
 The leading medical men and surgeons of London were 
 prompt in giving the results of their experiments. Thomas Bell 
 wrote : "I fully intend to try it the first opportunity. The cases 
 are very satisfactory, and the whole affair most important," 
 Liston, the head of his profession in London, wrote, as early as 
 the 21st of December : " I tried the ether inhalation to-day, 
 with perfect and satisfactory results. It is a very great matter 
 to be able thus to destroy sensibility, to such an extent, without 
 apparently a bad result. It is a fine thing for operating surgeons ; 
 and I beg to thank you sincerely for the early information you were 
 so kind as to give me of it." Sir James Clarke, the royal surgeon, 
 in speaking of this case of amputation, performed hy Liston 
 after the administration of ether, said : " It is really a marvelous 
 thing." Kichard Bright did not delay to forward the news to 
 Guy's Hospital, " that no time might be lost in affording so great 
 a relief to any who might be in the unfortunate condition of being 
 obliged to undergo a serious operation." 
 
 A graphic account of the introduction of the discovery into 
 England, and the opposition made to it (which will apply almost
 
 110 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. Till. 
 
 as well to many other lands), is taken from the works of Profes- 
 sor Miller. The fact that he is the author of standard surgical 
 works, a lecturer of marked ability, and one occupying high 
 official positions in his profession, gives additional force to his 
 brilliant style of description. 
 
 " On the 23d of December, 1846," said Professor Miller, " it 
 was my privilege to read a letter in this class-room, from the 
 late Mr. Liston, announcing, in enthusiastic terms, that a new 
 light had burst on surgery, and that on mankind a large boon had 
 been conferred. The letter conveyed the writer's earliest and 
 most lively impressions of a subject as startling as it was new ; 
 and there was a large-hearted generosity about it, that was sure 
 to meet with a suitable response in all right-beating hearts. 
 
 " The subject was anaesthesia ; and its first sound had come 
 from across the Atlantic. It fell on no dull or idle ear. It was 
 taken up, tried, and speedily re-echoed, and in a few days it fill- 
 ed the island. Mr. Liston struck the key-note ; and a pealing 
 note it was. We followed here, with less power, perhaps, but, 
 we hope, in tune — well pleased to find, that high as the note at 
 first seemed to be, it was still within reach of an ordinary com- 
 pass. The profession were surprised, excited, charmed in the 
 mass ; and more especially those on the junior side of the grand 
 climacteric. The elderly gentlemen had their pre-conceived and 
 heretofore settled notions sadly jostled and disturbed. Not a 
 few grew irritable, and resented the interference ; they closed 
 their ears, shut their eyes, and folded their hands ; they refused 
 to touch, or in any way meddle with, the unhallowed thing ; they 
 had quite made up their minds that pain was a necessary evil, 
 and must be endured ; they scouted on the attempted innovation, 
 and croaked that 'no good could come of it.' On, notwith- 
 standing, sped the movement. 
 
 " The public, as was naturally to be expected, were greatly 
 excited, and rejoiced in the tidings. By some they were scolded 
 for interfering ; but, to my mind, they might as well have been 
 reprehended for showing great and personal concern in the wars 
 of the Indian Punjaub, repeal of the Corn laws, or any other 
 of the large and pressing questions of public interest at the time.
 
 CHAP. Till.] NEWS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. Ill 
 
 At first they seemed somewhat incredulous, as if it were ' too 
 good news to be true.' Soon all became satisfied of there being 
 something in it, on good hearsay evidence ; and some had ocular 
 demonstration of what they sought to know. * * * Like the 
 queen of old, they found it was ' a true report they had heard,' 
 but that ' one half had not been told them.' 
 
 "And this reminds me of one august visitant who at this time 
 honored the institution with his presence, the singularly humane 
 Chalmers. No pruriency of sight-seeing brought him there. No 
 man, it is well known, was ever more tender of eye, as regards 
 blood and pain. But he had heard of humanity's boon, and 
 sought to know the truth ; and it was one of the early triumphs 
 of anesthesia here, to see that man of large and tender heart 
 witnessing a bloody and severe operation with composure and 
 serenity ; feeling little because the patient felt not at all, and the 
 little that he himself did feel was far more than compensated by 
 the thought that a brighter day for that suffering humanity, with 
 which he so closely and continually sympathized, had at length 
 dawned, and that, from henceforth, injury and disease were shorn 
 of half their terrors." 
 
 This excitement, and the value of the benefits which it 
 was at once seen Dr. Morton had conferred, induced many of 
 the prominent citizens and scientific men of London to start a 
 subscription for an appropriate donation to him as the discoverer 
 of the effects of ether. At one period, as is shown by letters 
 from persons in England to their friends in this country, " the 
 sum of £10,000 was considered as secured." The controversy 
 which afterward ensued, and the doubts which were thrown 
 around the claim of Dr. Morton to the sole honor, by the insinu- 
 ations and statements of his adversaries, together with the dis- 
 tance which intervened between the countries preventing a full 
 and appreciative investigation, induced a discontinuance of this 
 attempt which unfortunately has never been renewed. 
 
 But it is needless to multiply these statements, for their num- 
 ber is legion. As soon as the steamer which left Boston after 
 the 16th of October had reached Liverpool, the news quickly 
 spread, and testimonials from Germany, Russia, India, and
 
 112 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP VIII. 
 
 lands even more remote, were quickly added, bearing witness of 
 its efficacy and safety, and the delight with which it had been re- 
 ceived. 
 
 Thus, at this time, all looked bright and cheering, for Dr. 
 Morton ; numbers of the most noted of his fellow-citizens called 
 upon him to offer their congratulations, an4.join in the universal 
 thanksgiving. His operating rooms were thronged by the curious, 
 or his many patients and their friends, and the public kept itself 
 on the qui vive to leai-n the latest intelligence of this wonderful 
 event. 
 
 But, suddenly '* a change came o'er the spirit of his dream.'* 
 His assistant operators were left without patients, or with the 
 few only who came from distant parts of the country ; a dreary 
 silence reigned in those well-appointed and commodious apart- 
 ments, where so lately before had been such a scene of life and 
 bustle ; men who but the day before had greeted him with the 
 warm grasp of friendship and pleasant smile, passed him by in 
 the street with a mere cold salutation or stately bow of recogni- 
 tion. What was this event which had so suddenly turned the 
 huzzahs of yesterday into the chilly silence of to-day, and the 
 loyous acclamations of the press into dark insinuations and mys- 
 terious innuendo? ? Let subsequent events tell the story, and as 
 we peruse these succeeding chapters, make up our own minds as 
 to the cause.
 
 CHAP. VUI-l PERSONAL HISTOEY OP DR. MORTON. 113 
 
 CHAPTEK IX 
 
 OPPOSITION. 
 
 " Prejudices are notions or opinions which the mind entertains withont knowing the 
 grounds and reasons of them, and which are assented to without examination."— ^tViop 
 Berkley. 
 
 We now return to the personal history of Dr. Morton, and, 
 having demonstrated the long-sought value of his discovery, will 
 no longer deviate from the regular course of events that took 
 place subsequent to his inaugural experiments. It is a condition 
 in the fame of men who make their own reputation, that there 
 must be a period in their past lives to look back upon, when their 
 merits were contested or denied. The histories of Columbus, of 
 Jenner, of Fulton, and a legion besides, prove this assertion. 
 The recollection of the world's contumely is subdued by later 
 testimonials of triumph over malice and ignorance, but it is a 
 severe ordeal to pass through. Dr. Morton's memory, perhaps, 
 is crowded with more of these " bitter recollections " than that 
 of any other man, who, by the mere supremacy of genius, has 
 not only won a scientific victory, but has " stood his ground '* 
 when others came to dispute his well-earned laurels. 
 
 We have already shown that at the very threshold of Dr. 
 Morton's discovery, he was met by an opposition at the Massa- 
 chusetts Medical Hospital, that might have caused misgivings in 
 the mind of any one who was not thoroughly convinced that his 
 position was invincible. He had tested the safety of his discov- 
 ery on himself, and had successfully administered it at the hospi- 
 tal, but the surgeons insisted upon being (to use the woi^ls of Dr. 
 Hayward) " all confident that it might be used with safety," be-
 
 114 DISCOVERT OP ETHERIZATION. [chap tr. 
 
 fore they would consent to use it further. Dr. Morton's disin- 
 terested frankness, and the wonderful success of his experiments, 
 both before and after communicating what the discovery was, 
 disarmed this opposition, though many doubted for months after- 
 ward. 
 
 The new anaesthetic agent now received the sanction of the 
 eminent gentlemen connected with the Massachusetts General 
 Hospital, and it would seem that the doubts of the most incredu- 
 lous should have been removed. Dr. Morton, impressed with the 
 value of his discovery, strained every nerve to confer its blessings 
 upon his fellow-creatures — administering ether for surgical oper- 
 ations, perfecting his experiments, writing to all parts of the 
 country and of Europe ; in short, it was said by R. H. Dana, jr., 
 that " Dr. Morton hardly knew a full night's rest, or a regular 
 meal, for three months." 
 
 Yet opponents rose up on every hand, to thwart his plans, and 
 to prejudice the public against his discovery. Among these, the 
 most formidable, were two gentlemen, who afterward, sought to 
 appropriate a share of the honor themselves, of whom more 
 will be said as we advance. 
 
 Dr. Gould, of Boston, in whose family he was an inmate, 
 testifies that " he was overwhelmed, day and night, conducting 
 the administration and introduction of ether ; there was a strong 
 prejudice against it in tliis city, [Boston,] and more especially 
 elsewhere; the administration of it was denounced generally, 
 and many things were written against it in the medical and daily 
 journals. I don't know any particulars further than writing 
 articles and denunciations in private conversation." And when 
 asked what Dr. Morton did, and how far he went, in his own 
 defense. Dr. Gould replied: " He wrote and talked, too; I have 
 seen several pamphlets, prepared, as I suppose, at his instance, 
 and at liis expense." 
 
 Again, Dr. Gould remarks, " Prosecutions were threatened for 
 administering ether at all. " 
 
 The medium through which Dr. Morton communicated the 
 results of experiments on etherization to the public, was a " cir- 
 cular" which he had printed, at his owti expense, almost every
 
 CHAP. IX.] MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATING EXPERIMENTS. 115 
 
 week. It was at first, as its name imports, a mere letter of ad- 
 vice ; but, as it became the receptacle of newspaper articles, and 
 correspondence from every portion of the Union, announcing the 
 success of etherization, it was necessarily enlarged into a large 
 and closelv-printed sheet of four pages. Soon this "circular" 
 became a pamphlet, and of this five different editions were pub- 
 lished, under Dr. Morton's immediate supervision, embodying a 
 digest of all the authentic information, both from Europe and 
 America, on anaesthesia. This was a perfect magazine of argu- 
 ments against the opponents of etherization, and its preparation 
 naturally gave Dr. Morton a good deal of care and anxiety, as 
 he was considered responsible for the contents. 
 
 When the news of the European success of Dr. Morton's dis- 
 covery came back across the Atlantic, he changed the form ot 
 his publication, although he retained its simple title, adding to it 
 "A Voice from Europe." Tlie last edition of this valuable 
 work, which was of nearly one hundred closely-printed pages, 
 embodies much of great interest, and it conquered the prejudices 
 of many who had previously had such imperfect sources of 
 authentic information on the discovery, that their minds had 
 remained warped by prejudice, or they had been unable to form 
 a candid opinion on the subject. 
 
 This " Voice from Europe," as the fifth edition of Dr. Mor- 
 ton's circular was also called, acted like sunlight upon the skep- 
 tical among the American medical fraternity, and before its 
 bright rays of truth, the darkness of prejudice was soon dissolv- 
 ed. Ether was immediately a universal favorite, and, strangest 
 of all, some of those who had denounced it with the most bitter- 
 ness, became not only its champion, but (in two instances) 
 endeavored to claim the honor of suggesting its discovery to Dr. 
 Morton. 
 
 It was, doubtless, painful to Dr. Morton to have a discovery 
 treated as fabulous, or hazardous, of the truth of which he had 
 satisfied himself by rigid and patient inquiry. But the firmness 
 and decision of his character not only sustained him during this 
 desertion of those who had professed friendship, but appeared to 
 stimulate him to increased zeal in his cause. " Letters," says R.
 
 116 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. IX. 
 
 H. Dana, Jr., Esq., ^' came pouring in upon Dr. Morton from 
 all parts of the country. He has shown the author of this work 
 ten bound volumes, containing about 2,000 letters received by 
 him on this subject, between Oct., 1846, and July, 1847, some 
 of them coming from distant lands, filled with queries. He was 
 obliged to employ a secretary to answer these communication? ; to 
 increase his accommodations at great expense ; his dental busi- 
 ness was neglected, and he risked all, labored, expended health, 
 time, and money, on this discovery. He issued circulars, giving 
 detailed accounts of the experiments, and kept a minute journal 
 of events, experiences, and suggestions. " 
 
 By his unremitting personal exertions, without any regard 
 to the opposition manifested, Dr. Morton soon had the satisfac- 
 tion of finding that his discovery w^as gaining foothold, and it 
 would naturally be supposed that he would have been honored 
 as the benefactor of his race, who had conferred a priceless boon 
 upon suffering humanity. But, while he received many con- 
 gratulations from the great and the good, his success awakened 
 the envy and excited the jealousy of some of his professional 
 brethren, who had for some time regarded with distrust the large 
 and lucrative business which he had so suddenly created, and 
 now had double cause to fear, from the power which the sole pos- 
 session of the new agent would give him. Among these, a Dr. 
 J. F. Flagg appears to have stood conspicuous in his " bad emi- 
 nence." " He at once commenced a terrible onslaught upon the 
 new application of ether, and (more terrible still) upon the hap- 
 less discoverer. But not succeeding in his first attempts in crush- 
 ing the young Hercules in his cradle, and the eclat of the thing 
 still spreading, he at length excited his brother dentists to arouse 
 and array themselves in order of battle." Accordingly, early in 
 December, a meeting of Boston dentists was called, and a com- 
 mittee of twelve appointed, (with Dr. Flagg at its head,) to make 
 a formal protest against anaesthesia. 
 
 This organized and systematic opposition made a formal ap- 
 peal to the public against Dr. Morton's discovery through the 
 newspapers. A " manifesto" (which remains as a monument to 
 perpetuate their malice) was published by them in the Boston
 
 CHAP. IX.] UPBRAIDED FOR ANNOUNCING A HOEBUG. 117 
 
 Daily Advertiser, and professed to give a large number of instan- 
 ces in which experiments had failed or produced unfortunate 
 effects, though not a single name was given. Some of these pre- 
 tended sufferers were represented to be young ladies, who, after 
 having inhaled ether, had left Dr. Morton's office delirious, and 
 had remained in that state for several days, with bleeding at the 
 lungs, melancholy, and other dreadful results. This authorita- 
 tive proclamation was spread broadcast over the country, pre- 
 senting a most serious obstacle to Dr. Morton's agents sent abroad 
 to promulgate his discover}', and it was quoted by the opponents 
 of the utility and safety of etherization, as evidence, while the 
 advocates were troubled by doubts. The voluminous correspond- 
 ence of Dr. Morton shows, that for months he must have en- 
 dured the daily annoyance of receiving long letters, elicited by 
 this " dentists' circular." Some wrote to him to inquire into its 
 authenticity; others to inquire into its value; others had 
 doubts awakened by it, which he was urged to answer ; 
 others volunteered evidence to contradict its assertions ; and 
 a few (who would blush at this autographic evidence against 
 them could they see it) availed themselves of the opportunity to 
 upbraid him as having announced the discovery of " a humbug.'* 
 Equally persevering in his attempts to render an essential serv- 
 ice to his race, by exposing the dangers of Dr. Morton's dis- 
 covery, was Professor A. Westcott, afterward connected with a 
 dental college in Baltimore. From the first he seemed to consid- 
 er it his especial duty to declare war, not merely against the use 
 of ether itself, but also against the unfortunate Dr. Morton. In 
 a published statement, from this learned and facetious professor, 
 he said : " If Dr. Morton can make me believe that the indiscrimi- 
 nate application of this vapor is really so very harmless, he will 
 make me believe that I am the richest man on earth. I should 
 then certainly go in for the new patents I spoke of in my former 
 communication. For who would not freely administer a harm- 
 less thing, especially when it is endorsed by the first surgeons and 
 medical men in New- England, to stop the crying of cross babies. 
 If the thing is really harmless, and the subjects, ' after breathing 
 it from one half to two minutes, drop into a quiet slaniber," it cer-
 
 118 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. IX. 
 
 tainly would be invaluable for nursery purposes. Morton's suck- 
 ing bottles would be in great requisition, surely. I again affirm, 
 that had Mrs. Caudle only acquired a taste for this luxury, her 
 poor husband might have been, comparatively, a happy man." 
 This is a fair specimen of the learned professor's logic and humor. 
 
 Neither were members of the dental profession alone in their 
 denunciations of the discovery. Robert M. Huston, M. D., edi- 
 tor of the Philadelphia " Medical Examiner," put on his veto in 
 this wise : " We should not consider it entitled to the least notice, 
 but that we perceive, by the Boston Medical and Surgical Jour- 
 nal, that prominent members of the profession in that city have 
 been caught in its meshes." Again: "We are persuaded that 
 the surgeons of Philadelphia will not be seduced from the high 
 professional path of duty, into the quagmire of quackery, by this 
 Will-o'-the-wisp." And again : " We cannot close these remarks 
 without again expressing our deep mortification and regret, that 
 the eminent men who have so long adorned the profession in 
 Boston, should have consented for a moment to set so bad an ex- 
 ample to their younger brethren, as we conceive them to have 
 done in this instance. If such things are to be sanctioned by the 
 profession, there is Httle need of reform conventions, or any other 
 efforts to elevate the professional character: physicians and 
 quacks will soon constitute one fraternity." 
 
 William C. Roberts, M. D., editor of the New-York " Annal- 
 ist," thus stated his objections : " By-and-by we may see ' Mor- 
 ton's Antipathetic Inhalation' puffed in an article to which shall 
 be appended the honored names of Warren, Bigelow, and Pier- 
 son ; and wherein, we ask, will it differ from the objectionable 
 contributions of others, quite as high, to Swain's Panacea?" In 
 another place he says : '•' The last special wonder has already 
 arrived at the natural term of its existence ; and the interest 
 created by its first advent has, in a great measure, subsided. It 
 has descended to the bottom of that great abyss which has al- 
 ready engulphed so many of its predecessor novelties, but which 
 continues, alas ! to gape, until a humbug yet more prime shall 
 be thrown into it." And again, this Solon says, in speaking of 
 the use of ether in London : " We recjret to observe that Mr.
 
 CHAP. IX.] DISPIRITING TO DR. MORTON. 119 
 
 Listen is so negligent of what is due the dignity of his profession, 
 and of his own duty as a member of it, as to have employed this 
 patented nostrum." 
 
 Charles A. Lee, M. D., editor of the New-York "Journal of 
 Medicine," says: "We are sorry to see many of our brethren, 
 at home and abroad, stooping from the exalted position they 
 occupy in the profession to hold intercourse with, and become 
 the abettors of, quackery in any form. Such doings are certainly 
 contrary to the ethics of the profession, and should not be toler- 
 ated for a moment in any one." 
 
 Drs. W. M. Cai-penter, E. D. Fenner, J. Harrison, and A. 
 Hester, editors of the New-Orleans "Medical and Surgical 
 Journal," offer the following sentiment on this subject: "That 
 the leading surgeons of Boston could be captivated by such an 
 invention as this, heralded to the world under such auspices and 
 upon such evidences of utility and safety as are presented by Dr. 
 Bigelow, excites our amazement. Why, mesmerism, which is re- 
 pudiated by the savans of Boston, has done a thousand times 
 gi-eater wonders, and without any of the dangers here threatened. 
 What shall we hear next ?" 
 
 Drs. Chapin K. Hanis, Amos Westcott, and Edwin J. Dun- 
 ning, then editors of the "American Journal and Library of 
 Dental Science," published at Baltimore, joined in the general 
 hue and cry, and did their utmost to warn the public against the 
 use of the Letheon. They wrote : " Great interest has been 
 excited, both in professional circles and in the public mind, by 
 an announcement in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, 
 that a Mr. Morton, of Boston, has discovered a gaseous prepara- 
 tion, of a nature so exquisitely anodyne as to fulfill the great 
 desideratum in surgery.'* Also: "The effects resulting from, or 
 at least liable to result from, the inhalation of the vapor of 
 sulphuric ether, are, in our opinion, more to be dreaded than the 
 pain of almost any surgical operation. We would, therefore, 
 caution our professional bretliren against the use of an article ca- 
 pable of producing such sudden, powerful, and dangerous effects.'* 
 
 All this was sufficiently dispiriting ; but it did not by any 
 means dampen Morton's ardor or confidence in his discovery, but
 
 120 DISCOVJSRY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. IX. 
 
 rather spurred him on to greater exertions, and a desire to com- 
 bat them with their own weapons, the public press, in which, by 
 counter statements and citations of proofs, he endeavored to 
 controvert their fallacious statements and insinuations. He 
 likewise strove to secure some public and more general demon- 
 stration of the virtues of the agent. 
 
 We accordingly find him, therefore, while busily engaged in 
 presenting his discovery to charitable institutions, sending forth 
 agents to introduce it into individual practice, continuing his ex- 
 periments, and combating the various objections raised on every 
 hand, mindful of his duty to the republic of which he was a 
 citizen. Her armies were then engaged in the war against 
 Mexico, in wliich " thousands of her best and bravest men," to 
 use the words of Gen. Shields in his defense of Dr. Morton, 
 " fell under the pains and afflictions that followed surgical opera- 
 tions." No time was lost in offering them this shield against 
 suffering, and Edward Warren, Esq. (a nephew of the cele- 
 brated Dr. Warren), at that time Dr. Morton's principal agent, 
 went to the seat of government with full instructions and power 
 to act. 
 
 Arriving at Washington on the 16th of December, 1846, Mr. 
 Warren exhibited the discovery, " performing many experiments 
 before a host of distinguished men, and with entire and perfect 
 success," though he also wrote: "Everywhere I have been, I 
 meet with the statements of Dr. Flagg and others, which stare 
 me in the face, and which must be met and disproved by some 
 one on the ground. To overcome this prejudice and suspicion 
 which they have thrown upon the use of the inhaling vapor, re- 
 quires all my logic and much time." 
 
 "Those statements of Dr. Flagg," wrote Mr. Warren, "have 
 been placed in the hands of every professional man 1 have met 
 wdth, leading them to entertain honest fears as to the safety of 
 the thing. To illustrate my difficulties: While demonstrating 
 your discovery to the medical class here, as well as to a large 
 number of surgeons and physicians. Dr. Hunt (a dentist of 
 standing here) came in with the statement of Dr. Flagg and 
 others in the ' Advertiser,' which was read for my edification in
 
 CHAP. IX.] HEADQUARTERS OrTEK TO GOVERNMENT. 121 
 
 the presence of all these persons. I succeeded in refuting these 
 statements, and in showing their fallacy ; and thus being on the 
 ground prevented a verdict against ellicr. Thus I am assailed 
 from day to day, and thus I must meet objections raised by men 
 of standing from all parts of the country." 
 
 There was a strong temptation for Morton to go at once to 
 the seat of war at Wasliington and engage heart and soul in 
 "the good fight" for a proper recognition of his rights. 
 
 But he evidently felt that he had a higher duty to perform — 
 that his place for action was upon the ground where he then 
 was. He was not only in the daily receipt of a large number of 
 letters making inquiries about the new remedial agent, but re- 
 ceived constant visits from professional gentlea.cn anxious to ob- 
 tain information at v>-hat was considered " headquarters." Some 
 of these inquiries consumed his time with speculative doubts, 
 questioning the accuracy of experiments, and recapitulating the 
 complaints of the antagonistic dentists. Others wished to see 
 experiments which would 'confirai the very remarkable phenom- 
 ena of which they had heard ; and a third class, more trouble- 
 some than all others, zealously bestirred themselves to overthrow 
 Dr. ^Morton's pretensions by insidiously worming themselves into 
 his confidence, making loud professions of admiration, and then 
 denouncing him to others. 
 
 He felt, and It was a noble feeling, that to desert his post at 
 this critical juncture, would be an injury to the scientific cause 
 which Providence had as it v/ere placed under his protection, 
 by selecting him from mankind as the instrument of its intro- 
 duction. But while he w^as unwilling to go from Boston at this 
 critical juncture, he made a formal tender as before stated of his 
 discovery to the Secretaries of War and of the Navy, for the re- 
 lief of the suffering soldiers and sailors engaged in the Mexican 
 war. He offered each department, by letter dated January 18, 
 1847, to send agents to Mexico at once, whose expenses to the 
 Government would be but a few hundred dollars, while the ap- 
 paratus would be furnished at wholesale price, and the ether 
 would cost but one or two cents to each patient. 
 
 The official replies to these generous offers show with what 
 6
 
 122 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. IX, 
 
 coldness and distrust the discovery was at that time received, even 
 by gentlemen of the highest professional reputation and position. 
 They are as follows : 
 
 " Navy Department, April 17, 1847. 
 ' Sir : Your letter of the 13th instant, tendering for the use of the Navy 
 Dr. Morton's discovery, ' whereby pain is prevented in surgical operations,' 
 has been received and referred to the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. 
 
 " The Chief of that Bureau reports that the article may be of some service 
 for the use of large hospitals, but does not think it expedient for the De- 
 partment to incur any expense for its introduction into the general service, 
 in which opinion the Department concurs. 
 
 "I am, respectfully, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 "J. Y. Masox\, 
 
 " Secretary of the Navy." 
 
 " Surgeon-Gexeral's Office, May 3, 1847. 
 " Sir : Your communication of the 13th ultimo, stating that you take the 
 ' opportunity again to offer the use of Dr. Morton's discovery, whereby 
 pain is prevented in surgical operations,' has been received. 
 
 *' In reply, I have to state, that whatever may be the virtues of ' Morton's 
 Letheon,' favored by all the facilities for its administration in civil practice, 
 it is believed that the highly volatile character of the substance itself is ill- 
 adapted to the rough usage it wonld necessarily encounter on the field of 
 battle. 
 
 " For this and other reasons, which it is unnecessary now to detail, I must 
 decline to recommend the use of your remed}' in the surgical operations of 
 the Army. 
 
 " Very respectfully, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 " H. L. Haskell, 
 ^^ Acting Surgeon-General." 
 
 In this manner was his generous oiFer not only disregarded, 
 but the very government which had agreed to protect him against 
 the abuse of his discovery, by giving him a patent, that he might 
 control it, now disregarded the validity of its own instrument. 
 It is officially stated by E. H. Abadee, Assist. Surgeon U. S. A., 
 in a communication addressed to the chairman of a Congressional 
 committee in 1852, that — " ether was first used by the army 
 early in 1847, during the Mexican war, more particularly on
 
 CHAP. IX.] CONGRESS JEALOUSLY REGARDS ANESTHESIA. 123 
 
 Gen. Scott's line," but in no great degree. And Dr. Pierson, of 
 Salem. Mass., informed the Hon. Mr. Bissell by letter, in 1852, 
 that in Sept., 1847, he " wrote to Gen. Gushing, and to Captain 
 Hoyt, of the Massachusetts regiment, then in Mexico, in favor 
 of ether, and urging them to use their influence to extend its 
 introduction into the military hospitals of the army. 
 
 This and other evidence clearly shows, that government not 
 only deprived its soldiers of the benefits of anaesthesia, while 
 suffering from their wounds, by introducing it through incompe- 
 tent persons, instead of accepting Dr. Morton's liberal offer, but 
 directly cancelled its own patent. Nothing could have struck 
 more fatally at the validity of this covenant, in public opinion, 
 than its open infraction by the very power which had granted 
 it ; and this appropriation of Dr. Morton's discovery to the pub- 
 lic service without compensation, was attended with consequences 
 {at more serious to his rights, than the mere neglect or refusal to 
 obtain his sanction. 
 
 Dr. Fries, then member of Congress from Ohio (who has 
 always been a warm champion of Dr. Morton's cause), addressed 
 letters to various medical gentlemen, asking their opinion. The 
 results were anything but satisfactory, as may be inferred from 
 the reply to a letter addressed to Prof D. T. Mutter, of Phila- 
 delphia, on the subject, asking him if it could be " usefully em- 
 ployed in the practice of surgery, in the manner proposed by 
 Dr. Morton," To this the Professor replied : — " On this point, 
 there is in my mind not the slightest doubt. I cannot consider any 
 agent generally useful that unquestionably subjects the patient 
 to the risk of losing his life.'' And, in another place, in his letter, 
 he says : — " The peculiar method of Dr. Morton is, consequently, 
 of no value ; but granting that his measures are peculiar, and 
 even better than those of others, I trust the day is far distant 
 when we shall find so distinguished a body as our national 
 Congress lending itself to the advancement of quackery in any 
 shape." 
 
 Strange as it may seem, since a much later period, the use of 
 ether was regarded with jealous fear by many eminent members 
 of the medical profession, even in the United States. A strik-
 
 124: DISCOVEUY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP IX. 
 
 ing evidence of this appears in the " Annual Report on Sur- 
 gery, read before the College of Physicians, Nov. 2, 1847, by 
 Isaac Parish, M. D.," where it is said: ^^ At the Pennsi/lvania 
 Hospital in this city it has not been tried at all ; being considered by 
 the judicious surgeons of that institution as a remedy of doubtful 
 safety, or, at least, as not sufficiently established to warrant them 
 in its employment. " And yet, in the same report, we find the 
 following sentence : '* But when we extend our vision to for- 
 eign countries, and call to mind that, during the past nine months, 
 it has been adopted in most of the large hospitals of Great Brit- 
 ain, in the vast hospitals of Pai'is, and, for the last six months, 
 in the numerous institutions of like character in Germany, inclu- 
 ding the immense hospitals at Vienna and Berlin, we can form 
 some idea of the extent to which it has been carried, and of the 
 firm hold which this great American discovery has taken of the 
 mind of the scientific world." 
 
 This is confirmed by the testimony of Dr. Bigelow. " There 
 was," he says, " a great difference of opinion — first, as regards its 
 safety. Many people maintained that it was dangerous. Some 
 eminent surgeons have pertinaciously, and in the most surprising 
 manner, adhered to this opinion to the present day, objecting to 
 its use. At an early period, certain religious grounds were 
 urged against its adoption. " 
 
 The curious gi-ound of opposition to the use of ether, that of 
 religious scruples — based upon the argument that, as man was 
 condemned by Providence to sufifer pain, it was wrong in him to 
 endeavor to attempt to palliate the decree — was much more gen- 
 erally indulged in during the first few years after the discovery 
 than would now be believed. Even at the present time there 
 are probably a large number of persons throughout the country 
 who would oppose the use of it in their own persons for that very 
 reason.* 
 
 * "I found many patients with strong religious scruples on the proprie- 
 ty of the practice. Some consulted their clergymen. One day, on meeting 
 
 the Rev. Dr. H , he stopped me to say, that he "w^as just returning from 
 
 absolving a patient's conscience on the subject, for she had taken chloro- 
 form durmg labor (and bo avoided suffering), but she felt unhappy ev»
 
 CHAP. IX.] RELIGIOUS SCRUPLES AGAINST ANJESTHESIA. 125 
 
 In the year 1850, tlie writer of this book attended, with Prof. 
 Morrill Wyman, of Cambridge, an operation on a respectable 
 fanner, who had, by some accident, divided one of the arteries 
 in the palm of his hand. As it had been found impossible by 
 any method to stop the bleeding, it was decided necessary to tie 
 the artery Avhich supplied the blood at the wrist. 
 
 The operation is not by any means a grave one, and only in a 
 moderate degree painful, as the incision through the skin required 
 is but small. Nevertheless, to obviate even this degree of pain, 
 the precaution was taken to carry a small vial of chloroform. 
 
 The patient had been previously warned of the necessity of the 
 operation, and that something would be given him to prevent 
 any pain. But on arriving at the house, we were met by his 
 wife, who, calling us aside, informed us that her husband, after 
 a conversation with her, had decided not to inhale the ether, the 
 reason being that they both considered it wrong ; she added, that 
 having fortified himself by prayer, he felt himself sutHciently pre- 
 pared, and would not endeavor to escape any of that punishment 
 which had been ordained man for his sin. 
 
 Of course, to this information no answer was to be made — and 
 preparations were accordingly commenced for the operation, 
 while the good wife adjourned once more to her husband's room, 
 to further strengthen his resolution by an additional prayer. 
 
 "When all was ready, and with a last kiss, his wife had left 
 tlie room, the good farmer's hand was placed in the proper posi- 
 tion upon a small table. Then the surgeon, with one clean, 
 quick cut, divided the skin immediately over the artery. This 
 was actually the only painful part of the operation, the sensi- 
 
 since, under the idea that she had done something very wrong and very 
 sinful. A few among the clergy themselves, for a time joined in the cry 
 against the new practice. I have just looked up a letter which a clergy- 
 man wrote to a medical friend, in which he declares that chloroform is (I 
 quote his own words) " a decoy of Satan, apparently offering itself to 
 bless women ; hut in the end, it will harden society, and rob God of the 
 deep earnest cries which arise in time of trouble for help." And you are 
 aware how earnestly some medical men attempted to preach, and, as you 
 Btate, still preach against it, on religious grounds." — Letter of Dr. Simp- 
 son to Dr. Protheroe Smith, July StJi, 1848.
 
 126 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. IX. 
 
 tive nerves lying almost wholly in the skin. But the good 
 farmer was hardly as much fortified as he supposed, for with a 
 terrific yell, which could have been heard almost as far as a 
 steam-whistle, he broke from the hands which endeavored to re- 
 strain him, and ordered a discontinuance of the operation. 
 
 " Phewi" said he, '' that was awful. Why, Doctor, I didn't 
 know it was to hurt like that." 
 
 " Certainly," said Dr. Wyman. " I told you it would pain 
 some. How do you expect any cutting can be done and you 
 not feel it ? Come, my good friend, sit down and let me finish, 
 it will soon be through." 
 
 " But wait ; is it going to hurt like that all the rest of the 
 time ?" 
 
 Dr. Wyman, with a severe struggle to keep his countenance, 
 at the peculiar appearance and disordered air of the worthy 
 man, answered, that " it would, in some degree, but not nearly 
 as much." 
 
 " Yes, Doctor, but I can't stand it ; you say that the stuff you 
 have in that little bottle will keep me from feeling it ? You do *? 
 Well now, Doctor, do you think it would be really wrong to 
 take it? Say just a little enough to keep off the worst of the 
 pain, but still let me feel it some — of course you don't. You 
 are a good man, Doctor, and you wouldn't do any tiling wrong 
 I know ; besides, if you recommend it to me, the blame ought 
 to fall upon you." After pausing a minute in deep agitation, 
 he suddenly brought his huge fist with a loud thump upon 
 the table, and with a preliminary specimen of " muscular English,^* 
 exclaimed, " Well, wicked or not wicked. Doctor, I guess 111 go 
 the ether." 
 
 With the action of the ether, his religious scruples entirely 
 vanished, and a few moments later saw him completely insen- 
 sible, and the operation finished. 
 
 The amazement and quiet look of reproach of his wife, when 
 on entering the room she was informed of what had been done, 
 was inimitable. The poor husband, still half tipsy from the 
 effects of the ansesthetic, conscious that he had offended the good 
 opinion of his better half, yet sure that she would have done the
 
 CAffP. IX. j HOW A GOOD RESOLUTION VANISHES. 127 
 
 same had she been in his place, endeavored to reason with her. 
 But his tongue was a little too much out of his control for him 
 to be very intelligible, and his brain was quite too much affected 
 for the excuses to be other than of the lamest kind. The scene 
 was particularly amusing to all spectators. 
 
 How many a good resolution vanishes in the same way at the 
 first little trial.
 
 128 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION, [CHAT. X. 
 
 CHAPTEE X. 
 
 THE PATENT. 
 
 " Patent, A writing given by the proper authorities and duly authenticated, securing 
 to a person, for a term of years, the exclusive right to an invention." — Webster''3 
 Dictionary Unabridged. 
 
 It was evident, from the formidable opposition that the dis- 
 covery met with, that a systematic and expensive plan was ne- 
 cessary, as is shown at p. 450, Chap. XXII., to secure for it a 
 fair and prompt trial throughout the scientific world. To do this 
 it was necessary that highly rectified ether should be manufac- 
 tured, and put within the reach of the profession throughout the 
 country ; that the apparatus, which was then very expensive 
 and imperfect, should be manufactured in such sufiiciently large 
 numbers as to reduce the price so low that every practitioner 
 could purchase one. The prejudicial reports of alarming ex- 
 periments, and the reluctance with which scientific men adopted 
 it in their practice, was creating a tide against anaesthesia which 
 there seemed no way to stem but first to instruct young physi- 
 cians, and send them to the points where opposition was array- 
 ing itself, equipped with ether and apparatus, and instructions to 
 furnish the profession with all these facilities. It was necessary 
 that each of these messengers to the guardians of the sick and 
 wounded should be kept constantly apprized, although in separate 
 parts of the country, with the accumulated report of cases in 
 favor of anaesthesia. To disseminate this knowledge, and to 
 respond to the prejudicial publications, it was necessary to em- 
 ploy considerable literary assistance, and to incur large expense 
 ofpiinting, publisliing, and distributing. To meet these require-
 
 CHAP. X.] MOTIVES FOR SECURING PATENT. 129 
 
 ments demanded heavy monetary transactions on the part of Dr. 
 Morton. It therefore became a question to be decided by busi- 
 ness as well as scientific men, what was the proper line of con- 
 duct for him to pursue, for it was clear that from him alone 
 would be expected these facilities. 
 
 But for him to make this large outlay, simply because he was 
 the discoverer, without securing a proper security for this ex- 
 penditure of money, he was told was simply absurd, and that 
 his true course was to do as the Constitution of the United States 
 pointed out to him — procure a patent. 
 
 Besides Dr. Morton states, in his memoir to the French Acad- 
 emy, that he was partially induced to take out a patent, be- 
 cause he «• was advised that it would be well to restrain so power- 
 ful an agent, which might be employed for the most nefarious pur- 
 poses."* The records of criminal courts in both the old and in 
 the new world, show the truth of this supposition, for the agent 
 intended to relieve the suffering has been used to stupefy the vic- 
 tims of desperadoes ; and in one country, as we are informed by 
 Dr. Bigelow, a government discountenanced the discovery on this 
 very accoiint. But this was not the only motive which induced 
 Dr. Morton to wish that his discovery might be restrained within 
 proper bounds. The agent was then comparatively unknown ; 
 
 * Extract from the Boston Post, July 19th, 1817. 
 " The Abuse of Ether." 
 " A late number of the London Times publishes a letter from a philan- 
 throphic correspondent, denouncing a fatal habit which it seems has speedi- 
 ly sprung up in the great metropolis, of using the new agent, ether, in the 
 game way that the drug opium has been taken — for the purpose of plea- 
 sant exhilaration — to all intents intoxication. This letter writer remarks as 
 follows : ' Entering a chemist's shop the other day, I observed a nurse come 
 in for four ounces of ether ; as the chemist poured it out, he said to me, 
 " This is all the go, now ; it is used for inhalation." A small apparatus has 
 been invented for ladies ; so delightful are the sensations it produces, that 
 persons who have used it for the relief of pain, continue to use it for the 
 pleasui-e it affords. On a former occasion I had warned a chemist of the 
 danger of yielding to a habit which would become his master ; the warn- 
 ing was neglected, the habit has gained the mastery, and the man of tal- 
 ent and energy has become the imbecile, driveling idiot.' So much for the 
 debasing use to which the new agency may be applied." 
 
 6*
 
 130 DISCOVERT or ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. I. 
 
 he had himself (as Ms memoir shows) been once deceived by 
 using an impure article, and had he announced that all the world 
 could produce insensibility to pain by udng ether, many fearful 
 accidents would have followed its indiscriminate administration, 
 without regard to quality, quantity, or regulation. He was well 
 awai'e that he would be held answerable for every supposed mis- 
 adventure of this kind, and naturally wished to avoid such op- 
 position by controlling his discovery. 
 
 Again, justice to his family and himself demanded that he 
 should obtain some compensation for his dangerous and arduous 
 labors and large expenditures. And in what other way could 
 this be done, but by keeping it as a secret out of the hands of 
 the public, or the rest of the profession, against which his soul re- 
 volted, or by protecting himself by procuring a patent. 
 
 At the commencement he had adopted the former plan; and 
 kept the name of the agent a secret, which was necessary for the 
 following reasons : — 
 
 1st. He wished to make such modifications as experience 
 might suggest as regards the method of exhibition. 
 
 2dly. He wished to instruct a suitable number of competent 
 persons, who, when wanted, could go to any pfU't of the country 
 and administer it themselves, until its merits were fully estab- 
 lished. 
 
 3dly. He wished to prevent its being at its infancy brought 
 into disrepute or doubt, by ever being used at the hands of inju- 
 dicious, or unskilled persons ; for, to quote from one of his private 
 circulars, he knew that " asphyxia and etherization are two dif- 
 ferent things." 
 
 Those worthy and qualified to use the discovery, however, re- 
 ceived every encouragement at his hands. So early as the 30th 
 October, 1846, he requested Dr. Warren to give him as perfect 
 a list as possible of all the hospitals and charitable institutions 
 in the country, that he might present them with the use of this 
 new blessing to their suffering patients. This praiseworthy re- 
 quest was granted, and soon every eleemosynary institution in the 
 country, where surgical operations were performed, every chari- 
 table hospital, and many eminent surgeons, were offered free license
 
 CHAP, x] DR. Morton's LrBERALrrr. 131 
 
 to use the discovery, with a donation of apparatus and instruc- 
 tion, as a sense of the obligation felt by Dr. Morton for the inter- 
 est they had displayed in establishing the value of his discovery. 
 The official letters acknowledging some of these benefactions 
 not only show Dr. Morton's liberality in extending the benefits 
 of his discovery, but are important as evidences of his then 
 undisputed claim to the discovery. 
 
 The reader has been already informed of the refusal of the 
 surgeons of the Massachusetts General Hospital, to continue the 
 use of the agent after the second experiment, without knowing 
 what it was, and of the unconditional and public manner in 
 which Dr. Morton informed them it was simple sulphuric ether. 
 He now, however, addressed a letter to the trustees of that insti- 
 tution, and offered them a free and unrestricted use of this anaes- 
 thetic agent. 
 
 In acknowledgment of this gift, he received the following 
 reply, which bears the general character of the answers which 
 he daily received. 
 
 " Boston, Dec. 21, 1846. 
 
 " Dr. "W. T. G. Moetox — Sir: At a meeting of the trustees of the Massa- 
 chusetts General Hospital, lield yesterday, your letter of the 14th inst., 
 presenting to the hospital the right to use your ' Discovery for the preven- 
 tion or alleviation of pain in surgical operations,^ was laid before the Board. 
 
 " I am directed, by a vote of the trustees, to inform you that they accept 
 your polite offer, and to express to you their thanks for ycur valuable gift, 
 and their sense of the importance of the right to use your discovery in the 
 institution under their control. 
 
 " Your ob't servant, Marcus Mortox, Jr., 
 
 " Secretary Mass. General Hospital." 
 
 After mature consultation with various persons, on whose judg- 
 ment he felt he could safely rely, he determined to take measures 
 to secure a patent ; and thus, by legally protecting himself, to 
 prevent its indiscriminate and careless use. * 
 
 * This was not done without mature consideration on his part, and after 
 conferring with several upon whose judgment he relied. The objections 
 which could be made against this by some, bear against Dr. Morton only 
 on the broad abstract ground that any discovery which can be made con- 
 ducive to the physical well-being of mankind, should be freely and gi-atui-
 
 iS2 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. X. 
 
 For the purpose of securing a patent, he at once called on 
 Eichard H. Eddy, Esq., a solicitor of patents in Boston, and 
 stated to him, " that having made an important discovery, by 
 which he could extract teeth without pain, he desired to know, 
 whether he could obtain a patent for it.'* He likewise informed 
 
 touslj thrown open to it. Laws have been passed by medical societies to 
 enforce this upon their members ; but this did not affect the case of Dr. 
 Morton, as he was not then a member of any medical society. 
 
 " No one will deny that he who benefits the world should receive from 
 it an equivalent. The only question is, of what nature shall the equiva- 
 lent be ? Shall it be voluntarily ceded by the world, or levied upon it ? 
 For various reasons, discoveries in high science have been usually reward- 
 ed indirectly by fame, honor, position, and, occasionally, by other coun- 
 tries, by funds appropriated for the purpose. Discoveries in medical sci- 
 ence, whose domain approaches so nearly that of philanthropy, have been 
 generally ranked with them ; and many will assent with reluctance to the 
 propriety of restricting, by letters patent, the use of an agent capable of 
 mitigating human suffering. There are various reasons, however, which 
 apologize for the arrangement which I understand to have been made with 
 regard to the application of the new agent : 
 
 " 1st. It is capable of abuse, and can readily be applied to nefarious ends. 
 
 " 2d. Its action is not yet thoroughly understood, and its use should be 
 restricted to responsible persons. 
 
 " 3d. One of its greatest fields is the mechanical art of dentistry, many of 
 whose processes are by convention secret, or protected by patent rights. 
 It is especially with reference to this art, that the patent has been secured. 
 We understand, already, that the proprietor has ceded its use to the Mas- 
 sachusetts General Hospital, and that his intentions are extremely liberal 
 "with reo'ard to the medical profession genei'ally, and that so soon as neces- 
 sary arrangements can be made for publicity of the process, great facili- 
 ties will be offered to those who are disposed to avail themselves of what 
 now promises to be one of the important discoveries of the age." — Article of 
 Dr. Henry J. Bigelow, Nov. ISth, 1846. 
 
 " The community is taxed by patent rights for inventions to the amount 
 of many millions annually, the men of science, paying themselves a part of 
 these taxes, and bringing to light by their unpaid labors scientific discov- 
 eries from which these inventions in a gi'eat measure take their rise, are left 
 entirely in this country without any reward whatever. In Europe they 
 are rewarded ; besides that, they are supported by salaries attached to 
 their membership of scientific bodies." — Letter of Dr. Alexander H. Stevens, 
 Jan. 6th, 1852.
 
 CHAP. X.] PROSPECTIVE RE\TAT:E FROM PATENT. 133 
 
 him, that the agent was sulphuric ether, administered by inhala- 
 tion, and illustrated its effects to him by tlie case of Mr. Frost, 
 and a description of the machine then used. 
 
 Mr. Eddy expressed doubts whether the discovery was patent- 
 able, but promised to give a mature opinion as soon as he had 
 carefully examined the legal authorities on the subject. This 
 was about the middle of October, and on the 21st of the same 
 month, he gave as his belief, that a patent could be obtained, and 
 consequently commenced at once the necessary steps for its 
 receipt 
 
 On Nov. 12th, 1846, sixteen days subsequent to the applica* 
 tion, a patent was received signed by James Buchanan, then Sec- 
 retary of State. The pecuniary interest of this American patent 
 was divided in the following manner : — Twenty-five per cent, of 
 the net profits was to be given to the solicitor, for his services 
 and expenditure, and doing the general business under the 
 patent ; ten per cent, to another party for advice and personal 
 influence, and the remaining sixty-five per cent, to Morton for 
 his invention and discovery. 
 
 In order to form some idea of the revenue expected from 
 this source I will give the reader a brief estimate, calculated 
 from one of the early licenses sold under the patent. The ex- 
 clusive use of the agent in Essex county, Massachusetts, was 
 conveyed to Dr. Fisk of Salem, in the same county, for the sum 
 of eight hundred and fifty dollars. 
 
 The area comprised in this license contained a population of 
 100,000 inhabitants. The duration of the license was for five 
 years. 
 
 The American patent extended to fourteen years, and,suppo3- 
 ing the license to Dr. Fisk to remain equally valuable all the 
 time of this period, the license for fourteen years would have 
 been worth $2,380. At the same rate the sale of licenses for 
 the whole State of Massachusetts, containing a population of 
 over one million, would have been worth §23,800, and for thei 
 whole United States, whose population was then estimated at 
 twenty -three millions, $547,400; of which the solicitor's share 
 would have been $1 36,850. The party to whom ten per cent.
 
 134 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP X 
 
 was to be given, $54,740. "V^Tiile the remainder, the share of 
 Morton, would have been $355,810 — and this exclusive of the 
 income from the English patent — or any increase in the price of 
 the licenses, as the value of the patent became more fully de- 
 veloped. 
 
 The subject of the American patent having been thus happily 
 disposed of, the commissioner called upon Morton on the 29th 
 of October, and informed him that steps should be at once taken to 
 procure the patents abroad, and secure himself from the use of the 
 invention there. Tlie next steamer for Europe was to sail on the 
 next Sunday morning, November 1st, and Mr. Eddy feared that 
 if the business was delayed until the departure of the succeeding 
 steamer, a fortnight later, that the discovery would be proclaimed 
 in England from the reports in the newspapers or from letters 
 sent out by witnesses or surgeons to their friends there ; and that 
 in consequence the introducer would become the legal patentee, 
 and thus Morton would be robbed of the credit and emolument, 
 the result of his labors. 
 
 He stated as an English law, that only an English subject 
 could procure a patent there, but this could be easily evaded, by 
 having some citizen of the British realm take out the patent in 
 his own name, v/ith an understanding that he was at once to as- 
 sign it and all its benefits to the American discoverer- 
 
 Accordingly it was agreed upon between them that the whole 
 subject should be communicated on Morton's behalf to his coun- 
 tryman, J. A. Dorr, Esq., who was then in London, and that, 
 authorized by legal authority to act in the premises, he should at 
 once proceed to secure a patent in the name of some citizen of 
 Great Britain, and then assign it as above mentioned. Mr. Dorr 
 being also intrusted with the superintendence of the business in 
 Europe. 
 
 It is sufficient here to say that the necessary papers were pre- 
 pared, signed and deposited in the Foreign Office. On the arrival 
 of the documents in England Mr. Dorr accepted the trust, an 
 English patent was granted Moses Poole, Esq., of Lincoln's Inn, 
 in the county of Middlesex, December 21st, 1846, in trust, and 
 was at once assigned to Mr. Dorr, and subsequently to Morton.
 
 CHAP. X.] ACK2sOArT.EDGMENTS FKOM TOKETGN POWERS. 135 
 
 After securing the English patent, Mr. Dorr at once brought 
 the subject to the notice of the EngUsh people ; how favorably, 
 the chapter on the promulgation and reception of this discovery- 
 has already told us. 
 
 Following the usual custom in monarchical countries, he like- 
 wise prepared a number of sets of costly apparatus, which, with 
 full instructions how to produce etherization, and what dangers 
 were to be guarded against, he forwarded, in the name of Morton, 
 to Nicholas, Emperor of Russia ; Ferdinand, Emperor of 
 Austria ; Louis Philippe, King of the French ; Leopold, King 
 of the Belgians ; Charles Jean, King of Sweden ; Christian VIIL, 
 King of Denmark ; Frederic Augustus, King of Saxony; Ernest, 
 King of Hanover ; William, King of Holland ; Louis, King of 
 Bavaria ; and Charles Albert, King of Sardinia ; and also to 
 Velpeau, Jobci-t, Blandin, Ricord, Maisonneuve, and many other 
 celebrated surgeons all over Europe. 
 
 From the ministers of some of these powers, the American 
 discoverer has received the most grateful and flattering acknowl- 
 edgments. Louis Philippe, then in the zenith of his power, 
 evidently took the most interest in the discovery — perhaps, 
 because, as is well known, he always had a passion for amateur 
 surgery — and a special letter of thanks, dated from the Tuilleries, 
 states that he "appreciates the sentiment which inspires this 
 obliging communication." 
 
 Not only did Dr. Morton thus offer free rights to charitable 
 institutions in every part of his own country, but in every 
 " License" granted under the patent to responsible practitioners, 
 for a small equivalent, was a distinct clause guaranteeing a re- 
 payment of the fee should the Government of the United States 
 adopt the invention. " I had little doubt," said he, " that the 
 proper authorities would take it out of private hands, if the 
 public good required it." 
 
 He likewise furnished many of the most eminent practitioners 
 with his own style of inhaling apparatus, which were then 
 considered necessary for successful administration. One answer, 
 extracted from the many written in reply to the gift, will 
 suffice :
 
 136 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. x. 
 
 " My Dear Sir : — I beg to acknowledge the receipt from you of a very 
 handsome apparatus for the inhalation of sulphuric ether. Be so kind as 
 to accept my best thanks for it, and beheve me, 
 
 "Very truly, your obedient seryant, 
 
 *' J. Mason Warren. 
 " Dr. Morton. 
 " Boston, Jan. 15th, 1847." 
 
 The preparation of ether, and the superintendence of the man- 
 ufacture of these instruments, occupied much of his care and at- 
 tention. The patient, who at present merely has to plunge his 
 nose and mouth into a bell-shaped sponge, and inhale the va- 
 por, little realizes the labor and expense incurred in deciding upon 
 such a simple modification. Expensive and formidable-looking 
 instruments were at first made, which were constantly improved 
 upon and altered ; alteration succeeded alteration, until at last, as 
 often happens, it was discovered that the simplest means were the 
 best, and a common sponge is all that is now used, being the 
 same mode of exhibition Dr. Morton used in his fii'st experiment 
 upon his own person. 
 
 But before this result was arrived at, hundreds of machines 
 were given away or sold to practitioners applying for permission 
 to use the ether. One contract, dated January 1st, 1847, with 
 the firm of J. B. Johnson & Co., provided for the manufacture 
 of fifteen hundred sets, and this was but one out of four firms 
 thus employed. Besides, large contracts were entered into with 
 glass companies for the manufacture of globes, retorts, and other 
 glass ware, for each constant alteration. 
 
 Thus far the young child which had been so lately born to the 
 world, had not been christened, owing to the entirely new use to 
 which the agent had been put ; language then was deficient in 
 the accuracy and precision necessary, when speaking of the agent 
 and the state which it produced. 
 
 Upon consultation with Dr. O. W. Holmes, and other gentle- 
 men of literary and scientific attainments, it was at length deci- 
 ded that the state of insensibility produced should be called 
 *' ansesthesia" (from the two Greek words — a, privitive, and 
 aiaddvofiac, I feel); to apply the term ansesthetic both to the state 
 and to the agent, and to denominate the act or process by which
 
 CHAP. X.] THE CHRISTEXING. 137 
 
 the effect was brought about, " etherization," or the act of giv- 
 int' ether. These terms were at once adopted, and are now in 
 common use.* 
 
 The term ''Letheon," given to the ether immediately after the 
 American patent was secured, and by which it was at first gen- 
 erally known, was adopted simply '-to avoid circumlocution," 
 and was brought about in this wise. Drs. H. J. Bigelow, Holmes, 
 and Morton, having met at the house of Dr. A. A. Gould, the 
 latter read aloud a list of names which he had prepared. Dr. 
 Morton, on catching the word "Letheon" — the same that Dr. 
 Gould had also put on his list — exclaimed, " That is the name 
 the discovery shall be christened." Returning to his office soon 
 after, where the Avriter was then sitting, he said, " I have found 
 a name for the discovery, imd am going to call it Let.heon.''^] 
 
 The term was derived from the name of the river Lethe, said 
 
 * The followinsT letter received by Dr. Morton possesses so much of the 
 pecuhar style of the -writer, that I have copied it entire : 
 
 " BosTOjr, Nov. 2lst, 1846. 
 
 '• My Dear Sir :— Everybody wants to have a hand in a great discovery. 
 All I will do is to give you a hint or two, as to names, or the name, to be 
 applied to the state produced and the agent. 
 
 " The state should, I think, be called ' Anaesthesia.' This signifies in- 
 sensibility, more particularly (as used by Linnreus and Cullen) to objects 
 of touch. (See Good — Nosology,]). 259.) The adjective will be 'Anaes- 
 thetic' Thus we might say, the state of anaesthesia, or the anaesthetic 
 state. The means employed would be properly called the anti-aesthetic 
 agent. Perhaps it might be allowable to say anaesthetic agent, but this 
 admits of question. 
 
 " The words, antineuric, aneuric, neuro-leptic, neuro-lepsia, neuro-etasis, 
 etc., seem too anatomical; whereas the change is a physiological one. I 
 throw them out for consideration 
 
 '• I would have a name pretty soon, and consult some accomplished scholar, 
 such as President Everett or Dr. Bigelow, senior, before fixing upon the 
 terms, which xcill he repeated, by the tongues of every civilized race of mankind. 
 You could mention these words which I suggest for their consideration ; 
 but there may be others more appropriate and agreeable. 
 
 " Yours, respcctfullv, 
 
 " O. W. Holmes. 
 "Dr. Morton." 
 
 t Appendix to " Some Account of the Letheon, or who icas the Discoverer, 
 by Edward "Warren."
 
 138 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. X. 
 
 in mythology to be one of the rivers in the infernal regions. The 
 water of this river was supposed to have the peculiar property, 
 when drank by any of the spirits of the dead on entering Elysium, 
 of causing them to forget all the sorrows and troubles of their 
 past lives. Hence the name of the river from the Greek word 
 XtjOt] signifying " forgetfulness or oblivion." 
 
 Scarcely, however, was the christening completed before the 
 United States government struck a blow at the validity of the 
 patent in public opinion. He had ofiered to furnish the military 
 and naval forces then engaged in the Mexican war, at a mere 
 nominal price, just sufficient to defray the expenses of competent 
 operators. But his generous offer (as we have previously stated) 
 was not only disregarded, but the very government which had 
 agreed to protect him against the abuse of his discovery by giving 
 him a patent, that he might control it, now disregarded the va- 
 lidity of its own instrument. It is officially stated by E. H. 
 Abadee, Assistant Surgeon U. S. A., in a communication address- 
 ed to the chairman of a Congressional committee in 1852, that 
 " ether was first used by the army early in 1847, during the Mex- 
 ican war, more particularly on General Scott's line." And Dr. 
 Pierson, of Salem, Mass., informed the Hon. Mr. Bissell, by let- 
 ter, in 1862, that in September, 1847, he '-wrote to Gen. Gush- 
 ing and to Captain Hoyt, of the Massachusetts regiment, then in 
 Mexico, in favor of ether, and urging them to use their influence 
 to extend its introduction into the military hospitals of the 
 army." 
 
 This and other evidence clearly shows that government not 
 only deprived its soldiers of the benefits of anaesthesia, while suf- 
 fering from their wounds, by introducing it through incompetent 
 persons, instead of accepting Dr. Morton's liberal offer, but di- 
 rectly cancelled its own patent. Nothing could have struck more 
 fatally at the validity of this covenant, in public opinion, than its 
 open infraction by the very power which had granted it ; and this 
 appropriation of Dr. Morton's discovery to the public service 
 without compensation was attended with consequences far more 
 serious to his rights than the mere neglect or refusal to obtain 
 his sanction.
 
 CHAP. X.] RESULTS OP GOVERNMENT VIOLATING PATENT. 139 
 
 He had thorough and competent agents in every city and 
 large town in the Union, where application had been made 
 for it, who were thoroughly instructed in the administration of 
 ether, and guarded against the dangers which might arise from an 
 impure article, or improper use of that which had the inventor's 
 sanction. 
 
 No sooner was it announced in the New- York Herald and other 
 papers, that the government had adopted the use of ether for the 
 public service, without any regard for its own patent, than those 
 who had been kept from it for good reasons joined in the cry that 
 the licenses were of no use, and that the discovery was free to all. 
 Its legitimate use had never been subject to other than proper re- 
 straint ; had been generously offered to all public institutions, and 
 to the very government which so ungenerously appropriated it. 
 Now, its abuse commenced. 
 
 Agents, in distant sections, had to be supplied with funds to 
 defray their expenses home, for, like Othello, they found their 
 " occupation gone ;" and those who had derived great pecuniary 
 benefits from licenses, now clamored for a return of the com- 
 paratively trifling sum which they had paid, upon the ground 
 that others had equal privileges. 
 
 This was a most unfortunate era in Dr. Morton's life, and left 
 him exactly where Dr. Jenner was, when he also had been in- 
 duced to incur large expenses in London for the introduction of 
 vaccination, and found himself a great pecuniary loser. A knoAvl- 
 edge of the ungrateful conduct of government stirred up greater 
 hostility and envy, and materially added to his own responsibility, 
 without giving him the strength and independence which might 
 better have enabled him to cope with his antagonists. He was 
 left with the v/hole weight of a momentous undertaking upon 
 his own shoulders. Those who were jealous of his fame waxed 
 more bold ; his friends became lukewarm ; the demands upon 
 his time and attention were increased ; no steps were even taken 
 to enforce the patent, and the world has continued in its free use. 
 According to the terms of the business manager of the patent, 
 the half yearly account was now rendered, as seen in Chapter XV., 
 page 231, The patent agents in this country and Europe, felt,
 
 140 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. X. 
 
 as Dr. Morton had transferred to them a quarter interest, to at- 
 tend to all business under these patents, and as in consequence 
 of this, they had been to large outlays, that Dr. Morton ought 
 to enforce the patent, or reimburse them. By this time, Dr. 
 J^Tlorton had been influenced by the professional gentlemen he 
 had come in contact with, in the belief that the race upon 
 whom he had conferred this boon would certainly not see him 
 go unrequited for his great outlay of money and for the sacri- 
 fices he had made, and that he should adopt their view of its 
 being non-professional, to the extent at least, of not enforcing 
 his patent by a suit at law against infringers ; and that he should 
 rely upon the government remunerating him through their assist- 
 ance.* He therefore did adopt this course, and in order to 
 
 * To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, 
 in Congress assembled. 
 
 " The undersigned, physicians and surgeons of the Massachusetts General 
 Hospital, beg leave to represent — 
 
 " That) in the year 1846, a discovery was made in the city of Boston, by 
 which the human body is rendered insensible to pain, during surgical op- 
 erations, and during other serious and violent afiections, by means of the 
 vapor of ether inhaled into the lungs ; 
 
 " That a patent for this discovery was taken out by two citizens of Bos- 
 ton, by whom the first satisfactory experiments on the prevention of pain 
 by this means had been made ; and the first cajaital operations, conducted 
 under the influence of this agent, were performed in the Massachusetts 
 General Hospital, by the sui'geons of that institution ; 
 
 " That the success of this method of preventing pain has been abun- 
 dantly and completely established by one hundi-ed and fifteen operations 
 performed in said hospital during the last year, and by a still greater num- 
 ber out of it in the city of Boston. 
 
 '' And, in all cases within the knowledge of the undersigned, it has greatly 
 mitigated, or wholly prevented, the pain, when skillfully administered, and 
 in no case has any fatal or disastrous consequence followed its use, within 
 their observation ; and although inconveniences and temporary disturb- 
 ances of the nervous system have sometimes followed its application, yet 
 these are exceptions to the general rule, and are not more common than 
 those which result fi-om the employment of other powerful medicinal 
 agents, and are incomparably less distressing than the evils they are em- 
 ployed to obviate. 
 
 " The undersigned have reason to believe, that, since the introduction of 
 this process, some thousands of persons have inhaled ether in Boston and
 
 CHAP. l] PHYSICIANS ASK CONGRESS TO BUY PATEINT. Ill 
 
 keep good faith with the patent agents, in both America and 
 Europe, refunded to thera to the extent of their entire satisfac- 
 tion ; in consideration for which they assigned buck to him all 
 their interest in the American and foreign patents. 
 
 its vicinity, with impunity and benefit ; that its vahie is already recognized, 
 and its employment introduced into most parts of Europe ; that the use of 
 the process ought to be, and, by judicious arrangements, probably will be, 
 extended into all parts of the United States ; and that no discovery in 
 medical science, during the present century, has relieved as much suffering, 
 and conferred so great a benefit on humanity, as the discovery of tho 
 power and application of ether. 
 
 " The undersigned are aware, that the power of ether to produce insen- 
 sibility, and even death, when improperly used, was known in Europe 
 many years ago. They are also aware, that other aeriform bodies have 
 been experimented on, and thft vapor of ether itself lansuccessfully tried, by 
 other individuals, in surgical operations ; but they are satisfied, that the 
 safety of the process, and the effectual mode of applying it, were first made 
 known in Boston, in 1846. 
 
 " Understanding that the use of this important discovery is now restricted 
 by letters-patent granted from the office of the Secretaiy of State, and be- 
 lieving that it is the policy of wise governments to diffuse among their con- 
 stituents the blessings of such discoveries as tend to alleviate human suffer- 
 ing, and, at the same time, to reward those who have conferred such bene- 
 fits upon the world — the undersigned respectfully pray, that such sums as 
 shall be thought adequate may be paid by the government of the United 
 States to those persons who shall be found, on investigation, to merit com- 
 pensation for the benefit conferred on the public by this discovery, and on 
 condition of the relinquishment by them of any patent right they may 
 hold restricting its use. 
 
 (Signed) 
 
 "John C. Warrex, H. I. Bowditch, 
 ** Jacob Bigelow, O. W. Holmes, 
 " Geo. Hatward, J. Mason "Warren, 
 '* Enoch Hale, Samuel Parkman, 
 
 " S. D. TowNSEND, Henry J. Bigelow. 
 *' John D. Fisher, 
 " Boston, Nov. 20, 1847."
 
 U2 
 
 DISCOVERY OP ETHEUIZATION. [CHAP. XT, 
 
 CHAPTEE XI. 
 
 CONTROVERSY NITROUS OXIDE. 
 
 " I told him, although it were the custom of our learned in Europe to steal inventions 
 from each other, who had thereby at least this advantage, that it became a controversy 
 which was the right owner, yet I would take such caution that he should have the honor 
 entire without a rival." — Gulliver's Travels. 
 
 Dr. Morton states in his memoir to the French Academy, that 
 "In the course of the winter (1844-45) Dr. Horace Wells, of 
 Hartford, Conn., a dentist, and formerly my partner, came to 
 Boston, and desired me to aid him in procuring an opportunity to 
 administer the nitrous oxide gas, which he said he believed would 
 destroy or greatly alleviate pain under surgical operations. I 
 readily consented, and introduced him to Dr. George Hayward, 
 an eminent surgeon, who offered to permit the experiment, but 
 as the earliest operation was not to be performed under two or three 
 days, we did not wait for it, but went to Dr. Warren, whom we 
 found engaged with his class. He told us that his students were 
 preparing to inhale it that evening, for sport, and offered to an- 
 nounce the proposal to them, and ask them to meet us at the col- 
 lege. In the evening Dr. Wells and myself went to the hall, 
 and I took my instruments. Dr. Wells administered the gas, 
 and extracted a tooth, but the patient screamed from pain, and 
 the spectators laughed and hissed. The meeting broke up, and 
 we were looked upon as having made ourselves very ridiculous. 
 I saw nothing more of Dr. Wells, but he left my instruments at 
 ray office very early the next morning, and went directly home. 
 In July, being again in Connecticut, I called on Dr. Wells, and 
 we spent some time in adjusting our former partnership accounts. 
 He bad then given up dentistry, and was engaged in conducting 
 an exhibition of birds, which he said insured him better health. 
 I went with him to the office of Dr. Riggs, where I spoke of the
 
 CHAP. 31] FUTILE ATTEMPTS OF "STILLS. 143 
 
 gas, and asked them to give some to me ; but Dr. "Wells gave me 
 to understand that he had abandoned the experiment, thinking 
 it could have no practical value. " 
 
 The rebuff received by Dr. Wells in Boston induced him to 
 drop, in great measure, the subject of further experimentation, as 
 a short time afterward " he gave it to be understood, that he had 
 abandoned the experiment, thinking it could have no practical 
 value." A naturally-unsettled disposition, or a poor requital for 
 his labor, induced him after a time to relinquish even the practice 
 of dentistry, and engage in various heterogeneous pursuits, con- 
 cerning which he wrote to Dr. Morton, under date of July, 1845 ; 
 " On giving up my business in Hartford, I went into a sort of spec- 
 ulation which used up my ready means and I sunk the whole of 
 it. " At one period he was employed in manufacturing coal-sifters ; 
 at another in the exhibition of birds, and other objects of natural 
 history, or a panorama of some kind ; then he busied himself in 
 the manufacture and sale of patent shower-baths, in connection 
 with another person. But all these proving either unsuccessful or 
 not sufficiently lucrative, he engaged in a speculation which con- 
 sisted in purchasing French engravings or paintings, at Paris, at 
 the low price they can be furnished there, with the intention of 
 afterward disposing of them here at an advance. In pursuance of 
 this plan he sailed for Europe,* two months after the discovery 
 had been promulgated by Dr. Morton, and reached Paris, where, 
 with the exception of one statement, made two months after 
 Dr. Morton's discovery was announced, and which I shall soon 
 explain, he first made the assertion of his prior claim publicly, 
 avowed his own authorship of the original idea, from his com- 
 munication of which he asserted the other claimants received 
 their information. 
 
 Now, during this period of two months, which intervened be- 
 tween the open assertion of the discovery by another and his own 
 departure, with the one exception before referred to, not one 
 
 * Dr. "Wells' visit to Europe had no connection -with this discovery, and 
 it ^^as only after I had seen the letter of Drs. Ellsworth and Marcj, that 
 I prevailed upon him to present his claim to the Academy of Science.— 
 Letter of Dr. Brewster, Paris, March 21, 1847.
 
 144 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XI. 
 
 word was published which hinted at his claim, not one effort 
 was made on his part to substantiate it. But with the mighty 
 secret in his heart, with a full cognizance of the inestimable 
 benefits he could confer on humanity, and the glory, if not wealth 
 which would accrue to the discoverer, with no written deposi- 
 tions or evidence to settle his claim in case it should be disputed, 
 he quietly sailed away to a foreign land, on an errand of private 
 speculation — though he knew that Morton w*as making strennous 
 efforts before the Government.'^ If he had aught to do with the 
 discovery, this was a remarkable method of proving it. 
 
 The exception referred to consists of a letter, published in the 
 "Hartford Courant," just before sailing, which as a remark- 
 able specimen of logical reasoning, and plain statement, support- 
 ed by corroborative facts and circumstances, I have copied entire, 
 merely printing in italics those portions to which I wish to draw 
 
 the attention particularly : 
 
 " Hartford, December 7fh, 1846. 
 
 " Mr. Editor : You are aware that there has been much said of late re- 
 specting a gas which, when inhaled, so paralyzes the system as to render 
 it insensible to pain. The Massachusetts' General Hospital have adopted 
 its use, and amputations are now being performed without pain. Surgeons, 
 generally, throughout the country are anxiously waiting to know what it 
 is, iehat they may make a trial of it ; and many have done so with uniform 
 success. As Drs. Charles T. Jackson and "W. T. G. Morton, of Boston, claim 
 to be the originators of this inyaluable discovery, I will give a short history 
 of its introduction, that the public may decide to whom belongs the honor. 
 
 *' While reasoning from analogy, I was led to believe that the inhaling of any 
 exhilarating gas, sufficient to cause a great nervous excitement, would so 
 paralyze the system, as to render it insensible to pain, or nearly so, for it is 
 well known that when an individual is very much excited by passion, he 
 scarcely feels the severe wound which may at the time be inflicted, and 
 the individual who is said to be ' dead drunk,' may receive severe blows 
 apparently without the least pain, and when in this state is much more 
 tenacious of life, than when in the natural state. I accordingly resolved to 
 try the experiment of inhaling an exhilarating gas, myself, for the purpose 
 of having a tooth extracted. I then obtained some nitrous oxide gas, and 
 
 * The Hon. James Dixon, then a member of Congress, from Connecti- 
 cut, who was summoned before a commission to testify relative to this 
 point, stated that Dr. Wells had requested his assistance, and had pro- 
 mised to furnish him with certain evidence of his claims, but that he 
 went to Europe without furnishing it.
 
 CHAP. XI.] NITROUS OXIDE DEPENDE>T ON MESilERISil. 145 
 
 requested Dr. J. M. Eiggs to perform the operation, at the moment when 
 I should give the signal, resolving to have the tooth extracted before los- 
 ing all consciousness. This experiment pi'oved to be perfectly successful ; 
 it was attended with no pain whatever. I then performed the same opera- 
 tion on twelve or fifteen others, with the same results, 
 
 " I was so much elated with the discovery, that I started immediately 
 for Boston, resolving to give it into the hands of proper persons, without 
 expecting to derive any pecuniary benefit therefrom. I called on Drs. 
 Warren and Hayward, and made known to them the result of the experi- 
 ments I had made. They appeared to be interested in the matter, and 
 treated me with much kindness and attention I was invited by Dr. Warren 
 to address the medical class upon the subject, at the close of this lecture. 
 
 '' I accordingly embraced the opportunity, and took occasion to remark, 
 that the same result would be produced, let the nervous system be excited by any 
 means whatever. That I had made use of nitrous oxide gas, or protoxde 
 of nitrogen, as being the most harrtdess. I was then invited to administer it 
 to one of the patients, who was expected to have a limb amputated. 
 
 "I remained some two or three days in Boston for this purpose, but the 
 patient decided not to have the operation performed at that time. It was 
 then proposed that I should administer it to an individual, for the purpose 
 of extracting a tooth. Accordingly, a large number of students, with sev- 
 eral physicians, met to see the operation performed — one of their number 
 to be the patient. Unfortunately for the experiment, the gas bag was by 
 mistake withdrawn much too soon, and he was but partially under its inf u- 
 ence, when the tooth was extracted. He testified that he experienced some 
 pain, but not as much as usually attends the operation ; as there was no 
 other patient present, that the experiment might be repeated, and as seve- 
 ral expressed their opinion that it icas a humbug affair {which, in fact, was all the 
 thanks I got for this gratuitous service), I accordingly left the next morning for 
 home. While in Boston, I conversed with Drs. Charles T. Jackson and W. T. 
 G. Morton upon the subject, both of whom admitted it to he entirely new to them. 
 Dr. Jackson expressed much surprise that severe operations could be performed 
 without pain, and these are the individuals who claim to be the inventors. 
 
 " When I commenced giving the gas, I noticed one very remarkable cir- 
 cumstance attending it, which was that those who sat down resolving to 
 have an operation performed under its influence, had no disposition to ex- 
 ert the muscular system in the least, but would remain partially asleep. 
 Whereas, if the same individuals were to inhale the gas under any other 
 circumstances, it would seem impossible to restrain them from over exertion. 
 
 " I would here remark, that when I was deciding what exhilarating agent 
 to use for this purpose it immediately occurred tome that it would be best to 
 use nitrous oxide gas, or sulphuric ether. I advised with Dr. Marcy, of this 
 city, and by his advice I continued to use the former, as being the least 
 likely to do injury, although it was attended with some trouble in its prep- 
 
 7
 
 146 DISCOVERY OF ETHEKIZATION. [CHAP. XI. 
 
 aration. If Drs. Jackson and Morton claim that they use something else, 7 
 reply that it is the same in principle, if not in name, and they cannot use 
 anything which will produce more satisfactory results, and I made these 
 results known to both of these individuals, more than a year since. 
 
 " After making the above statement of facts, I leave it for the public to 
 decide to whom belongs the honor of the discovery. 
 " Yours, truly, 
 
 " Horace Wells, Surgeon Dentists 
 
 This was the bombshell which, pitched into the enemy's camp, 
 was expected to destroy them both, and leave the field as clear 
 as noonday for the exposition of his claim. As soon as fired 
 he stopped all further aggressions, sat down and wrote to Dr. 
 Morton, that, though having publicly claimed the discovciy of 
 the principle of anaesthesia, he is "willing you [Dr. Morton] 
 should be rewarded for your perseverance in its introduction to 
 general use," and gently departed on his mission for gain. Let 
 us examine this missive somewhat in detail, and see how much 
 value it possesses, as a statement of a claim, and how well it 
 is supported by concomitant evidence. 
 
 In the first place, it will be noticed that the whole of the let- 
 ter is upon his experiments with the nitrous oxide gas ; that but 
 once is the word ether employed in it, and then to condemn it, 
 and that no mention whatever is made of its use in practice. 
 Now no one has ever pretended to deny that he did employ the 
 nitrous oxide gas, to produce an insensibility to pain ; Dr. Mor- 
 ton has himself expressly stated that it was at the instigation 
 of Dr. Wells that the trial was made before the class and that he 
 conversed with him on the possibility of this state being pro- 
 duced by the gas. 
 
 It is conceded, therefore, that Mr. Wells endeavored to discover, 
 and experimented with the idea of discovering, something by which 
 teeth could be extracted without suffering. He asserts that he 
 succeeded in 1844 with nitrous oxide gas, and that the discov- 
 ery was then made. This is denied by others, and subsequent 
 experiments and use have shown the fallacy. Here, therefore, is 
 the whole issue. It is not denied by those who have employed 
 it that a species of anaesthesia can be produced by the inhalation 
 of nitrous oxide gas, or that it has not beep done, for the same
 
 CHAP. XI.] NITROUS OXIDE — DR, COOLEt's CLAIM. 147 
 
 effect can be produced by the administration of many other well- 
 known substances ; but it is contended that this state cannot be 
 caused by the agent safely, effectually, within the control of every 
 operator, on every person, or with a perfect similarity in each 
 case, that is, that it fills none of the indications demanded from 
 a satisfactory and reliable anaesthetic. 
 
 Dr. AYells says that the idea of this came to him by " reasoning 
 from analog?/,^^ but he makes no mention of the fact that Sir Hum- 
 phrey Davy, as before quoted, had suggested the same idea years 
 before.* Moreover, it is somewhat difficult to see the analogy be- 
 tween the condition of being dead drunk, caused by alcohol, and 
 that state of temporary excitement which was then the general 
 •effect whicli the "laughing gas" was known to cause. The ex- 
 citement of passion, or the first stage of exhilaration from alco- 
 holic inebriation, are more like it ; but then they but in a small 
 degree benumb the feeling. If, however, he had, from this pro- 
 cess of reasoning, arrived at the conclusion that, pushed far enough, 
 the gas could benumb sensibility entirely, he would deserve a de- 
 gree of credit to be awarded eveiy thinking, reasoning man. But 
 even over this statement a large amount of doubt exists, and it is 
 more than probable, from the deposition given below,t that even 
 this analytical process was saved him by the act of a friend, and 
 that this original idea was wholly the suggestion of another 
 
 *" The question then presents itself, who first revived the experiments of 
 Beddoes and Davy, and brought the measure into general use ? I use the 
 word ' revived,' because I hold that no experiment of verification per- 
 formed by another can deprive him who first suggested the induction, and 
 presented the process of verification, of the honor of original discovery. 
 This position is sustained by the highest authorities in inductive science, 
 and by numerous precedents." — By Letter from Prof. Thomas D. Mutter. 
 of Philadelphia, to Hon. Truman Smith. 
 
 t State of Connecticut, ) 
 County of Hartford. ) 
 I, Samuel A. Cooley, a citizen of Hartford, county of Hartford, State of 
 Connecticut, depose and say. that on the evening of the 10th day of De- 
 cember, in the year 1844, that one C. Q. Colton gave a public exhibition in 
 the Union Hall, in the said city of Hartford, to show the effect produced 
 upon the human system, by the inhaling of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas ; 
 and in accordance with the request of several gentlemen, the said Colton
 
 148 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION- [cHAP, XI. 
 
 Dr. Wells states, that he succeeded in twelve or tifteen cases — 
 and yet at his public trial in Boston, he completely failed ; and 
 failure has resulted in nearly every instance since, from its use. 
 It was therefore abandoned. 
 
 Dr. Cooley, in his sworn testimony, says : " subsequent to the 
 ether discovery in 1846, a faint effort was made by Dr. Wells 
 and a few of his professional friends in Hartford, to revive the use 
 of nitrous oxide as an anaesthetic agent — to extend its use and make 
 it a rival to sulphuric ether — evidently with the hope of being able 
 to connect subsequent experiments, if they could make them 
 successful, with the past which so far failed that they were aban- 
 doned, and of the two to make out the first available discovery. " 
 Dr. Cooley in answer to interrogatories, says : 
 
 did give a private exhibition on the morning of December 11th, 1844, at 
 the said hall ; and that the dej^onent then inhaled a portion of said nitrous 
 exide gas, to ascertain its peculiar effect upon his system ; and that there 
 were present at that time, the said Colton, Horace Wells, C. F. Colton, 
 Benjamin Moulton, and several other gentlemen, to the deponent at this 
 time unknown ; and that the said deponent, while under the influence of the 
 said gas, did run against and throw down several of the settees in said hall 
 thereby throwing himself down, and causing several severe bruises upon 
 his knees, and other parts of his person ; and that after the peculiar influ- 
 ence of said gas had subsided, his friends then present asked if he had not 
 injured himself, and then directed his attention to the acts which he had com- 
 mitted unconsciously while under the operation of said gas. He then 
 found by examination that his knees were severely injured ; and he then ex- 
 posed his knees to those present, and found that the skin was severely abrased 
 and broken ; and that the deponent then remarked, " that he believed that 
 a person might get into a fight with several persons and not know when he 
 was hurt, so unconscious was a person of pain while under the influence of 
 the said gas " and the said deponent further remarked, " that he believed thai 
 if a person could be restrained, that he could undergo a severe surgical opera- 
 tion, without feeling any pain at the time.^^ Dr. Wells then remarked, '■'• that 
 he believed that a person could have a tooth extracted xvhile under its influence 
 and not feel amj pain ,■" and the said Wells further remarked, " that he had 
 awi«dom tooth that troubled him exceedingly, and that if the said C. Q. 
 Colton would fill his bag with some of the gas, he would go up to his office 
 and try the experiment," which the said Colton did ; and the said Wells, 
 C. F. Colton, and C. Q. Colton, and your deponent, and others, at this lime 
 unknown to said deponent, proceeded to the office of said Wells ; and that 
 said Wells there inhaled the gas, and a tooth was extracted by Dr. Riggs, 
 a dentist then present.
 
 CHAP. XI. 1. NITROUS OXIDE FAILS AS AN ANiESTHETIC. 149 
 
 " Ques. You say, moreover, that you administered gas when 
 requested so to do by surgeons and dentists ; "w as not this sub- 
 sequent to the ether discovery ? 
 
 '" Ans. 8. Yes, it was after the ether discovery, in 1846, that 
 I administered the gas for surgeons and denti.sts — there then being 
 an attempt, by us all, to renew the experiments, as the public 
 and ourselves had lost confidence, and doubted the practicability 
 of the thing, until the successful introduction of ether." 
 
 Equally unsuccessful was his endeavor to reconnect his name 
 with the discovery, by his experiments in other cities besides 
 Hartford and Boston. The following letter from Dr. Van Buren, 
 throws considerable light on the subject: 
 
 "Xew-York, October 1st, 1858. 
 
 " I recollect distinctly having been present in the operating theatre of 
 the Xew-Xork Hospital, in 1847, to witness an operation by the late Dr. 
 John Kearny Rodgers. Dr. Horace "Wells was jiresent, and administered 
 nitrous oxide gas to the patient, with the object of producing insensiblHty 
 to the pain of the operation, but the attempt was unsuccessful, as the pa- 
 tient seemed to suffer about as much pain as might have been anticipated 
 under ordinary circumstances. A large number of surgeons and physicians 
 were present, among whom was Dr. Valentine Mott, and other prominent 
 members of the profession. 
 
 " As the supply of the supposed ancesthetic agent was apparently ample, 
 judging from the large size of the bags containing it, and its administra- 
 tion conducted fairly and fully, the general impression upon the spectators 
 seemed to me, to be decidedly unfavorable, as to its power of producing 
 insensibUity to pain. 
 
 "Wm. H. Yan Burex, M. D." 
 
 His own testimony a little further on in the same letter, most 
 curiously and completely upsets his claim to perfect success in 
 the use of the agent. He writes that he notices that those " who 
 sat down resolving to have an operation performed under its in- 
 fluence " kept perfectly quiet, but that if they " were to inhale 
 it under any other circumstances " it was almost impossible to 
 restrain them. The plain English of which is, that if a person 
 has made up his mind to have a tooth extracted, an additional fil- 
 lip is given to the determination by the extra stimulus given the 
 spirits by this exciting gas, precisely as the " Dutch courage " 
 follows from a dram or two of liquor. But that if the gas he
 
 150 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [chap. XI. 
 
 inhaled for amusement it exhilarates and partially intoxicates in 
 the same manner, as if a certain amount of champagne or other 
 liquor had been taken, and as the mind depressed by no fear has 
 no need to be fortified, the exhilaration must v/ork itself off by 
 some physical manifestation. 
 
 Is this, however, at all like the effect of ether or chloroform ? 
 Does it make the slightest difference as regards their action, 
 whether the person exerts the will or not, or is even conscious 
 that they are being given ? Can the amount of " physical exer- 
 tion " be increased or diminished by any effort of the mind, when 
 the system is getting under the full influence of the agent ? The use 
 of anaesthetics to subdue the violent struggles of maniacal pa- 
 tients, is common, as also to overcome the violence of strong per- 
 sons who cannot be managed in any other way. The incident 
 which occurred during the past few months in one of the jails 
 in the West, furnished au admirable case for the use of anjesthe- 
 fiia for this purpose, when a desperate ruffian, having wounded 
 and bound his keeper in his cell, closed and bolted his door, and 
 threatened his victim with instant death, if any one approached 
 to rescue him, and unless a free pardon was guarantied him. 
 Several days were passed before an opportunity could be had ot 
 shooting the prisoner, during all which time the unfortunate 
 keeper endured the most agonizing tortures from fear and hunger. 
 At last, when a careless movement on the part of the prisoner per- 
 mitted him to be wounded and secured, it was only after the vil- 
 lain had stabbed in a dozen places the keeper, who was endeavor- 
 ing to escape. If a large amount of chloroform had been 
 thrown by syringes or in any way into the cell, and the vapor 
 had been gradually diffused, no power on the part of the prison- 
 er could have prevented his coming under its influence, and his 
 subsequent capture. No better proof is needed of the nonsuc- 
 cess of Dr. Wells, than his own statement of the action of his agent. 
 
 He states that he chose the nitrous oxide gas as being more 
 harmless than ether. But how did he know this without a long 
 and varied course of experimentation, of which he says nothing, 
 and of his having done which no proof whatever exists. That he 
 had ever used sulphuric ether is completely negatived by the tes-
 
 CHAP. XI.] WELLS ADMITS HE NEVER USED ETHER. 151 
 
 timony of Dr. George Hayward,* (whose word is beyond a 
 doubt) before the commission to receive testimony in jpcrpet- 
 ttam, who stated : " He called at my house after Ids return from 
 France ; after we had begun to use the ether as an an aesthetic. 
 There was no one present but Dr. Wells and myself It was in 
 my study; I then asked him i/ he had ever used sulphuric ether by 
 inhalation, so as to render any one insensible to pain, and per- 
 formed any surgical operation on the individual while in that 
 state. His answer icas, that he had not''' 
 
 The trial at Boston he allows was a failure, but states that 
 both Morton and Jackson were struck with this novelty, and 
 that the latter especially " expressed much surprise that severe 
 operations could be performed without pain." Now how was 
 he to know that they could be performed, when none ever had 
 been, and how could Dr. Wells inform any one of the possibility 
 when he had never performed any, or heard of any one else who 
 had succeeded, and moreover, had just completely failed when 
 the operation was by no means a severe one. The friends of 
 AVells, feehng the importance of finding some pen-mark or pub- 
 lication of Wells' experiments previous to the announcement of 
 Morton's discovery, have called attention to a communication, 
 made in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, June 11th, 
 1845. 
 
 Now, on examining on this point, how completely fallacious 
 this statement is found to be. In the journal of the date given 
 is an article by Dr. P. W. Ellsworth, on the general action of 
 the stimuli, with the title, " on the modus operandi of medicines." 
 Through the whole of this article, not only Dr. Wells' name is 
 not mentioned, but no reference is even made to him ; it is simply a 
 communication on the use of all and every kind of medicines 
 which can in any way be considered stimulating. The only 
 sentence which can in any way be distorted into a reference to 
 the claim made by the friends of Dr. Wells, is in the following 
 paragi-aph. After stating that opium and other narcotics be- 
 
 * A Surgeon in the Massachusetts General Hospital, Professor in the 
 Harvard University, President of the Massachusetts Medical Society, (fee, 
 &c., (fcc.
 
 152 DISCOVERY OF ethp:rization. [chap. xi> 
 
 numb the sensibility, the author mentions alcohol and the dead- 
 ening effect which it can cause, and then wrote : " As an illus- 
 tration of the effect of spirit in preventing pain, is the following 
 case. Having occasion to remove nearly all the lower lip for a 
 cancerous disease from an intemperate man, I found him well 
 prepared for the operation, having fortified himself with an extra 
 glass or two. No marble could have been more passive during 
 the incisions ; not a muscle moved, nor did a sigh escape him. 
 Yet he was not intoxicated, but his nervous system was too much 
 excited to feel as keenly as when in perfect sobriety. He only 
 wondered that, as it hurt so little, he had never had it done 
 before. The nitrous oxide gas has been used in quite a number of cases 
 by our dentists during the extraction of teeth, and has been found, by 
 its excitement, to inrfecily destroy pain. The patients appear very 
 merry during the operation, and no impleasant effects follow.^* 
 
 Such is the whole of this much- vaunted early statement, merely 
 a vague reference by an uninterested relator, that a well-known 
 agent had been employed by various persons in a manner that 
 was afterward made known, and the use of which in that man- 
 ner has never been denied. It is simply an early corroboration 
 of the fact, that some one in Hartford used the nitrous oxide gas. 
 . Dr. Marcy claims that he performed a surgical operation 
 under the influence of ether in November, 1844. Desirous of 
 eliciting " the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth^^ Dr. 
 Morton offered, through the medium of the " Hartford Courant," 
 a reward of $100 to any one who would tell who the person 
 operated upon was, or could give any information concerning it. 
 Strenuous efforts were also made by the Honorable Horace 
 Cornwall, afterward a lawyer of that city, to whom the busi- 
 ness of searching was committed ; from him the following letter, 
 informing of his failure, was received : 
 
 " Dear Sir : Since you announced in Hartford, last October, that you 
 would give a reward of $100 to any one who would discover to you the 
 young man fi'om whose head Dr. E. E. Marcy extracted a tumor, under 
 the influence of ether, mentioned by him in an affidavit, I have made 
 very great efforts to find the individual alluded to by him. In the first 
 place, I offered a reward of $50, then I offered $75, and after I offered the
 
 CHAP. XI.] ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS REWARD. 153 
 
 8 ame sum you did, $100. By offering tlie smaller sums, I thought I should 
 as readily find the person, and save enough to pay me for my trouble. 
 
 '' I inquired of all the physicians and surgeons in this city, that were 
 here as far back as 1814, and of two former students of Dr. Marcy, one of 
 which was with him about the time he claims to have performed the ope- 
 ration, and also of the citizene of Hartford and adjoining towns, and I per- 
 sonally offered the reicard of $100 to Dr. P. W. Ellsicorth, the agent of Mrs. 
 Wells, if he would find the person and inform me who he was. I likewise 
 offered a like sum to the counsel of Mrs. Wells personally, and also to F. C. 
 Goodrich, and many others of the friends of Mrs. Wells, who, I supposed 
 would be likely to know who the person was. But with all my eftbrts I 
 have not been able to find any such person as is mentioned by Dr. Marcy, 
 or any one on whom he operated under the influence of ether, previous to 
 the time you perfected your discovery in 1816, nor any person who could 
 give me any information as to who it was. 
 
 " Xow I feel perfectly satisfied, from the efforts I have made, and caused 
 to be made, that had any such operation been performed by Dr. Marcy, as 
 he claims, I should have found the individual operated upon or have got 
 some information with regard to him. 
 
 " I cannot believe, after this investigation, that any such person lives, or 
 ever did live, or that any such operation was ever performed by Dr. Mar- 
 cy. and I never can believe it till Dr. Marcy presents me the person opera- 
 ted upon. 
 
 "And I am strengthened in this unbelief by other things than my own 
 investigation. I mean the same investigation made by others, and also to 
 Dr. Marcy's two aflidavits, which I have seen, and his statements pubhsh- 
 ed in the Journal of Commerce, and not until his last affidavit in 1819, do 
 vou find any statement from him that he ever performed a surgical opera- 
 tion under the influence of ether. Now for Dr. M. to say (as I understand 
 he does) that he has forgotten the person, is nonsense to me, knowing Dr. 
 M. as I do. He is not the man to have forgotten a fact so wonderful, nor 
 the name of the person upon whom such operation was performed, for he 
 thinks too much of anything that will add to his own glory, or pecuniary 
 reward. 
 
 " Yery respectfully, 
 
 " Horace Cornwall. 
 
 " Dr. Morton." 
 
 It was singular that this person could not be found, particu- 
 larly as bis presence or testimony would have done so much to 
 settle the claim in favor of Dr. Wells. If some one did not lie — 
 under a mistake — it must have been the first operation ever per- 
 formed under the influence of ether, and yet all trace, record — 
 
 7*
 
 154 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XL 
 
 even the name or address of the man — has been obliterated, and 
 that too in the short space of two years. 
 
 Shortly after the arrival of Dr. Wells at Paris, Dr. Brewster, 
 for so many years a well-known dentist there, sent for Dr. 
 Wells, begging him to call upon him, and in the course of the 
 conversation which ensued, inquired of him concerning the 
 " ether discovery," the news of which had crossed the Atlantic, 
 and was then making a prodigious sensation. Dr. Wells, in re- 
 ply, related his own experiments, and claimed the honor of the dis- 
 covery. This excited the surprise and interest of Dr. Brewster, 
 who asked him for his proofs, and something to authenticate the 
 fact. Dr. Wells frankly acknowledged that he had brought none, 
 a concession which excited the astonishment of the imperial 
 dentist to such a degi'ee, that in a letter written by him, March 
 1st, 181:7, and published in the Boston Transcript, March 20th, 
 he exclaimed : " Imagine to yourselves, Messrs. Editors, a man 
 to have made this more than brilliant discovery, visiting Europe 
 without bringing with him the proofs." 
 
 By Dr. Brewster he was advised according to the testimony of 
 S. S. Bolles, Esq., "to hurry home, and get up his evidence, 
 and forward it to him, and he would present his claims." Dr. 
 Wells, on his return home, stated (same testimony) " that he 
 was introduced in Paris by Dr. Brewster, and great notice was 
 taken of him, and he was made the great lion of the day. 
 That he thought Dr. Brewster would be able to get him some- 
 thing handsome from the different medical societies there." 
 
 Flattered by these attentions, he returned to America in 
 March, 1847, and applied himself vigorously to the collection 
 of testimony in support of his claim. All the testimony and affi- 
 davits given in his " History of the Discovery " (a duodecimo 
 pamphlet of twenty-five pages), bear date from the 23d to the 
 29th of that same month. 
 
 Before leaving Paris, however, he published an article dated 
 Feb. 17th, 1847, in Galignani's Messenger, reporting some of 
 his experiments, maintaining his claim to the discovery,' and 
 giving directions for the use of anaesthetic agents. It is astonish- 
 ing, as one looks at this piece, to see how as he pondered over
 
 CHAP. XI.] THE FATAL LEriER. 155 
 
 the discovery, his right seemed more and more apparent to his 
 eyes — and how conclusive it apparently then appeared to him 
 that he must have been the one to make it. He even in it goes so 
 far as to say that as he shall remain in Paris until the 27th inst., 
 he Avill impart such information as may be necessary to explain 
 any phenomena connected with the subject. And yet to show 
 the complete ignorance which he had of the subject, and the use 
 of the agent, among the instructions given by him, is the follow- 
 ing rule : " The less atmospheric air admitted into the lungs with 
 gas or vapor the better — the more satisfactory will be the result 
 of the operation." A direction which if rigidly followed would 
 be almost sure to cause asphyxia, and the death of the patient. 
 
 In this same communication the number of cases in which he 
 had given it had increased after the manner of the men in buck- 
 ram to fifty — whereas in his first publication, and in his " History 
 of the Discovery," subsequently issued, he puts down the number 
 at twelve or fifteen. 
 
 But probably the most complete and convincing proof which 
 can be given of the non-validity of the claim of Dr. Wells is 
 given by the following letter from him, which on its face so 
 plainly bears the impress of truth, and shows so clearly where 
 the true credit of the discovery should lie, that it is strange that 
 this one letter alone should not have settled the claim — aside 
 from the fact of the many corroborating evidences. As soon as 
 the proclamation of the discovery had gone forth to the world, 
 and it had become the topic of general conversation. Dr. Mor- 
 ton wrote to Dr. Wells a letter informing him of the disco^'ery 
 he had made, and asked him to come to Boston and help to in- 
 troduce it. 
 
 From such a communication what should we naturally antici- 
 pate as a reply, on the assumption that Dr. Wells had already 
 made the discovery ? Certainly, that he would either assert his 
 own claim openly, show some amount of indignation at Dr. 
 Morton for "stealing his thunder," or evidence some curiosity 
 to discover what the agent used was, and how nearly if assimil- 
 ated to what he had long hefore used, sulphuric ether. 
 
 But he did none of these, but simply sat down, and with the
 
 156 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XI. 
 
 air of a man who sees a good speculation in the future, and a 
 " bonne affaire'^ for himself, penned the following reply : 
 
 " Hartford, Connecticut, October 20th, 1846. 
 " Dr. Morton — Dear Sir : 
 
 " Your letter, dated yesterday is just received, and I hasten to an- 
 swer it, for fear you will adopt a method in disposing of your rights, which 
 will defeat your object. Before you make any arrangements whatever, I 
 wish to see you. I think I will be in Boston the first of next week, prob- 
 ably Monday night. If the operation of administering the gas is not at- 
 tended with too much trouble, and will produce the effect you state, it will 
 undoubtedly be a fortune to you, provided it is rightly managed. 
 " Yours, in haste, 
 
 "H. "Wells." 
 
 Here, not a word is said of a prior discovery, not a particle of 
 dissatisfaction. So far from it, he evidently considered the for- 
 tune of Dr. Morton made, showed solicitude lest it should be 
 sacrificed by mismanagement, and influenced by self-interest and 
 friendship, actually hurried to Boston, to prevent such a ca- 
 lamity. With this purpose he did see Dr. Morton — but neither 
 before him, nor before others, did he exhibit indignation, or hint 
 at his own claim and peculiar position. The following letter shows 
 how he appeared to others, at this to him, most momentous time: 
 
 " Boston, February 17th, 1847. 
 " R. H. Dana, Esq.— Dmr Sir : 
 
 " In reply to your note of this morning, I have to state, that about 
 the time I was engaged in preparing the papei-s for the procural of the 
 patent in the United States, on the discovery of Dr. Morton for preventing 
 pain in surgical operations, by the inhalation of the vapor of sulphnric 
 ether, I was requested by Dr. Morton to call at his ofiice, to have an inter- 
 view with the late Dr. Wells, who was then on a visit to this city, and who 
 Dr. Morton thought, might be able to render him valuable advice and as- 
 sistance, in regard to the mode of disposing of privileges to use the dis- 
 covery. Accordingly. I had an interview with Dr. "Wells. During such 
 meeting, we conversed freely on the discovery, and in relation to the experi- 
 ments Dr. Wells had been witness to in the ofiice of Dr. Morton. The 
 details of our conversation I do not recollect sufficiently to attempt to re- 
 late them ; but the whole of it, and the manner of Dr. Wells at the time, 
 led me in no respect, to any suspicion that he (Dr. Y^ells) had ever before 
 been aware of the then discovered effect of ether in annulling pain dur- 
 ing a surgical operation. Dr. Wells doubtedthe ability of Dr. Morton to
 
 CHAP. XI.] BASIS OF wells' CLAIM. 157 
 
 procnre a patent — ^not on the ground that he (Dr. Morton,) -was not the first 
 and original discoverer, but that he (Dr. Wells) believed, the discovery 
 was not a legal subject for a patent. He advised him, ho-wever, to make 
 application for one, and to dispose of as many licenses as he could, while 
 such application might be pending ; in fact,to make as much money out of 
 the discovery as he. could, while the excitement in regard to it might last. 
 I must confess, that when some time time afterward, I heard of the pre- 
 tensions of Dr, "Wells to be considered the discoverer of the afore-mentioned 
 effect of ether, I was struck with great surprise, for his whole conversation 
 with me, at the time of our interview, led me to the belief that he fully and 
 entirely recognized the discovery to have been made by Dr. Morton, or at 
 least partly by him, and partly by Dr. C. T. Jackson, as I then supposed. 
 " Respectfully, yours, 
 
 "R. H. Eddy." 
 
 The claim of Dr. Well?, however, is not based either by him- 
 self, or by his friends after death, upon a discovery, made by bim, 
 that ether would produce a complete ancesihesia, but thai some agent 
 iL'ould. To use his own M'ords t " This discovery does not consist 
 in the use of any one specific gas or vapor, for anything which 
 will cause a certain degree of nervous excitement, is all that is 
 required to render the system insensible to pain ; consequently, 
 the only question to be settled is, which exhilarating agent 
 is least likely to do harm? I have confined myself to 
 the use of nitrous oxide gas, because I became fully satisfied 
 from the first, that it is less injurious to the system than 
 ether." The same argument is used by Dr. Marcy, who 
 says : " The man who first discovered the fact that the in- 
 halation of a gaseous substance would render the body in- 
 sensible to pain, under surgical operations, should be entitled 
 to all the credit or emolument which may accrue from the 
 use of any substances of this nature. This is the principle — this 
 is the fact — this is the discover!/. The mere substitution of ether 
 vapor, or any other article, for gas, no more entitles one to 
 the claim of a discovery, than the substitution of coal for wood, 
 in generating steam, would entitle one to be called the discoverer) 
 of the powers of steam." A similar train of reasoning, as is 
 shown by the pamphlet of the Hon. Truman Smith, has been 
 indulged in by many other eminent gentlemen ; some of these,
 
 158 DISCOVERY ON ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XL 
 
 however, it is worthy of note, have since seen fit to alter their 
 opinions. The argument would, to a certain extent, be logical 
 and conclusive, if the results of the experiments made by Dr. 
 Wells, with the nitrous oxide, had been perfectly "safe and 
 effectual," but, as has been shown, they were not. Moreover it 
 is shown, by a large amount of testimony collected, that it was 
 not considered as a success by Dr. Wells, himself. Some of this 
 evidence comes from his own side ; for instance. Dr. Ellsworth 
 wrote, " the experiment first attempted partially failed, and no one 
 seeming willing to lend him a helping hand, he ceased making 
 any further personal efforts." Dr. Samuel A. Cooley testified: 
 "I know of Dr. Wells going to Boston soon after the noise 
 in the papers of the discovery of the effects of ether by you, in 
 1846, and had a conversation with him on his return, about your 
 discovery. He made no claim to me of the discovery being his, 
 but, on the contrary, expressed regrets that we had not continued 
 our experiments to a successful termination." 
 
 Also by the testimony of Howell Olmstead, jr. , who was en- 
 gaged in disposing of rights of sale, for the patent shower baths 
 of Dr. Wells, who says : " I considered that he had abandoned 
 the thing entirely, as he expressed himself to me ; that the opera- 
 tion in some cases proved a perfect failure, and spoke of his un- 
 successful trial in Boston, in 1845. He expressed himself as 
 being very sorry that he had not prosecuted his experiments to a 
 successful termination ; and he also regretted stopping the matter 
 where he did, for he thought an immense fortune might be made 
 of the business, and that the discovery would reflect great honor 
 upon the discoverer." 
 
 The same is substantiated by other testimony ; even by that 
 of Dr. Marcy himself, who was so convinced of the danger of 
 nitrous oxide gas, that he looked upon any " stimulant which 
 acts upon the system in such a manner, as to render the body in- 
 sensible to external impressions, as decidedly unsafe, and that in 
 no given case can we be certain that it will not cause conges- 
 tion of the brain and lungs." 
 
 But the best proof of its inefficiency, is the result of every 
 trial which has been made with it subsequently ; several of which
 
 CHAP. XT.] A CHALLENGE. 159 
 
 cases, in addition to those tried by Dr. Wells, in New- York, as 
 before narrated, are now before me. 
 
 So desirous was Dr. Morton of showing this fact, that on one 
 occasion, when the subject was before a Congressional Commit- 
 tee, and his claim was opposed, and the virtues of ether con- 
 demned, he submitted to that body the following fair and impar- 
 tial proposition : 
 
 National Hotel, Washingtox, Jannary 18, 1853. 
 
 " Dear Sir : The subject of the discovery of anaesthesia being now before 
 a committee of which you are chairman, I beg leave to submit to you, and 
 through you to a committee, a proposition. 
 
 " One of those who contest my right to the discovery, does so on the 
 ground that anesthesia bad been discovered by Dr. Wells prior to ray al- 
 leged discovery ; and that the an£esthetic agent used in the discovery by 
 Dr. "Wells was nitrous oxide gas. Now, if anrcsthesia, for surgical pur- 
 poses, was ever discovered through nitrous oxide gas as the agent, that 
 agent, for the same purposes, will still manifest is efficiency. I deny that 
 such a discovery, by means of said agent, ever was made, or that said 
 agent possesses available anaesthetic properties alone for surgical operations. 
 At the same time, I assert and claim that anaesthesia was first discovered 
 by me, through the agency of sulphuric ether. Therefore, to prove that 
 nitrous oxide never was discovered to be an available anaesthetic agent in 
 surgical operations, and that it is not such now — and to prove also that sul- 
 phuric ether was discovered to be an available anaesthetic agent for such pur- 
 poses, and is so now — I propose that an actual demonstration shall be made 
 before the committee of the two agents, in such surgical operation or opera- 
 tions as are considered fair tests by scientific men, at such time as the com- 
 mittee may direct, and patients obtained. 
 
 " Yours, very truly, 
 
 "W. T. G. Morton, M. D. 
 
 "Hon. J. P. "Walker, Chairman, cfc." 
 
 This offer was accepted by the committee, who selected Dr. 
 May, one of the members, to conduct the demonstration. Ap- 
 prehensive that it might be said that the nitrous oxide gas could 
 not be procured. Dr. Morton caused it to be manufactured by 
 Dr. Kidwell (a competent chemist recommended by a professor 
 of Columbia College) ; and further to satisfy Dr. May of its 
 purity, he administered it to several persons on the evening of 
 January 27th, in his presence, and that of several Senators. 
 
 The demonstration came off on the 28th, at the Washington
 
 160 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. II, 
 
 Infirmary, where Dr. Morton had a patient and the nitrous oxide 
 gas in readiness. Dr. May was urged by the chairman of the 
 committee to use the nitrous oxide. He refused peremptorily. 
 He had also been requested to do so by Mr. Truman Smith, the 
 member of Congress who supported the claim for the heirs of 
 Dr. WellSj and had refused. Dr. Morton then proceeded, in 
 presence of the committee, and of surgeons of the army and 
 navy, and of the medical class, to administer ether. Complete 
 etherization was produced, which continued through a dangerous 
 and protracted surgical operation, lasting about three quarters 
 of an hour. 
 
 As it seems to be very well proved that the experiments of Dr. 
 Wells resulted in a most negative degree of success, and that he 
 himself considered them so far a failure as to have abandoned 
 them, and turned his attention to other pursuits, until after the 
 successful application of ether to ths same purpose by Dr. Mor- 
 ton had been published to the world, it is but fair to conclude 
 that, after this abandonment, the field of discovery was left as 
 free to the world as before, and that from all Dr. Wells had 
 accomplished, humanity was as far from the great desideratum 
 as ever. How, then, can it be argued, as has been done by some 
 who have given their written opinions, and as is claimed by the 
 friends of Dr. Wells to this day, that all the credit of the discovery 
 is due to him as the maker of the original proposition, that some 
 agent would be found to produce the ansesthetic state ? If the sole 
 merit rests -v^-ith " the man who first discovered the fact that the 
 inhalation of a gaseous substance would render the body insensible 
 to pain," and this is restricted to nitrous oxide gas, wliy should 
 we stop in the retrospection with Dr. Wells ? Why should not 
 the honor be taken from this country and given to England, to 
 Davy, who so long before had ascertained the same thing ? Or, 
 following the reasoning of Professor Mutter, why should we 
 confine ourselves to gaseous substances, and not go back to the 
 time when any substance was suggested as being able to produce 
 the same effect's If no ''experiment of verification performed 
 by another can deprive him who first suggested the induction," 
 and if "the whole merit of the recent discoveries on this subject
 
 CHAP. XI.] SIR HUMPHEET DAVY. 161 
 
 consists in finding out that there is in nature an agent that will 
 produce this eiFect, and then the application and use of analo- 
 gous agents follows as a matter of course," then it would seem 
 that even from Davy the merit must be taken, and the laurels 
 awarded the Chinese, the Arabs, or the first users of opium or 
 other narcotics. It may be asserted in reply, that none of the 
 substances employed by them were safe or effectual, and did not 
 fulfill the indications of proper anjssthetics. But then the same is 
 asserted of nitrous oxide gas, and the same reasons exist for the 
 substitution of ether and chloroform in its place which are urged 
 for nitrous oxide being substituted for narcotics. Up to the time 
 of this discovery by Dr. Morton, narcotics were the only means 
 relied upon by surgeons for benumbing sensibility ; they had 
 held their ground, in default of anything better, for over a thou- 
 sand years ; other measures had been tried, among which was 
 nitrous oxide, but all had failed to satisfy. Tlie ground, there- 
 fore, was clear, and the transition from the uncertain and dan- 
 gerous use of narcotics to the safe and effectual employment of 
 ether, was abrupt. 
 
 Some of the friends of Dr. "VYells, who are willing to acknowl- 
 edge, from the convincing nature of the proofs, that he was not 
 the discoverer, derive a degree of consolation from the assump- 
 tion, that if he had u.sed ether instead of the gas, that his courage 
 and perseverance would have produced a satisfactory accom- 
 plishment. It is a harmless belief, and certainly carries with it 
 a great degree of probability. But unluckily, he did not use the 
 ether, and therefore accomplished nothing. He felt the necessity 
 of some means of relieving pain, as many others had before him. 
 He tried experiments, as many others had previously. He chose 
 an agent which was powerless and unmanageable, from a refer- 
 ence made many years before. He pushed his experimentation 
 boldly, but failed ; and at the time of that failure, pain was no 
 nearer being abolished than it had been in the days of Davy. Let 
 a due degree of credit be given Dr. "Wells for his ingenuity and 
 courage, but no more. 
 
 Indirectly his trials conduced to the discovery ; but such has 
 been the case in every great invention or discovery. Errors,
 
 162 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XI. 
 
 false conjectures, and wild and ridiculous trials, must exist, before 
 the true goal can be reached ; but each attempt and consequent 
 failure is one more step toward the wished- for end. Search puts 
 the true discoverer so much nearer the period of his success. Dr. 
 Whewell, in his History of the Inductive Sciences, makes the fol- 
 lowing pertinent remarks upon this subject : " Real discoveries 
 are thus mixed with baseless assumptions ; profound sagacity is 
 combined with fanciful conjecture ; not rarely, or in peculiar in- 
 stances, but commonly, and in most cases ; to try wrong guesses 
 is apparently the only way to hit upon right ones." 
 
 But, say the friends of Dr. Wells, he did succeed in some cases ; 
 it is claimed that under the administration of the gas some patients 
 were rendered so far insensible that teeth were extracted without 
 their cognizance. Davy merely suggested that it might be done^ 
 and the simple supposition on his part would have remained with- 
 out fruits, had not the experiment of verification been made by 
 Dr. Wells. Davy, they allow, deserves the credit of a vivid im- 
 agination, but Dr. Wells was the first who practically applied the 
 agent, verified the effects, and his therefore is the discovery. But 
 even this admits of argument. Why should we say that Dr. 
 Wells was the person merely because he, under the influence of 
 the gas, w^as the first person to have a tooth extracted ? In ad- 
 vance of him, Mr. Cooley had inhaled and produced the same 
 effect on his own person. He, by the injuries done his own body, 
 when unconscious, had previously solved the question. He it was 
 who made the discovery, when, on emerging, he remarked that 
 "he believed a person could undergo a severe sm'gical operation, 
 without feeling any pain at the time." To be sure, then, the re- 
 mark of Dr. Wells followed, " that a person could have a tooth 
 extracted while under its influence, and not experience any pain ;" 
 but then this operation referred to is merely one out of the gene- 
 ral class of operations, and possesses no more weight than if any 
 one had suggested the amputation of a finger instead of a thumb. 
 In the operation of the extraction which f ullowed, as suggested 
 by Dr. Wells, he occupied the position of the patient. Mr. Coo- 
 ley, who had made the " original induction," was present as the 
 discoverer, or at least joint discoverer, and by the rule, qui facit
 
 CHAP. XI.] 8TEAIJNG ANOTHER'S THUNDER. 163 
 
 per alium facit per se, is as much entitled to the credit of original- 
 ity in this experiment as if he had been seated in the chair in the 
 place of Dr. Wells, for he had made the original proposition, then 
 being exemplified on the person of Dr. Wells. 
 
 If the charge of " stealing another's thunder," laid at the door 
 of Dr. Morton, is true, as having merely improved upon the dis- 
 covery of Dr. Wells by substituting perhaps a better, but at the 
 same time analogous agent, it seems hard to decide whence to 
 draw the line, and why Dr. Wells should not also be included in 
 the same category of plagiaiists. If the substitution of a Jluid 
 which has proved perfectly satisfactory for the pm'poses designed 
 for a gas which met none of the indications — is borrowing an 
 idea — why should not the substitution of a gas for a solid (nar- 
 cotics) have the same objections. The ridiculous argument of 
 Dr. Marcy that Dr. Morton is no more entitled to the claim of 
 a discoverer " than the man who substitutes coal for wood in 
 generating steam," is almost beneath notice. What degree of 
 similarity exists between the two cases '? The choice made by 
 Dr. Simpson of chloroform to replace ether is more analogous, 
 because practical anaesthesia was nearly perfected at the time of 
 his discovery, and he substituted for its generation one substance 
 as preferable instead of another, but he doss not claim to have 
 discovered practical anaesthesia for having done so. But when 
 the discovery was made by Dr. Morton, no such perfection ex- 
 isted, notliing like the anassthesia of the present day existed. 
 The case of the discoverer who first demonstrated the advanta- 
 ges of steam in locomotion, or in power over manual or animal 
 labor, is a more proper comparison. Motion of bodies by trac- 
 tion has been known as far back as the records left us go. Atten- 
 tion has been constantly paid, generation after generation, to an 
 increase of facility, in performing it; the improvement is great 
 from the ancient chariot to the modern stage-coach, or car 
 drawn by horses along rails ; but the striking advance was made 
 when the steam engine was substituted for the animal power. 
 
 If the claim to discovery must be confined to the first admin- 
 istration of gaseous substances, by what law of inductive 
 reasoning can Mr. Hickman, who in 1828 declared he could
 
 164 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XI. 
 
 produce insensibility by the "introduction of gaseous substances 
 into the lungs," be deprived of the honor. What if he did use 
 carbonic acid gas, and, as is asserted, ultimately failed, the fact 
 according to the Wells method of argument must remain, that as 
 he first suggested the employment of a gaseous substance to pro- 
 duce anassthesia, he then made the discovery, and Dr. Wells by 
 afterward " substituting an analogous asent," should be accused 
 of " impudently pretending to have discovered the same thing." 
 
 Although the value of the gas as an anaesthetic agent has been 
 entirely disproved, still a due regard should be paid to the 
 value of what Dr. Wells did accomplish. As to Sir Humphrey 
 Davy belongs the credit of having first suggested the possibility 
 of the agents being iised to relieve pain, and had even proposed 
 its use in surgical operations, in an equal or greater amount, 
 should this credit be given to Horace Wells for having made the 
 next grand step in the march toward that discovery which was 
 to abolish pain, for he submitted to a test the idea emitted by 
 Davy. He actually administered nitrous oxide acid gas for the 
 purpose of extracting teeth, which the latter had not the courage 
 to employ ; and " it is for that act that the name of the Hartford 
 dentist should be inscribed immediately after Davy's in the list of 
 men who have assisted in the grand discovery of etherization."* 
 
 The miserable death of Dr. Wells, which took place in 1 848, 
 has been made a ground for censure against the other claimants, 
 as if, having been robbed of all that would make his life desir- 
 able, he had been driven by disappointment to put an end to his 
 days. A degree of romance has been thrown around his claim 
 by the fact of his suicide, as is evidenced by the following para- 
 graph taken from a French work : " During the time that the 
 whole of Europe saluted with well-merited acclamations the 
 names of Jackson and Morton, one of the principal authors of 
 the discovery. Dr. Wells, died by his own hand in the United 
 States. A more complete scientific education, and a more 
 favorable conjunction of circumstances, were all that were want- 
 ing to this poor man to conduct him to the accomplishment of 
 that great result, the indications of which then existed in his 
 
 * Louis Siguier.
 
 CHAP. XI.] DEATH OF WELLS. 165 
 
 mind. After passing a portion of the winter of 1847 at Paris, 
 devoured by misery and grief, he returned to the United States, 
 w^here he ended his days. The character of his death was 
 deeply wretched. Having [;laced himself in a bath, he opened a 
 vein, and, in order to prevent the anguish of his last moments, 
 he respired ether until the end of his agony had come. His 
 death passed unnoticed, and not one regret or one tear fell up- 
 on his tomb. But posterity will be less ungrateful ; she will 
 preserve a souvenir of remembrance and pity for this obscure 
 and unhappy young man, who, after having contributed to the 
 enriching of humanity with an eternal blessing, died ignored in 
 a corner of the New World." 
 
 But no portion of this story existed in truth ; he did commit 
 suicide, but only to escape the suspicion of having done wrong. 
 The cause of the rash act was far removed from this discovery, 
 and no one of the two claimants can be charged even with 
 a suspicion of having, in a remote way, induced its commis- 
 sion. 
 
 Of this story, the Congressional Report speaks in the follow- 
 ing terms : " Dr. Wells, we are informed, ' perished by his own 
 hand, in a parox}'sm of insanity, induced, as many of his friends 
 believe, by the excitement and irritation of this controversy with 
 Morton !' Now files of the New-York papers show that the un- 
 fortunate man committed suicide in a prison cell, to which he 
 had been committed for throwing vitrol upon the daughters of 
 shame, in Broadway. Yet his death is now, unhesitatingly, laid 
 at the door of Dr. jNIorton, with an envenomed effrontery, rarely 
 witnessed, which has invited this statement of unfortunate truths. 
 The writer has entirely lost sight of the truth in attempts to in- 
 vest his arguments with suspicious strength, derived from an un- 
 hallowed alliance with slanderous invective." 
 
 That even at this late date, notwithstanding its preposterous 
 and unsupportable character, the belief still exists in the minds 
 of many that Dr. Wells made the discovery ; and that there are 
 some who still try to foster this belief, is proved by the following 
 extract, cut from the New- York Tribune, of August 2d, 1858. 
 How correct the claim is, and from what disinterested motive.
 
 166 DISCOVERT OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XI. 
 
 it was written, the reader will perceive by the perusal of these 
 succeeding chapters. 
 
 " THE INVENTION OF AN.^STHETICS. 
 " To THE Editor op the New- York Tribune : 
 
 *' Sir: — Circumstances have recently occurred, as I am informed, which 
 mate it proper for me to state that I -was at the second session of the 
 Thirty-second Congress, a member of a Select Committee raised in the 
 Senate of the United States, which was charged with the duty of ascer- 
 taining and reporting on, who was the meritorous author or discoverer Ox 
 the modern art called Anaesthesia, or the method of rendering the human. 
 system insensible to pain, under dental or surgical operations. There can 
 be no doubt that to our country is due the high honor of having made a 
 discovery so dear to humanity, and which has been received with so much 
 eclat throughout the civilized world ; and I now say, as the result of a full, 
 careful, and, as I think, impartial investigation of the whole subject, that 
 the credit should be accorded exclusively to the late Horace "Wells, of 
 Hartford, Conn., a dentist of great intelligence and respectability. He was 
 neai-ly two years in advance of any other party. His discovery was an- 
 nounced immediately after it was made, and its value, by frequent trials, 
 extending over many months, was fixed beyond dispute or doubt before 
 any other claimant appeared. If the human or charitable desire to recog- 
 nize this great boon to humanity, I would point to the widow and child of 
 Dr. Wells, residing at Hartford, as the proper objects of their benefactions. 
 
 " Truman Smith. 
 
 "New- York, JubjZOth, 1858." 
 
 A. few days after the appearance of this piece, a " circular," 
 dated New- York, August 3, 1858, and signed by Truman Smith, 
 was distributed over the city, directed to nearly all the physi- 
 cians, ^^/hich contained all that had been printed in the Tinhune, 
 and also the following addition : " It was just as notorious at 
 Hartford in the fall of 1844, and dijring the year 1845, that Dr 
 Wells had made this great discovery, and was, with his brethren 
 in the dental art, using it in his practice, as that the State House 
 stood on the public square ; and yet a certain party who was at 
 one time the pupil and partner of Dr. Wells, now impudently 
 pretends to have discovered substantially the same thing in the 
 fall of 1846. The evidence on this subject has been once print- 
 ed and published,* but received a very limited circulation. It 
 
 * This is not a minority report, nor does it possess the slightest official 
 value, as it is merely the gratuitous and sole opinion of a man who has
 
 CHAP. XL] LATEST NEWS FROM THE SEAT OF -VTAK. 167 
 
 is full and conclusive, and will soon be republished.* All who 
 hate imposition, and desire to recognize true merit, are respect- 
 fully requested to await the appeai-ance of these proofs, to the 
 end that they may have all the facts before them, and be enabled 
 to form an enlightened judgment in the premises. The lips of 
 Dr. "Weils have long since been silenced in death. Were the 
 fact otherwise, it is doubtful whether the adverse pretensions 
 would have appeared (though it may be difficult to set bounds 
 to the audacity of some persons). However this may be sus- 
 tained by the venerated Bishop Brownell, and the equally vener- 
 ated Ch. J. Williams, besides a host of other witnesses. I do 
 not hesitate to point to the widow and child of Dr. Wells, now- 
 residing at Hartford, as being solely entitled to whatever bene- 
 factions the public may be pleased to accord to the author of 
 this great boon to humanity." 
 
 seen fit to print what he believed. It has been distributed as if it was pub- 
 lished with the sanction and cognizance of the committee, but this is not 
 the case. On the rendition of the report of the committee, subsequent to 
 the appearance of the pamphlet, the following remarks were added by the 
 chairman : " While the question of anaesthesia, on the memorials of sun- 
 dry persons, was under consideration by the Select Committee of the Sen- 
 ate, of which I was chairman, a paper entitled, * An Examination of the 
 Question of Anczsthcsia,'''' prepared by the Hon. Truman Smith, a member 
 of the committee, and having thus a ^wa^i-official character, was printed 
 and circulated among the Senate and House of Representatives ; and as, in 
 my opinion, that paper presents a one-sided and partial view of the ques- 
 tion, such as might be expected of an advocate of easy faith in his client's 
 cause, and strong indignation against all that oppose it, and consequently 
 comes to a conclusion widely dififerent from that which a calm and impar- 
 tial consideration would warrant," &q. 
 
 * This document has since appeared. Its emission is supposed to have 
 some connection with the following note to one of the Ten Governors : 
 
 *' Knickerbocker Office, Tuesday, 10 Oct. 
 " Mr. Oliver : 
 
 '' Dear Sir : I hope for the credit of the Board of Ten Governors that 
 the proposition to give G. W. T. Morton $1500 will not pass. I have not the 
 slightest interest in the matter, except as a lover of justice ; but there is no 
 mistake of Morton's being a rogue who first pilfered another man's dis- 
 covery, and is now imposing upon the country- A sharp fire in the rear is 
 being prepared for him and his accomplices. Yours, truly, 
 
 "James O. Noykb."
 
 168 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. f CHAP. XII. 
 
 CHAPTEK XII. 
 
 CONTROVERSY CONTINUED A SUGGESTION. 
 
 " Then saith the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth ; and the other saith, 
 Nay ; hut thy son is the dead, and my son is the living."— L Kings, iii., 23. 
 
 About a month after the discovery by Dr. Morton, in the 
 case of Mr. Frost, as before stated, that the ancesthetic state 
 could be produced by ether, and about a week after the success- 
 ful trial at the hospital. Dr. Morton, one fine pleasant morning, 
 received a call from Dr. Charles T. Jackson,* of Boston, a gen- 
 tleman of large and varied scientific acquirements, whose geolo- 
 gical surveys have given him deservedly a high reputation, and 
 whose extensive chemical and mineralogical attainments rank 
 him high in the files of eminent scholars. 
 
 He remarked that he had just looked in to see how all was 
 progressing there, that he had heard it said that a large business 
 was about to be built up, owing to the successful use of ether. 
 He mentioned that he had been informed by Mr. Eddy (the pat- 
 ent solicitor) that a patent for the discovery was about to be 
 taken out, from which a great deal of money would be made, 
 
 * The reader will be careful not to confuse the name of this person with 
 that of the venerable Dr. James Jackson, now at the head of the medical 
 profession in Boston, a gentleman with hosts of warm friends, who know 
 and love him no less from his extensive professional experience than from 
 his gentle, kindly heart, and almost paternal regard for the youthful aspi- 
 rants who have commenced that trying and difficult career to which his 
 life has been such an ornament. A letter of his, endorsing Dr. Morton's 
 claim, is given on page 428. Nor yet with Dr. J. B. S. Jackson, the 
 present eminent Profes&or of Pathology in Harvard University.
 
 CHAP. Xn.] BARGAIN BETWEEN TAVO OF THE CLAIMANTS. 169 
 
 and as he had never before made any charge or received any rec- 
 ompense for the medical instruction he had rendered, he thought 
 he must charge something, say $500 for it. Remarking imme- 
 diately afterward that he had been disappointed in his receipts 
 for that year, and was obliged to look a little more carefully to 
 his money matters in consequence of it. 
 
 " As the patent will be exceedingly valuable to you, why," he 
 added, " cannot a compensation be made from the receipts from 
 that?" 
 
 To this demand, although it seemed rather exorbitant and a 
 rough way of estimating it, Dr. Morton made no objection. He 
 had received some equivalent, and had never been called upon to 
 recompense it. So after acquiescing in the justice of Dr. Jack- 
 son's demand, it was agreed between thera that if much was 
 made by Dr. Morton from the patent, independent of his busi- 
 ness, that he would pay Dr.^ Jackson ten per cent, on the net prof- 
 its of the patents, provided it amounted to as much as 8500. 
 The conversation was short, and immediately after this they 
 separated. 
 
 Such was the substance, if not the words, of that conversation 
 whicli has subsequently exerted such an unfavorable and perplex- 
 ing influence on the affairs of Dr. Morton. But in order to explain 
 its importance, and why it took place, it will be necessary to re- 
 vert a few years to events wliich had happened during that time. 
 
 When Morton, impressed with the desire of ultimately be- 
 coming a surgeon, had decided to commence a course of medical 
 studies, he looked around among the medical men of the city to 
 see who among them he should choose to record his name with 
 as pupil, according to the rules prescribed in the college. From 
 a slight acquaintance which he had with him, owing to a busi- 
 ness transaction,* he ultimately decided upon Dr. Jackson. 
 
 Accordingly, on the 20th March, 1844, he entered liis name 
 with him as a student of medicine, and under his direction prose- 
 cuted his studies " with diligence and zeal," as is shown by the 
 written testimony of Dr. Jackson himself 
 
 * This was simply a certificate which he had purchased of Dr. Jackson, 
 that an allov used by him in the soldering of teeth was pure gold. 
 
 8
 
 170 DISCOVERY OF ETHEKIZATION. [CHAP. XII. 
 
 Immediately on Dr. Morton's marriage, which occmTcd in 
 May, he went with his bride to reside at the house of Dr. Jack- 
 son, in order to employ his time to better advantage ; this was in 
 pursuance of an arrangement which had been made between 
 them. There was about ten years' difference between the ages 
 of the two men, but owing to the companionable and pleasant 
 manner of Dr. Jackson, a strong friendship sprang up between 
 them. This pleasant intercourse was enhanced by the friendship 
 of the two wives. 
 
 But after a time, owing to a slight circumstance, Dr. Morton 
 decided, that it was most expedient for him to leave the family, 
 and reside by himself. This was brought about by his being 
 occasionally rallied by Dr. Jackson, for being so constantly ab- 
 sent from dinner on Sunday, which he was compelled to, as he 
 was then as now a communicant of the church, and sabbath-school 
 teacher, in the exercise of which vocation, he v.^as generally 
 detained past the stated hour for the noon meal. Although this 
 ridicule was sufficient to be disagreeable, it was by no means suffi- 
 cient to lead to a rupture, for the esteem and friendship of the 
 two men continued precisely as before, as is evidenced by the 
 following note, which was sent to Dr. Morton, in return for a 
 valuable present he had bestowed. 
 
 " My Dear Sik, 
 
 " Accept my -warm thanks for the elegant travehng case you have 
 had the kindness to present to me. It is really too handsome for use in 
 our backwoods camps ; but since it is your wish, that it should accompany 
 me in my wanderings, I shall take it in memory of its donor. 
 " Your much obliged friend, and ob't servant, 
 
 " C. T. Jackson. 
 " Boston, May loth, 1845." 
 
 During the time that Morton was a resident in Dr. Jackson's 
 family, he often in the relation of student and teacher, used to 
 converse with him on his dental practice. Among other subjects 
 he one day mentioned what a desideratum it was, that some way 
 could be devised, by which the excessive pain caused by filling 
 a tooth when the nerve was exposed could be obviated, perfectly 
 and safely ; as the arsenic and other agents then used, besides
 
 CHAP. XII.] USE OF ETHER IN SENSITIVE TEETH. 171 
 
 being deleterious, often produced an irritation which left a per- 
 sistent soreness. 
 
 " Dr. Jackson replied, in a humorous manner, that he should 
 try some of his tooth-ache drops, and then proceeded to tell him, 
 that at a time when he practised medicine, he occasionally ex- 
 tracted teeth for particular patients, and that in one instance, 
 when a patient, who could not summon courage for the opera- 
 tion, asked him to apply something to alleviate the pain, he 
 applied ether, and with success; for a few days afterward, a 
 friend of this patient called to obtain some of the ' tooth-ache 
 drops,' as he called them ; but he, (Dr. Jackson) not wishing to 
 be troubled with dental business, told him he had none. Dr. 
 Jackson then added, that as this ether might be applied with ad- 
 vantage to sensitive teeth, he would send (Morton) some. The 
 conversation then turned upon the effect of ether upon the sys- 
 tem, and he told me how the students at Cambridge used to 
 inhale sulphuric ether from their handkerchiefs, and that it intoxi- 
 cated them, making them reel and stagger. He, however, gave 
 no further intimation of the effect of ether, or of the manner of 
 applying it." 
 
 " In a few days after this conversation. Dr. Jackson sent a 
 bottle of chloric ether highly rectified, as he had offered." This 
 was used in a case by direct application, that is, in the same 
 manner that laudanum and other narcotics have always been ap- 
 plied to sensitive teeth, and witli a fair dcgi^ee of success. 
 
 It is a singular fact connected with this diversity of claims, 
 that at this very time the icife and aunt of Dr. Jackson were un- 
 der Dr. Morton's care^ and in each case he found it necessary to 
 extract teeth. To which operation both, owing to an unusual 
 degree of sensitiveness, strongly objected, and the latter lady in 
 particular remained for several hours in the operating chair una- 
 ble to summon up a sufficient degree of courage, and begged to 
 be mesmerized, or have something to prevent the pain. Now, 
 although Dr. Jackson knew this, and used all his efforts to en- 
 courage her, he did nothing else, and offered no mode of producing 
 any insensibility. 
 
 It was at this time that Morton began zealously to push his
 
 172 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XII. 
 
 inquiries, and as before stated went for his liealth into the coun- 
 try. Before going, he had provided himself from Dr. Jackson's 
 and his own library with all the books on the subject he could 
 procure, and from the perusal of these at his father-in-law's he 
 was encouraged in the continuation of his experiments as before 
 stated. 
 
 It will be remembered by the reader that after Dr. Morton had 
 induced the young men, his assistants, to inhale the ether, he de- 
 cided to employ an instrument, and for this purpose, consulted with 
 Mr. Wightman. This gentleman had proposed to him to use an 
 air-tight bag of oiled silk or India-rubber, but Dr. Morton had 
 doubts of the latter material, from the fear that the ether might 
 act upon and dissolve thfe rubber. In reply to Dr. Morton's ques- 
 tion about this fact, Mr. Wightman replied, " He knew it would, 
 because he had softened the common India-rubber flasks or bags, 
 and then, by inflating them, produced large bags of rubber, ex- 
 tremely thin." Dr. Morton then inquired whether oil-silk bags 
 could be used, to which the answer was given, that " he (Wight- 
 man) presumed they would not answer, but as he had no practi- 
 cal knowledge in relation to that matter, he advised him to call 
 on Dr. Jackson, who could probably give him the necessary in- 
 formation."^ 
 
 Finding that the glass globe, which he ultimately purchased, 
 proved on trial too small, Dr. Morton decided to borrow of Dr. 
 Jackson a gas bag, and at the same time, according to a sugges- 
 tion of Dr. Hay den, "ascertain from him something about the 
 different qualities and preparations of ether, with which chemists 
 were always famiUar."! 
 
 On reaching Dr. Jackson's, the following conversation took 
 place, which is given in Dr. Morton's own words : " I asked Dr. 
 Jackson for his gas bag. He told me it was in his house. I 
 went for it, and returned through the laboratory. He said, in a 
 laughing manner, ' Well, Doctor, you seem to be all equipped, 
 minus the gas. ' I replied, in the same manner, that perhaps there 
 would be no need of having any gas, if the person who took it 
 
 * Sworn testimony of Mr. Wightman. 
 t Sworn testimony of Dr. Hayden.
 
 CHAP. XII.l THE GERM OF THE ETHER CONTROVERSY. 173 
 
 coiild only be made to believe there was gas in it, and alluded to 
 the story of the man who died from being made to believe that 
 he was bleeding to death, there being in ftict nothing but water 
 trickling upon his leg ; but I had no intention whatever of trying 
 such a trick.*' He smiled, and said that was a good story, but 
 added, in a graver manner, that I had better not attempt such 
 an experiment, lest I should be set down as a greater humbug 
 than "Wells was with his nitrous oxide gas. Seeing that here was 
 an opportunity to open the subject, I said, in as careless a man- 
 ner as I could assume, ' Why cannot I give the ether gas V He said 
 that I could do so, and spoke again of the students' taking it at 
 Cambridge. He said the patient would be dull and stupefied, that 
 I could do what I pleased with him, that he would not be able 
 to help himself. Finding the subject open, I made the inquiries 
 I wished as to the diflferent kinds and preparations of ether. He 
 told me something about the preparations, and thinking that if 
 he had any it would be of the purest kind, I asked him to let me 
 see his. He did so, but remarked that it had been standing for 
 some time, and told me that I could got some highly rectified at 
 Burnett's. As I was passing out. Dr. Jackson followed me to the 
 door, and told me that he could recommend sometliing better than 
 the gas bag to administer ether with, and gave me a flask with 
 a glass tube inserted in it." 
 
 The reason why Dr. Morton was not at this time more explicit, 
 and did not fully confide his anticipated discovery, was " that 
 he feared that Dr. Jackson might forestall him and guess what 
 he was experimenting upon. He had made sacrifices and run 
 risks for this object ; he believed himself to be close upon it, and 
 he feared that another, with better opportunities for experiment- 
 ing, might avail himself of his hints and labors, and take the prize 
 from his grasp." 
 
 With the ether he procured from Burnett's the first successful 
 experiment was made upon himself, and also upon Mr. Frost, 
 accounts of both of which have been before given. 
 
 * It is a singular fact, and quite corroborates Morton's statement, that Mr. 
 Wightman testifies that he related this story to Morton when he recommend' 
 ed him to go to Jackson.
 
 174 DISCOVERY OF ETHEltlZATION. [CHAP. XII 
 
 This was precisely the position of the two men, and of affairs 
 between them, when the call was made on Dr. Morton by Dr. 
 Jackson, the first one subsequent to this interview and the time 
 when the discovery was made. His pleasant manner at this 
 call, the recollection of their past intimacy and friendship, the 
 real obligation which Dr. Morton was under to Dr. Jackson for 
 his instruction when a student, and especially for the information 
 which he had derived from him as regards the qualities and jirop- 
 erties of the ether (that is, his recommendation to use highly-rec- 
 tified ether, instead of the commercial,) which Dr. Morton to this 
 day acknowledges and is grateful for — all conspired to render 
 the visit pleasant, and induced Dr. Morton to accede at once to 
 the demand which was made upon him. 
 
 Between the dates of the rendition by Mr. Eddy of his mature 
 opinion that a patent could be procured, which was on the 21st 
 of October, and the day on which this conversation was held, 
 JMr. Eddy* had informed Dr. Morton that he had been informed 
 by the family of Dr. Jackson, with whom he had long been on 
 terms of great intimacy, that Dr. Jackson had some agency in 
 the discovery, or was in some way connected with it. This Dr. 
 Morton at once emphatically denied, but explained the character 
 and amount of the advice which he had received from him, and 
 how much of an obligation he lay under ; adding that he had 
 consulted Dr. Jackson as a chemist ; and that the information he 
 had received from him as regards the ether or its chemical pro- 
 perties did not by any means amount to what he had learned 
 from Mr. Metcalfe or some others. 
 
 After the interview with Dr. Morton, Dr. Jackson called 
 upon Mr. Eddy, and informed him of the private arrangements 
 which had been made between them. The latter gentleman at 
 once visited Dr. Morton, to ascertain the correctness of this in- 
 formation, and on being told of its truth, expressed much grat- 
 
 * Mr. Eddy himself says : " Dr. Jackson and I, during this period, wore 
 on very strong friendly terms. I entertained for him the purest feelings of 
 amity, and was ever ready to do him, or the members of his family, any 
 favor in my power. I have reason to believe, I had with him the position 
 of a confidential and very intimate friend."
 
 CHAP.XII.] WHY JACKSON WAS ASSOCIATED AVITH MORTON. 175 
 
 ification. He recommended to Dr. Morton, on account of the 
 position of Dr. Jackson as a man of science, and the amount of 
 assistance which his name and position would give, that he should 
 be very liberal with him, and finally proposed, that instead of 
 giving hira only ten per cent, until the amount reached five hun- 
 dred dollars, that an agi'eement should be inserted into the bond, 
 requiring Dr. Morton to give him ten per cent, on the net profit8 
 from sales of licenses ; or, as another plan, that on account of his 
 own (Eddy's) professional services for advice, and for procuring 
 a patent, and for conducting the general business under the patent, 
 that all three should be interested, which, consequently, would 
 save to Dr. Morton any care from the management of the busi- 
 ness-, and by influence of Dr. Jackson, and his own knowledge of 
 the steps to be taken, to procure the patent, and dispose of the 
 rights, that the whole would be made much more valuable. 
 
 To these propositions Dr. Morton at once most decidedly ob- 
 jected. He informed Mr. Eddy that he wished him to be well 
 remunerated for his services and advice, and for it would give 
 him one quarter of the net profits ; but that he did not see why 
 Dr. Jackson should have any share in it, as he already had 
 the existing agreement with him to pay him to the amount of 
 five hundred dollai'S for his advice, which was all Dr. Jackson 
 demanded. 
 
 This suggestion was made by Mr. Eddy, out of friendship for 
 Dr. Jackson, and his family, whom he wished to benefit. Im- 
 mediately after he added, that " the patent would thus have the 
 benefit of his name and skill, and a strong motive would be pre- 
 sented to him to give his attention to the preparation of ether of 
 the best quality, and of apparatus best suited for its administra- 
 tion, and by so doing, we shall be able to keep and lead the 
 march of improvement." 
 
 '•An additional reason," he further added, "lies in the fact 
 that should a suit be brought at any time as constantly occurs 
 to persons who ov/n patents, Dr. Jackson would probably be 
 called as a witness, and his testimony as regards the advice he 
 had given, might be seized as a handle to invalidate all claim to 
 the discovery."
 
 176 DISCOVERY OF ETOEKIZATION. [CHAP. XII. 
 
 To this proposition Dr. Morton, influenced by these argu- 
 ments, at length consented, little thinking in the pressure and 
 hurry of the moment, of the importance of the step he was 
 about to take, nor suspecting that Eddy's interest, and his friend- 
 ship for Dr. Jackson,* which he was ignorant of, would influ- 
 ence him in his advice,t and being himself entirely ignorant 
 of patent law, and the troubles and perplexities always connect- 
 ed with patented inventions, and the pretext Avhich it gave to a 
 designing and powerful man, to wrest from him the credit and 
 recompense of the discovery. 
 
 But at this juncture, a new and unexpected difficulty was en- 
 countered. Dr. Jackson v/ould not consent to such an arrange- 
 ment, and flatly refused to be connected with it in such a way. 
 Why ? Was it because he desired a larger share in the honor of 
 the discovery ? Or was the sum which he expected from his 
 share of ten per cent., insufficient to satisfy his cupidity? 
 These two questions can be answered by the sworn testimony of 
 Mr. Eddy himself as well as by that of several others, for on 
 that very day Mr. Eddy " made inquiries as to the assistance he 
 (Dr. Jackson) had rendered Dr. Morton, and whether he had 
 ever tried any experiments to practically demonstrate the f\ict 
 
 * Mr. Eddy stated in his testimony, before the Commissioner at Boston, 
 " That he was governed by a strong feeling of interest for Dr. Jackson, and 
 moreover, that he was desirous of securing for him all the credit of being 
 a joint discoverer he possibly could ; that it was more what he supposed 
 was a matter of policy with him, together with what he imagined to be 
 true, and what he believed to be for the benefit of Dr. Jackson, that in- 
 duced him to advise Dr. Morton to apply for the patents as he did, viz., 
 as the joint invention of himself and Dr. Jackson, and recollects Dr. Mor- 
 ton's appearance when he advised him to do so ; that he demurred to it 
 and said he did not seewhy Jackson should have anything to do with it; that 
 Mr. Eddy possessed a desire to obtain for him as much credit and pecuni- 
 ary advantage as he could consistently ; tliat the funds would be likely to 
 pass through his hands, in which case, he, as the friend of Dr. Jackson, 
 should be pretty sure to watch over his interests." 
 
 t R. H. Dana, Jr., on completing the examination of Mr. Eddy, before 
 the commission at Boston, wrote Dr. Morton as follows : " I consider all 
 your troubles and present difficulties to have arisen from the mistaken ad- 
 vice of Mr. Eddy, to let in Dr. Jackson as n joint discoverer."
 
 CHAP, sir] JACKSON ADMITS HE MADE NO EXPERIMENTS. 177 
 
 that the inhalation of ether would prevent pain during a surgical 
 operation. He informed me that he had not. He likc^vi^e in- 
 formed INIr. Eddy that he thought the whole matter of little 
 value, that something might be realized from it by Dr. Morton, 
 in his business, and was willing he should, provided he was not 
 coupled with it ; that as he had made an agreement w ith Dr. 
 Morton for five hundred dollars, he was satisfied ; that Dr. 
 Morton might take out a patent if he desired it, and do what he 
 pleased with it." 
 
 So it was not an expectation of a larger amount of money. 
 It was not a fear that he should lose any part of the honor, for 
 he was too fearful that a contrary state of affairs would ensue. 
 
 The real reason he, himself, has intimated, when he expressed 
 to Dr. John C. Warren the fear that some one would be killed 
 by it. Also w^hen he told Mr. Burnett that, " he apprehended 
 danger in the hands of those who used it ; and that they would 
 kill somebody with it." It was the same reason that caused the 
 belief of Peleg W. Chandler, Esq., after a conversation with 
 him, *' that it was not a settled thing, or a discovery that 
 was to be anything remarkable in itself, or one that was likely 
 to be applied beneficially, in itself considered, but as rather 
 opening the door to future investigation in that direction, that 
 something might hereafter be discovered, that would stand the 
 test of science and practical experiments. That Morton was a 
 reckless, dare-devil fellow, and tliat he would kill somebody." 
 
 But the reason that he himself publicly stated, and the reply 
 which he made to Mr. Eddy, was, " that by the laws of the 
 Massachusetts' Medical Society, he ^\ould be prevented from 
 joining with Dr. Morton in taking out a patent, as he would be 
 liable to expuli^ion from the society, were he so to do." The 
 laws of that society forbid any of its members dealing in or using 
 any secret remedies, f)v patented nodrums, and although the word- 
 ing of the law allows much latitude, and many medicines are 
 used, which, by right, could be classed under the above heads 
 without being considered an infringement, yet it is enforced aa 
 fully as it conveniently can be.* 
 
 * Testimony of Eddy, Gould, Burnett, and Chandler. 
 8*
 
 178 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XII. 
 
 The solicitor endeavored to remove this objection, by calling 
 upon Dr. A. A. Gould, who was then one of the censors of the 
 society, and requesting him to carefully examine the law on the 
 subject, and see whether it really applied to this case, and would 
 render Dr. Jackson obnoxious if he acquiesced in having his name 
 inserted in the demand for a patent. 
 
 After a careful examination, Dr. Gould gave it as his opinion, 
 that the law prohibited the patenting of a medicine, or the use 
 of it when patented, and discouraged the use of a secret remedy, 
 which would be obviated in this case, by disclosing what its real 
 character and name was, or a patented nostrum, or quack medi- 
 cine, which this certainly was not. And that he foresaw no evil 
 which could result to Dr. Jackson, for associating with Dr. Mor- 
 ton in the demand, provided it was really necessary or would be 
 of service in making the requisition.* 
 
 This at once settled the question, and never did a fish seize a 
 tempting bait with greater avidity, than Dr. Jackson this decision. 
 From the moment when he found that his own reputation was 
 not likely to suffer, and that the pecuniary balm would be suffi- 
 ciently ample to heal any wounds his conscience would be likely 
 to feel, he used every endeavor to turn the profits to the highest 
 personal account. He agreed to associate his name to the speci- 
 fication for a patent, and also guaranteed to draw up an agree- 
 ment, by which he should assign over to Dr. Morton, all the 
 
 * " I am unable to find any la-w, heanng directly or indii'ectly, upon the 
 present ease. The tenth by-law of the Massachusetts Medical Society is 
 directed, as I understand it, against any one who shall publicly advertise 
 or publicly offer to cure disease by medicine, the composition of which, he 
 the advertiser makes a secret. It deals with the question of proclaimed 
 secresy, and, in my view, is directed against that prudish class of prac- 
 titioners whose ostentatious solicitude to conceal their wares, is their only 
 chance of persuading people of their value. The same remarks apply 
 to the fifty-eighth by-law. I leave others to judge of the propriety or 
 applying such restrictions to a method which has been publicly regis- 
 tered ; which has been voluntarily announced to every surgeon who has 
 used it, and of which the immense utility is fully conceded. I am un- 
 able to discover that your correspondent has here any ground for his 
 scruples about purchasing a right." — Reply of Dr. Hexry J. Bigelow to 
 Dr. Flagg.
 
 CHAP. XII.] EXECUTION OF PAPERS. 179 
 
 rights which he could acquire from the fact of his name being 
 associated with that of Dr. Morton, as joint discoverer. 
 
 A few days later Dr. Jackson called at the office of Mr. Eddy, 
 and the specification was drawn up and signed by him, and then 
 carried to Dr. Morton, for his signature. At the same time the 
 assignment was prepared, to which Dr. Jackson readily append- 
 ed his name.* 
 
 Upon these transactions, we find in the Report of the Massa- 
 chusetts General Hospital for 1848, the following remarks by 
 the committee of that board, who had this subject in charge : 
 
 " The committee think that Dr. Jackson's own early acts 
 have, indeed, forever rendered inadmissible these exclusive 
 claims. He at first agreed to receive from Dr. Morton the sum 
 of five hundred dollars, as a compensation for his services. Is it 
 for one moment conceivable that the true discoverer would have 
 thus bartered away his birthright for a mess of pottage ? And 
 when subsequently, at the suggestion of the Solicitor of Patents, 
 a personal intimate friend of Dr. Jackson, Dr. Morton consent- 
 ed to permit Dr. Jackson's name to be associated with his own in 
 the patent, — he having agreed, instead of the five hundred dol- 
 lars, to receive one tenth part only of the profits, — we ask again, 
 is it conceivable that the sole discoverer would have thus associ- 
 ated another with himself, taking even an oath that they were 
 ioint discoverers, and, at that same time, have consented to re- 
 ceive only a pittance of what was wholly his own ? No ! We 
 consider that Dr. Jackson is estopped for ever from such a claim, 
 
 * Mr. Eddy gives the following account of drawing up and executing 
 the papers which show that Dr. Morton certainly could not have prop- 
 erly appreciated what he was doing i " After preparing the specification, 
 I submitted it to Dr. Jackson, who fully approved it. I next had it copied 
 in a manner suitable to be signed and sworn to by the parties." 
 
 During the time these negotiations were going on, Mr. Eddy says : "I saw 
 very little of Dr. Morton, from the 21st to the 27th of October, the latter be- 
 ing the day on which the papers for the application for the patent were exe- 
 cuted by the parties ;" and further adds when lie found him, and obtained his 
 signature, " Dr. M. was so much engaged in his discovery and business of 
 dentistry, that I found it exceedingly difScult, if not impossible, to obtain 
 an audience with him. His office was constantly thronged with persons 
 xn waiting to consult him on professional business."
 
 180 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XII. 
 
 and that not upon technical grounds, but by the whole equity of 
 the case." 
 
 As when considering the claim of Dr. Wells, ■^\ e prefiented 
 his own statement as given to the public, it is no more than 
 justice that the same right should be accorded to Dr. Jackson, 
 particularly as no more is desired by Dr. Morton than a fair and 
 candid examination and judgment on this quccstio vexata, and as 
 two are always required to make a quarrel, it would be the 
 height of partiality to hear the story only from one side, and 
 from the evidence presented by one claimant, pass a verdict on 
 the other. The following statement comprises all the material 
 points which Dr. Jackson has urged, and is from the memorial 
 which he prepared and forwarded to his Excellency Baron Von 
 Humboldt, to lay before the Royal Academy of Berlin in 1851. 
 It is, hov/ever, a matured narration, in accordance and modified 
 by the course of events subsequent to the publication of the dis- 
 covery, not the early statement made ; it should therefore be 
 considered' cum grano sails. 
 
 *' AVhile I vv^asa student in medicine, in 1825, '20), '27 and '28, 
 I was engaged in chemical and physiological researches connect- 
 ed with my professional studies, and had read Avith deep interest 
 the curious researches of the late Sir H. Davy, on the physiolog- 
 ical effects of various gases, when inhaled into the lungs, and I 
 repeated all those that were not considered imminently danger- 
 ous, for the purpose of realizing their effects on the system. 
 
 "Among other gases I inhaled very frequently, and administer- 
 ed to others, the protoxide of nitrogen (exhilarating gas), 
 and was thus made perfectly familiar with its physiological 
 effects. Subsequently I thought much of Davy's suggestion, that 
 protoxide of nitrogen might possibly be employed in mitigating 
 the pain of a surgical operation, and on my return from Europe, 
 where I had been to improve myself in the sciences of medicine 
 and surgery, I determined to try the effects of that gas in every 
 possible way, and I did, in 1837, think that I had produced the 
 state of insensibility required, by administering to several young 
 men the protoxide of nitrogen, through a very small aperture, 
 closing the nostrils at the time, so as to exclude air from the
 
 CHAP. XII.] SCIENTIFIC INDUCTIONS. 181 
 
 lungs, but I found that I only had produced a partial and a 
 dangerous state of aspJiijxia^ and that the pntienls had not lost 
 sensation, as was proved by pulling their hair, and by touching 
 them. I came to the conclusion, therefore, that anaesthesia, or 
 insensibility to pain, can not be produced by the inhalation of 
 that gas, as proposed by Sir II. Davy, and therefore abandoned 
 that method. 
 
 " Having been appointed Geologist and Chemist to the State of 
 Maine, in 183G, I opened a large chemical laboratory the next 
 year, for instructing my pupils, and for making the chemical 
 analys2s for the state, and had frequent occasion to experiment 
 with chlorine gas, and had accidents myself, as with my pupils, 
 by the breakage of vessels filled with this gas, and had inhaled it 
 into the lungs. Vapor of alcohol was at that time the remedy we 
 used for relief, and not finding it to answer the purpose satisfacto- 
 rily, I soon after tried the inhalation of sulphuric ether vapor, 
 which from 1837 to 1851, was the means in habitual use in my 
 laboratory for relieving persons from the effects of the action of 
 chlorine in the lungs. 
 
 " The history of this discovery is deemed interesting to the scien- 
 tific world, and I shall therefore give the facts and my induction 
 in detail. The origin of the discovery, you will perceive, was from 
 an accident, but the induction, by which the discovery itself was 
 made, was truly scientific and legitimate in all respects. The 
 circumstances were as follows : — In the winter of 1841-42, I 
 was employed to give a few lectures before the Mechanics' Chari- 
 table Association, in Boston, and in my last lecture, which I think 
 was in the month of February, I had occasion to show a num- 
 ber of experiments in illustration of the theory of volcanic erup- 
 tions, and for my experiments I prepared a large quantity of 
 chilorine gas, collecting it in gallon glass jars, over boiling water. 
 Just as one of these large jars was filled with the pure chlorine, 
 it overturned and broke, and in my endeavors to save the ves- 
 sel, I accidentally got my lungs full of chlorine gas, which near- 
 ly suffocated me, so that my life was in imminent danger. I im- 
 mediately had ether and ammonia brought* to me, and alternate- 
 * It has never appeared who brought it.
 
 182 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. XII. 
 
 \y inhaled them with great relief. The next morning my throat 
 was severely inflamed, and very painful, and I perceived a dis- 
 tinct flavor of chlorine in my breath, and my lungs were still 
 much oppressed. I determined, therefore, to make a thorough 
 trial of the ether vapor, and for that purpose went into my labora- 
 tory, which adjoins my house, in Somerset-street, and made the 
 experiment from which the discovery of anaesthesia was induced. 
 *' I had a large supply of perfectly pure washed sulphuric ether, 
 which was prepared in the laboratory of my friend, Mr. John 
 H. Blake, of Boston. I took a bottle of that ether, and a fold- 
 ed towel, and seating myself in a rocking-chair, and placing my 
 feet in another chair, so as to secure a fixed position, as I reclined 
 backward in the one in which I was seated. Soaking the towel 
 in the ether, I placed it over my nose and mouth, so as to inhale 
 the ether mixed with the air, and began to inhale the vapor deep- 
 ly into my lungs. At first the ether made me cough, but soon 
 that irritability ceased, and I noticed a sense of coolness, follow- 
 ed by warmth, fullness of the head and chest, with giddiness and 
 exhilaration. Numbness of the feet and legs followed, a swim- 
 ming or floating sensation, as if afloat in the air. This was ac- 
 companied with entire loss of feeling, even of contact with the 
 chair in wliich I was seated. I noticed that all pain had ceased 
 in my throat, and the sensations which I had w^ere of the most 
 agreeable kind. Much pleased and excited, I continued the in- 
 halation of the ether vapor, and soon fell into a dreamy state, 
 and then became unconscious of all surrounding things. I know 
 not now long I remained in that state, but suppose that it could 
 not be less than a quarter of an \\o\xv^ judging from the degree of 
 dryness of the cloth, which during this state of unconsciousness, 
 had fallen from my mouth and nose and lay upon my breast. As 
 I became conscious I observed still there was no feeling of pain 
 in my throat, and my limbs were still deeply benumbed, as if the 
 nerves of sensation were fully paralyzed. A strange thrilling now 
 began to be felt along the spine, but it was not in any way dis- 
 agreeable. Little by little, sensation began to manifest itself ; 
 first, in the throat and body, and gradually extended to the ex- 
 tremities, but it was some time before full sensation returned,
 
 CHAP. XII] JACKSON GOES BACK FOUR YEAliS. 183 
 
 and my throat became really painful. Keflecting upon these 
 phenomena^ the idea flashed into my mind, that / had made a 
 discoveiv/* I had so long a time been in quest of- — a means of ren- 
 dering the nerves of sensation temporarily insensible to pain, so 
 as to admit of the performance of a surgical operation on an in- 
 dividual without his suffering pain therefrom. 
 
 '* In the rapid inductions of the mind, it is not always easy to 
 trace the exact method of thought by which we suddenly arrive 
 at great truths ; but so far as I can trace the reasonings that rapid- 
 ly flowed through my mind, it was based upon principles well 
 understood by all educated physicians and physiologists. I knew 
 that the nerves of sensation were distinct from those of motion, 
 and of organic life, and that one system might be paralyzed with- 
 out necessarily and immediately affecting the others. I had seen 
 often enough in my medical practice, the nerves of sensation par- 
 alyzed without those of motion being affected and those of sen- 
 sation being influenced, and both the nerves of motion and sensa- 
 tion paralyzed without the ganglionic nerves or those of organic 
 life being affected. I knew also, that the nerves of sensation 
 are stationed as sentinels near the exterior of our bodies, to warn 
 us of danger from external causes of injury, and that there is 
 no feeling in the internal portions of our bodies. I knew also, 
 that when the knife is applied in surgical operations, that there 
 is jittie sense of pain in any parts beneath the skin. This, my 
 own surgical experience, as well as that of others, had long ago 
 demonstrated, and the philosophy of these physiological facts was 
 made known to the medical world in England, and was fully 
 proved, by all the eminent anatomists and physiologists in Europe. 
 
 * Compare this with the following extract taken from a letter recently 
 brought to light, written by Dr. Jackson to the United States geologist, J. 
 D. Whitney, then in Europe, under date of Dec. 11th 1816. After com- 
 municating the nature of the discovery, and asking him to lay his claim 
 before some learned societv, in Berlin, he remarks, " Is not this a good 
 offset to the German invention of gun cotton ? In this country I do not 
 know which discoverv produces the most excitement. It is curious that 
 they both should 'have been overlooked, so long,'^ i. e., until now.
 
 184 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. fCHAP. XII. 
 
 "Xow I had observed, 1st. That the nerves of sensation in my 
 own body were rendered imenihle to pain for some time before 
 unconsciousness took place ; 
 
 '* 2d. That all pain bad ceased in a suffering part of my body 
 during the stages of etherization preceding and following the 
 unconscious state ; 
 
 " 3d. That this state of insensibility of the nerves of sensation 
 continued for a sufficient length of time to admit of most surgi- 
 cal operations, and I had reason to believe that during the uncon- 
 scious period the degree of insensibility was still greater, so that 
 it would be impossible that any pain could be felt in a surgical 
 operation ; 
 
 " 4th. That the nerves of motion, and of the involuntary func- 
 tions of respiration and circulation, were in no wise affected; the 
 functions of life going on as usual, while the nerves of sensation 
 were rendered devoid of feeling, and the body could suffer no 
 jDain. By long experience in the trial of ether vapor in spas- 
 modic asthma, and from numerous carefully conducted psycho- 
 logical experiments, I had learned that the vapor of ether could 
 be safely inhaled into the lungs to an extent before believed to 
 be dangerous." 
 
 The first objection which can be made to the claim of Dr 
 Jackson is one which is equally pertinent to that of Dr. Wells 
 and all others. That it was never presented until after the 
 public announcement of the discovery by Dr. Morton, and not 
 until experiment had settled the safety and efficiency of the agent, 
 and it appeared sure that fame and fortune would be the rewards 
 of the discoverer. It is exceedingly unfortunate for Dr. Jack- 
 son that if he made the discovery, as alleged, in 1842, he should 
 not have communicated it to some person or persons in such a 
 manner as, in case subsequent trial should prove it a great and 
 valuable discovery, he could have the means in readiness to verify 
 his claim as the discoverer, by showing the date of this commu- 
 nication, or some written account deposited at that time in the 
 hands of some disinterested party. Something of this kind he 
 did try when he sent his sealed letter to Mr. Elie de Beaumont, 
 his former instructor, with the request that it should not be
 
 CHAP. XII. ] JACKSON NETTHER WIJITES NOR PUBLISHES. 185 
 
 opened until an order was received from him; so it cannot be 
 said that lie did not think of such a method. But, unhappily 
 for him, nltbough he sent and made the deposit as early as he 
 hiero of the discovery, it was still a little too late, for it was sub- 
 sequent to the announcement by Morton. How much more 
 satisfactory it would have been for him and the community, if 
 lie had deposited the note in the hands of Dr. John C. Warren 
 in 1842, instead of in the hands of a foreigner in the latter part 
 of 1848. 
 
 In his own account of this discovery several peculiarities ex- 
 ist which are worth noticing. He writes that from 1837 the 
 inhalation of sulphuric ether was in habitual use in his labora- 
 tory ; yet the earliest date for this use which he has been able to 
 establish by testimony was in March, 1846. 
 
 If by the accident of the upsetting of the jar of chlorine, " his 
 life was placed in imminent danger," why did he not make a full 
 trial of this agent, also, instead of inhaling ammonia and ether 
 alternately? If he had been habitually inhaling it and causing 
 it to be inhaled for live years, it vrould be supposed that he was 
 conversant enongh with its use and effects to have employed it 
 fully for his own relief But he even allowed a night to pass 
 over his head, and only on the next morning decided " to make 
 a thorough trial of the ether vapor." Why should he resign 
 himself to that amount of suffering and inconvenience for so 
 many hours, when he po.ssessed an agent at hand which he knew 
 to be a sovereign remedy? 
 
 Conceding, however, that his description embodies the real 
 facts of the history, how could the short space of time which 
 was occupied in the experiment, and not a long and continued 
 series, justify the conclusion to which he asserts he so instan- 
 taneously arrived. The facts, as reported by liira, seem hard- 
 ly to warrant his inductions. The ether which he took at this 
 time, was not for the sake of experiment, or v/ith any thought 
 of any anaesthetic properties, but simply as a medicine and 
 antidote, in a manner which he had often employed it before 
 during the preceding five years. It acted as a medicine, but 
 very probably more powerfully than he either intended or expect-
 
 186 DISCOVERY OF ETHKRIZATION. [chap, III. 
 
 ed ; it had the effect, according to his statement, of rendering 
 him " unconscious to all surrounding things" for several min- 
 utes. Now, by what rule of logic could he so suddenly, from 
 this one result, produced on liimself, in preference to all his ante- 
 rior experiments, form '' the inference" that any person by 
 taking the agent as he had then done, might have his body cut, 
 burned, or torn, without the slightest feeling of pain — " the 
 unqualified behef in both the safety and efficacy of this method 
 of destroying all sensation of pain in the human body during 
 the most severe surgical operations ?" 
 
 No experiments had been made on him while in that state, to 
 see whether any sensation remained. Nor did he afterward 
 make any on himself while partially under its influence ; nor did 
 he ever administer it to other parties, and see in how great a 
 degree their sense of touch was blunted. But simply because a 
 well-known intoxicating agent had made him for a brief space 
 of time thoroughly intoxicated, he forms an extended and re- 
 mote conclusion almost without any further action of the mind. 
 Opium, it is well known, will throw any one into a sound 
 slumber, and the depth of the beastly intoxication produced by 
 alcohol is an every- day exhibition. Now, could any one, who, 
 for the first time, was affected by those agents, conclude that 
 neither the surgeon's knife, the heated iron, nor the wrenching 
 pulley, would bring a return to consciousness ? If the reasoning 
 is sound in one case, it should be equally good for the other, for 
 both of the agents above mentioned are equally good anaesthetic 
 agents as sulphuric ether ; yet every medical practitioner knows 
 from the experiments v/hicli have been made with them, based 
 upon the effects which they have been seen to produce on others, 
 that the contrary is the rule — that the degree of narcotization or 
 intoxication must be intense and dangerous, which will prevent 
 the patient awakening to a decided appreciation of his suffering 
 as soon as the operation is commenced. 
 
 Iliere is an hiatus in the statement of Dr. Jackson, which re- 
 quires filling up ; some experiments, or favorable results should 
 be reported between the time when he rendered himself acci- 
 dentally insensible, and the time when he formed the admirable,
 
 CHAP. XII.] JACKSOX SniPLY A SPECTATOE. 187 
 
 perfectly-developed conclusion — that this ether could be given 
 to any one, so as safely, expeditiously, and certainly, to benumb 
 the human frame against the attacks of the severest pain-caus- 
 ing operations. But no other experiments whatever, either upon 
 himself or others, are reported by him — not one to show that 
 he had proved by its administration to another, that a relief 
 from pain was experienced. Nor even at the time he wrote 
 and sent his letter to the French Academy, had he seen any op- 
 eration under its influence, so that his story of the success of his 
 o^m discovery was given on hearsay evidence ; actually at the 
 moment of his claiming the discovery, he had never seen one case 
 of application of it. It was not until the 21st of November, 
 eight days after he had sent his letter, that he ever witnessed the 
 administration of ether. Nor was it until the 2d day of Janua- 
 ry, 1847, nearly three months after its first use at the hospital, 
 that he made his appearance there, and then " simply as a spec- 
 tator."* This absence cannot be accounted for on the ground 
 of difBculty of access, or distance from his house, because ten 
 minutes of time is all that is required to accomplish it — the hos- 
 pital being not more than a mile from his house. 
 
 But allowing that he did make the discovery in 1842, how will 
 he reconcile it to his conscience that this important and glorious 
 discovery was kept a secret from his fellow-men for the space of 
 live years ? As he read the accounts of suffering, and saw his 
 friends and perhaps his relations tortured with the pain of disease, 
 or suffering the agony of a necessary torture, how could he calmly 
 and coolly look at them without suggesting one measure for their 
 relief, or dropping a hint that he had a remedy which could at 
 once relieve their suffering? It may be said that the experiment 
 was then in an embryonic state, that the result was not sufficient- 
 ly certain or matured to be given to the world. But if this was 
 so, why did he not devote himself body and mind to its perfection 
 and elucidation ? AVhy did he not give up his whole time and 
 attention to experimenting and perfecting it ? Nothing of which, 
 by his own showing, did he do. Why, if not sufl&ciently confi- 
 
 * Evidence of Dr. J. Mason "Warren, Dr. George Hay ward, and Dr. S. 
 D. Townsend.
 
 188 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. XII. 
 
 (lent in himself, did lie not confide his secret to some trusty friend 
 in some safe and sure manner, who should either experiment 
 alone, or assist him with his advice and counsel ? Is it not sin- 
 gular, to give the words of the Congressional committee, that 
 "the agreement being concluded, Dr. Jackson went home, as he 
 himself admits, and charged Dr. Morton 8500 on his books for 
 the information which he had given him, which is the first 
 entry or pen-mark made by Dr. Jackson in regard to this dis- 
 covery.'" 
 
 Lastly, why did he finally intrust, without one word of expla- 
 nation, and with but few instructions, the use of what he then 
 considered a doubtful, if not a dangerous remedy, to what he 
 styled an apparently ignorant, unscientific dentist? Why did he 
 try to induce an innocent man to do what he had neither the 
 courage nor the confidence to do himself? 
 
 Does this look like the case of a man who has made a discov- 
 ery or formed an important conclusion ? This story shows that 
 he either acted the part of a cowardly prompter, one glad enough 
 to shift responsibility in case of failure, or ready to appropriate 
 the credit in case of success; or it is simply the story of a man 
 who knew nothing about the subject; of one who had made some 
 experiments with the agent which was afterward used, and had 
 come in some very remote degree near the initial point of the 
 discovery. 
 
 If Dr. Jackson kept this valuable discovery a secret for five 
 years, should he not at this time look back with bitter regret 
 upon the agony which this negligence or want of courage has 
 caused to hundreds of sufferers ? To quote the words of Dr. Ja- 
 cob Bigelow, President of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, 
 Boston, in an article published July 7th, 1847 : '*If Dr. Jackson 
 did make the discovery in 1842, as he asserted, or even later, he 
 stands accountable for the mass of human misery which he has 
 permitted his fellow-creatures to undergo, frem the time when he 
 made his discovery to the time when Dr. Morton made his. In 
 charity we prefer to believe, that, up to the latter period, he had 
 no definite notion of the real power of ether in surgery, having 
 seen no case of its application in that science," and was more
 
 CHAP. XII.] ETHERIZATION A SECRET FOR FIVE TEARS. 189 
 
 mistaken in regard to his facts, than indifferent to the %Yoes of 
 mankind. 
 
 One would suppose that had this valuable induction been so 
 suddenly made by him, and as a meteor falls from heaven, the 
 knowledge of his discovery had been opened so instantaneously 
 to his mind, that he would liave imitated the excitement of 
 Archimedes, when he made the sudden discovery in the batii, 
 "that a body immersed in fluid loses as much in weight, as the 
 weight of an equal volume of the fluid displaced," and in the 
 excess of his joy, without either coat or hat, redolent with the 
 fumes of ether, have rushed from his laboratory into the street 
 shouting, " Eureka ! Eureka ! a sovereign remedy for pain !" 
 
 Or if of too phlegmatic a temperament to admit of such rap- 
 tures, we can imagine him, reporting his success to a few, exper- 
 imenting until a mass of evidence, large and conclusive, has been 
 collected, and then in an elaborately-prepared paper, reporting it 
 to some medical society, or some body of eminent scientific men. 
 
 But Dr. Jackson did neither of these — he kept it a secret for 
 five years. * 
 
 But even when he did make known his claim, which was not 
 until after Morton had established his right to the discovery, and 
 had tried and conclusively proved the value of the discovery, 
 how was it done ? On an evening in the middle of November, 
 there met at his laboratory, pursuant to a request made by him- 
 self. Dr. John C. Warren, Dr, Vfare, Dr. Gay, Dr. Hale, ]\Ir. 
 Joseph Peabody, Blr. Francis B. Hayes, and Mr. Charles G. 
 Loiing. Before these gentlemen, Dr. Jackson spoke of his dis- 
 co verj^, and laid the claim, which has led to so much controversy 
 since. This meeting was a strictly private one, no report of it 
 was ever published, nor did Dr. Morton know that it was ever 
 held until about five years afterward. 
 
 * Perhaps during this period, Dr. Jackson was guided by the same pro- 
 cess of reasoning, and desired to emulate the conduct of that scrupulous 
 but very unprofitable servant mentioned in the Bible, " and hid his talent 
 in the earth." If this Tvere true, it would be no mcrre than a just retribu- 
 tion that the punishment meted out in the one case should have its counter- 
 part in this.
 
 190 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. XII. 
 
 As regards what was done or said at this meeting, no very 
 definite idea can be had, owing to the fact of its being a secret 
 meeting, and none of tlie members having stated what there 
 transpired. It is probable, however, that the council merely 
 heard Dr. Jackson's statement, and did not form any decided 
 conclusions as to its merits or demerits ; nor did they express any 
 open and settled opinion. This is shown by the very vague and 
 unsettled recollections on the subject of Charles G. Loring, in his 
 letter to the Congressional Committee, March 20th, 1852. 
 
 Of the distinguished gentlemen present at this meeting. Dr. 
 John C. Warren became, before his death, a most decided es- 
 pouser of the claim of Dr. Morton. Dr. Gay, after this expo- 
 sition seems to have been completely satisfied with the right of 
 Dr Jackson, and even published a pamphlet in his defense ; but, 
 unfortunately, a short time afterward, death removed him from 
 the sphere of his labors, before the more certain evidence, which 
 afterward appeared, could change his belief Even in his work, 
 he says : " The history of the discovery has been derived from 
 Dr. Jackson himself." Of the opinion of Dr. Hale, nothing is 
 known, and it is even doubtful if he was present at the meeting, 
 as is stated in the letter of Mr. Loring. IVEr. Peabody was a 
 student in the office of Dr. Jackson ; Francis B. Hayes and Mr. 
 Charles G. Loring, members of the bar. The opinion of Dr. 
 Ware is fully shown by the following letter, received from him, 
 some time before the preparation of this book was commenced, 
 which was furnished in reply to a question demanded in the 
 course of a discussion, which had arisen upon another subject : 
 
 " The real question I take to be, not who first knew that ether 
 would produce insensibility, but who first made such a practical 
 application of this knowledge as to make it available in medical 
 and surgical practice. Now, I believe that, had it not been for 
 Dr. Morton's enterprise and determination, we should in this 
 respect have been now just where we were fifteen years ago. Dr. 
 Jackson knew a certain fact in regard to ether in common 
 with other persons. He suggested it, perhaps, to Dr. Morton, 
 who was on the lookout for something of the kind, as many had 
 been before, though unsuccessfully. He made the application
 
 CHAP. XII.] TUE PEN mGUTIER THAN THE SWOKD. 191 
 
 successfully, and his, therefore, is the discovery, for I hold him 
 to be the discoverer who first brings a fact, however well known 
 before, to its general practical application. All the milkmaids 
 in Gloucestersliire knew before Dr. Jenner, that cow-pox would 
 prevent smallpox ; yet, we honor him as the actual discoverer ot 
 vaccination. 
 
 " I well recollect the meeting to which you refer, but I can- 
 not, at this distance of time, bring to mind its particulars. I 
 can only say, that it was in the early days of the discovery, and 
 that the result at which the persons present arrived was neces- 
 sarily founded upon an eorparte statement. "When the circum- 
 stances were more fully known, the opinions of many were 
 changed — mine certainly was, and I have had but one view of 
 the subject since." 
 
 Such was the composition of this disinterested tribunal which 
 Dr. Jackson has always asserted, fully endorsed his claim, and 
 awarded him the sole merit. That they then, from his position 
 and exposition, may have supposed that Dr. Jackson was the 
 discoverer, and may even have wished it could have been his 
 lot when the truth was really made patent, is very likely. 
 But that they conclusively decided in his favor, is most emphati- 
 cally denied. 
 
 On the \bth day of October, 18-46 — that is the very day be- 
 fore the operation at the hospital, and fifteen days after Morton 
 had made his discovery — Dr. Jackson wrote a letter to his friend 
 and fellow-geologist, Mr. Josiah D. Whitney, in which he gives 
 him all the news of the day, speaks of a microscope, of the 
 Lake Superior copper mine.«', the meeting of the Association of 
 American Geologists and Naturalists, and what papers were 
 read before it — and even goes so far into minute and gossipy 
 details as to write : " My house is at last completed, and so 
 is the big Howard Athenceum, a brick and stone edifice of 
 Gothic order. What a style for a theatre ! ! ! Is it not ready 
 for converting into a church ? It is a handsome house, but 
 there now five theatres in Boston ! ! What next ? My family 
 are all well, and now at home. The Plymouth life did them good. 
 I have a fine lot of students," &c., &c. And yet not one word
 
 192 DISCOVERY OF ETUEKIZATION. [CHAP. XH. 
 
 is said in the letter of the momentous trial Avhich was to talce 
 place on the ensuing day, and Avhich had been instituted "Z>^ 
 Morton at his (JuchsoiCs) urgent request.''^ Not a hint Avas drop- 
 ped that he was then possessor of a secret to which the informa 
 tion that the " Pittsburg Cliff mines have done very well," or 
 the " Lake Superior Company has acted like the d — 1, or worse," 
 and the many other items of which his long letter was composed, 
 are but trifles. 
 
 And yet that he did consider it of sufficient importance to write 
 to him about, the many letters which he sent to Mr. Whitney after 
 the public announcement fully confirm. Every letter sent to 
 Mr. Whitney in the latter part of November, and in December, 
 is full of assertions and statements concerning this very ether 
 discovery, which prove the importance and value which he really 
 attached to it. Is not this singular omission on the part of Dr. 
 Jackson to notify one of his most intimate friends, and the per- 
 son, as will be seen by other letters in the course of this Avork, 
 upon whom he relied to establish his claim, a very fair pendant 
 to the letter written by Dr. "Wells to Morton, and copied, when 
 speaking of the Wells claim. In one case w^e have a letter writ- 
 ten on the day befoi^e the public trial, in which no allusion is made 
 to it, or to the discovery. In the other case, the letter is written 
 four days q/Vd?- it. Verily, the pen is mightier than the sword, 
 and often declares and proves a truth, by unexpected means, 
 which no fear of the latter instrument could ever force a recog- 
 nition of. 
 
 But the conduct of Dr. Jackson in his intercourse with others 
 at the time the discovery was first made public, militates strongly 
 against the assumption that he was then the discoverer. 
 
 Caleb Eddy, Esq., a respectable Bostonian, who was at one 
 time a member of the Board of Aldermen, testified before the 
 commission in 1852, that, after successful experiment at the hos- 
 pital, he asked Dr. Jackson if he knew that, after a person had 
 inhaled the ether and was asleep, his flesh could be cut with a 
 knife without his experiencing any pain ? Dr. Jackson replied, 
 " No, nor Morton either ; he is a reckless man for using it as 
 lie hasl" (See Eddy's testimony — Suffolk Deeds.)
 
 CHAP XII.] JACKSON DISCLAIMS ANESTHESIA. 193 
 
 Dr. A. A. Gould, whose scientific position has already been 
 mentioned in a previous chapter, testified that he had a conver- 
 sation with Dr. Jackson on the dental operations performed by 
 Dr. Morton under the influence of ether, a few days afterward. 
 In substance. Dr. Jackson said : " Viell, let him go on with it ; 
 I don't care what he does with it, if he don't bring my name in 
 with it." He further testified, that he had but little conversa- 
 tion with Dr. Jackson at the time, as he " thought he seemed 
 to disclaim having anything to do with it, further than having 
 mentioned the article to Dr. Morton." 
 
 Peleg W. Chandler, Esq., city solicitor of Boston, and an ex- 
 member of the Legislature, testified that in a conversation with 
 Dr. Jackson, soon after the discovery, an evident impres.sion was 
 left on his mind that that gentlemau did not regard it " as a set- 
 tled thing, or as a discovery that was to be anything remarkable 
 in itself, or one that was likely to be applied beneficially, in 
 itself considered, but as rather opening the door to future investi- 
 gation in that direction, that something might hereafter be dis- 
 covered that would stand the test of science and practical experi- 
 ments. Tliere was an obvious desire not to connect himself, as 
 a man of science, with it to any great extent, and he made use 
 of some expressions of this sort with regard to Dr. Morton, that 
 he was a reckless, dare-devil fellow, and that he would kill some- 
 body yet I think that was his very expression." 
 
 Joseph Burnett, Esq., a well-known apothecary in Boston, 
 testified that in conversation at his own office on the 20th of 
 November, Dr. Jackson said : " he apprehended danger in the 
 hands of those Avho used it [ether]. Dr. Burnett thought the 
 remark he made was, ' They would kill somebody with it.' " 
 
 Edward Warren, Esq., of New York, testified that at the 
 period of the discovery he was intimately acquainted with Dr. 
 Jackson, and called on him to ascertain the nature of the agent 
 used, and if some arrangement could not be made by which he 
 could introduce it in Europe. '' I urged him to disclose the na- 
 ture of the agent used, as up to this time (the last of November, 
 1846) it had been studiously kept as a secret. He decHned, say- 
 ing it was easily found out ; that the public would soon know all 
 
 9
 
 194 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XII. 
 
 about it ; and that, at any rate, if he was not properly remu- 
 nerated, he would blow the whole thing up. "We then had a 
 long conversation in reference to the whole subject of this dis- 
 covery. I asked him as to the safety of this agent. He an- 
 swered, and here I pretend to give his own words, that ' It 
 should be used with the greatest -care ; and that it would be very 
 likely to injure the brain if repeated. He furthermore added, 
 that there would be great danger in giving it for a long time on 
 any one occasion, or of repeating it, as, if it were, asphyxia, 
 coma, or even death itself, might ensue. I then asked Dr. Jack- 
 son what share he claimod in the discovery ? He replied by 
 saying, that Hhe so-called discovery was not his ; that Dr. Morton 
 was responsible for it ; that he was not answerable for the re- 
 sults, fearing that accidents might ensue from the use of this 
 compound,' and that therefore he would refer me to Dr. Morton 
 for further information. What I have stated above is the sub- 
 stance of a long conversation I had with him at that time, so 
 far as I can recollect it. I recollect very distinctly what I have 
 stated." 
 
 The true position of the two contestants has been very fairly 
 stated by Dr. IMorton himself, and he very frankly acknowledges 
 for how much assistance he was indebted to Dr. Jackson. In 
 his memorial to the French academy, he wrote : "I am ready to 
 acknowledge my indebtedness to men and to books, for all my 
 information upon this subject. I have got here a little, and there 
 a little. I learned from Dr. Jackson in 1844, the effect of ether 
 directly applied to a sensitive tooth, and proved by experiment, 
 that it would gradually render the nerve insensible. I learned 
 from Dr. Jackson, also in 1844, the effect of ether when inhaled 
 by students at college, which was corroborated by Spear's ac- 
 count, and by what I read. I further acknowledge, that I was 
 subsequently indebted to Dr. Jackson for valuable information 
 as to the kinds and preparations of ether, and for the recom- 
 mendation of the highly rectified from Burnett's, as the most 
 safe and efficient. But my obligations to him hath this extent, 
 no further." 
 
 " Dr. Jackson, has compared himself in this matter to Colum-
 
 CHAP. XII. ] PROBLEMATICAL HONOES. 195 
 
 bus ; and his friends have done so likewise in previous publica- 
 tions. I was not surprised, therefore, to find the writers of the 
 * Defence,' recognize in Dr. Jackson, Columbus ; and in Dr. Mor- 
 ton merely the sailor, who first shouted ' land ' from the mast- 
 head. I would suggest, as a truer estimate of their relative posi- 
 tions in regard to this discovery, that Dr. Morton was the ener- 
 getic commander of a vessel, somewhat deficient, it may be, in 
 nautical science ; and Dr. Jackson, a skillful pilot, summoned 
 when the voyage was just at its close, by whose aid the vessel 
 was brought safely into port ; where it would in all probability, 
 have arrived without that aid."* 
 
 On the 31st of January, 1848, Dr. Jackson was decorated by 
 the " Cross of the Legion of Honor," an event which inspired a 
 huge degree of self-complacency in the recipient, and has been 
 made a constant theme of rejoicing among his friends, as a proof 
 that he was fully recognized by the French government as the 
 discoverer of etherization. But for this there hardly seems to be 
 sufiicient cause. Dr. Jackson was known and appreciated, as a 
 scientific man, the world over, and it is not sui-prising that his 
 geological and chemical investigations should have brought him 
 this distinction, when so many men of much less note had already 
 received it. 
 
 The following extract from a letter of Mr. Sumner, the brother 
 of the Hon. Charles Sumner, to Dr. George Hayward, in May, 
 1849, places the gift in about its true light. 
 
 ^' In the first place, the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, 
 has not been conferred on Dr. Jackson. There are ten degrees, 
 the lowest, that of Chevalier — was given to him. It is a very 
 problematical honor ; the manner in which it was distributed by 
 Louis Philippe, having made it a distinction to be without it. 
 Recently, it was ofiered to M. Eichard, one of the mayors of 
 Paris, who refused it on this ground. Tlie giving the Cross 
 to Dr. Jackson, was principally owing to the efibrts of M. Elie 
 de Beaumont, the distinguished geologist, and was just as much 
 for what Dr. Jackson may have done as a geologist, as for any- 
 thing he may have had to do with ether." 
 
 * N. I. Bowditch's History of Massachusetts General Hospital.
 
 196 DISCOVERY OK ETIIERIZ/nON. [CHAP. XII. 
 
 Of these honors, Mr. R. H. Dana, Jr., of Boston, writes : 
 "Were it not for Dr. Jackson's having stolen a march, by announ- 
 cing his discovery to all the scientific societies of Europe * at once, 
 while Morton was working here, and thus got votes passed, and 
 records made in his favor in Europe, before any of the facts were 
 known, then followed by a flutter of ribbons and medals, there 
 would be no more question of Morton's claim than there is of 
 Morse's, which Dr. Jackson contested with equal zeal." Nor 
 has he ceased to make application for these honors. A letter 
 which was published in the Boston Advertiser, of the present 
 year, from Ferd. Gerolt, Prussian minister, to Dr. Jackson, ex- 
 pressly states, that agreeably to the wish of Dr. Jackson, expressed 
 to him by a letter of the April previous, his majesty the king of 
 Prussia, should confer on him the order of Chevalier, etc., his 
 majesty had been pleased to do it. 
 
 To endeavor to give a plausible reason to account for the at- 
 tempt of Dr. Jackson to appropriate the credit which properly 
 belongs to Dr. Morton, is exceedingly difficult. The Hon. Amos 
 Kendall, in his " Exposure of Dr. Jackson's Pretensions to the 
 Invention of the Magnetic Telegraph,"! rids himself of the puz- 
 
 * The British and Foreign Medical Review, for July, 1852, in an article 
 on anaesthesia, says : " The consequence is that on the continent, at least, 
 Dr. Jackson has got the undeserved credit of having made a discovery 
 wLich he at first ridiculed." 
 
 t It may not be known to the majority of the readers that a few years 
 ago Dr. Jackson was a fellow-passenger with Morse, on board the packet 
 ship "Sully," in Oct. 1832, on her voyage from France to the United^States, 
 when the idea of the electric telegraph first passed through his mind, in 
 consequence of some questions which he proposed to that gentleman on 
 the subject of electricity. An audacious attempt was made by him to 
 usurp the honor and benefits of the invention subsequently matured, pro- 
 mulgated, and put in operation by Morse. In this instance, as in the case 
 of Morton, Dr. Jackson wrote to the French Academy to induce them to 
 award him the honor of the invention. He ascribed to Prof Morse as he 
 had done to Morton, extraordinary ignorance, saying that when he men- 
 tioned electro-magnetism, the Professor exclaimed, "Electro-magnetism! 
 what is that ? How does it differ from other magnetism ?" But the other 
 passengers, who were eye and ear witnesses to the conversation, give their 
 concurrent testimony against the usurper and in favor of the Professor, in 
 a manner quite as significant ae the surgeons and physicians of the Massa*
 
 CHAP. Xn.] THE PEOBABLE TRUTH. I9l 
 
 zling question, by suggesting, " That Dr. Jackson is insane upon 
 this subject, must be the charitable conclusion." But this is neither 
 borne out by facts, nor docs it receive the slightest corroboration 
 from other of his acts. That he has twice designedly attempted 
 to foist a '• bogus baby " upon the public credulity, we will not, 
 for the sake of his reputation, suppose ; it is far preferable to 
 imagine that affected by some form of false puerperal mania, 
 he has mistaken another's vigorous and full-grown child for his 
 own half-developed bantling. Luckily, however, if this is the 
 case, the old saw, '• The wise child knows its own father," seems 
 as if it would still hold good, for the public opinion is rapidly 
 putting an injunction upon his claim to paternity. 
 
 As true an approximation to the truth as can be arrived at 
 seems to be, that for some years anterior to 1842, Dr. Jackson 
 possessed in an equal degree with many others, information as 
 regai'ds the effects of ether when taken into the lungs, that he 
 was accustomed to employ it as has been recommended in many 
 medical works as a medicinal agent for the relief of the effects 
 caused by the inhalation of chlorine gas. That on some day 
 (fixed by himself in 1842) he inhaled some for this cause, and 
 probably pushed it so far as to produce a temporary state of in- 
 sensibility, how fcir neither he nor any one else can judge. There 
 is very little reason to doubt that he was surprised at the circum- 
 stance at the time, and that the importance of it fully occurred 
 to him after October, 1846. Now it maybe, that possessed of a 
 vivid imagination, but not very logical mind, he has a habit of 
 suggesting theories, which he has not the courage or the appli- 
 cation to reduce to practice, and that he calls the discovery 
 made when the theory is formed, or it may be that from some 
 vagary of his mind, he was led on by a consciousness of the ex- 
 periment he had made, by his knowledge of the information 
 about rectified ether he had furnished Morton, and by the pro- 
 gressive steps taken by Dr. Morton subsequent to the discovery, 
 so as in the end to honestly believe that he had originally and 
 
 chusetta General Hospital, the medical profession of Boston and Ne-w- 
 Tork, and the committees of Congress, ascribed to Morton the honor of 
 the ether discovery.
 
 198 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP XII. 
 
 entirely made it. But neither of these suppositions seems to 
 suit the case. A more proper interpretation probably exists in a 
 difference of recognition of what a discovery truly is. In this 
 case it is generally considered as consisting in proving that the 
 vapor of ether when inhaled can produce the most complete in- 
 sensibility to the severest pain, and that this can be given with 
 perfect safety to the patient at the time, and with no subsequent 
 ill effects. Dr. Jackson does not pretend that his experiment in 
 1842 first proved that ether could be inhaled with safety in cer- 
 tain amounts, he has never so stated his claim, for he knows 
 that it was well proved before that time. The fact that after it 
 has been inhaled no pain is felt, can be proved only when an in- 
 jury has been inflicted on a person rendered insensible by its in- 
 fluence. This he does not claim to have done. It was perfectly 
 impossible, that after the momentarily unconscious state into 
 which he was thrown, he could argue such a conclusion as was 
 shown when an experiment had been really tried, because there 
 was no basis upon which it could be formed. A vague idea of 
 this truth may have flashed across his mind, but it evidently was 
 not sufficient to induce him to solve the problem. He may per- 
 haps be entitled to the merit of having formed a theory, a simi- 
 lar one to which was afterward formed and verified by another ; 
 but as this rests upon his unsupported assertion, and as he never 
 proved it by experiment, it can hardly warrant him the title of 
 a discoverer. 
 
 A most unfortunate feature in the contest which has been 
 waged between the two claimants, is the personal and bitter 
 ingredient which has been introduced by Dr. Jackson. It seems 
 as if with him it had been a war to the knife. Any luckless 
 wight coming in collision with his interests, or disputing his facts 
 as products of his imagination, has been exposed to a catalogue 
 of titles which he never imagined his possession of. Idiocy or 
 ignorance can be the only excuses furnished for those differing 
 from him in opinion. All those who have not at once conceded 
 his right to the discovery, have been stigmatized as " his bitter 
 personal enemies." The physicans of Boston who signed their 
 names to the memorial in favor of Dr. Morton, form " a clique
 
 CHAP. XII.] Jackson's DENr^ciATiONs. 199 
 
 who have conspired to injure him." Dr. Henry J. Bigelow, for 
 his public avowal of his belief, is called " a very conceited 
 young surgeon." *'Mr. N. I. Bowditch, one of the trustees of the 
 Massachusetts General Hospital, who caused to be printed an 
 exparte statement in favor of the claims of the quack dentist 
 whom I allowed to use ray method of preventing pain in surgical 
 operations, is a man of no science, of no knowledge of physiologjj, 
 or of medicine — a mere conveyancer of real estate — a man wholly 
 incapable of any scientific examination of this question, and a man 
 of most hitter prejudices against me, personally, exceeding in dogged 
 ohstinacy any man I ever knew or have ever heard of. Convicted of 
 error, he still insists that he is right, and he has been known to 
 set up his opinion against the judges of our Supreme Court, and 
 was only silenced by threats of prosecution for slander."* 
 
 Mr. Eddy was publicly charged with the fraudulent alteration 
 of a paper, in connection with the paper which he had been re- 
 quested to draw up. A bare assertion of Dr. Jackson which, as 
 it seems, has never been supported by evidence. 
 
 Dr. Wells he charges with outrageous falsehood, and says, he 
 can prove him a liar from his own words. 
 
 Upon the head of Dr. Morton every form of vituperation has 
 been hurled — " coward," " liar," " quack," are trifles compared 
 with others in the list. Even as early as his letter to Europe, 
 he thus refers to the man to whom a year before he had occupied 
 the position of " much obliged friend." 
 
 " It has often been asked, how I happened to commit the 
 execution of my early verification experiment to an ignorant, 
 and wholly uneducated person, like the quack doctor, Morton. 
 This I will now explain. I was not aware of the infamous char- 
 acter of that man when he came to solicit the privilege of entering 
 his name at my office as a medical student, and I allowed him to 
 call himself my pupil, and I advised him to attend the lectures 
 
 * It is a pity that this violence has been shown, as it has no relation 
 with the scientific merits of the discoveiy, and has had a tendency to com- 
 plicate and confuse the question. It has, besides, prevented many -who 
 ■would otherwise have investigated it from so doing, and has rendered 
 necessary much of the personal explanation which appears in this work.
 
 200 DISCOVERl OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XII. 
 
 at the Medical College of this city, and endeavored to instruct 
 him in the first principles of human anatomy. I soon found that 
 he was too ignorant to he capable of Icaiming the medical profession, 
 though I thought in the course of time he might learn enough to 
 become a surgeon dentist. He was a well-dressed and plausible 
 man, and although I knew him to be an ignoramus in all matters 
 of science, I thought he could perform the very simple operations 
 that I was about to commit to him, namely, the administration 
 of ether to some of the patients whose teeth he was about to ex- 
 tract. His office, I knew, was frequented by the lower and 
 credulous class of people, such as were attracted by his quack 
 advertisements, with which he filled our daily newspapers.'"* 
 
 Dr. Jackson's wife and aunt, as has been already incidentally 
 stated, were the patients of Dr. Morton at this time. It will 
 also be seen, as we advance, that Dr. Morton was recommended 
 by Dr. Jackson as a suitable member of the American Society of 
 Dental Surgeons, as late as March 5, 1847. 
 
 * As a further illustration, yide " Full exposure of the conduct of Dr. 
 Charles T. Jackson, leading to his discharge from the government seivice, 
 and justice to Messrs. Foster and "Whitney, U. S. Geologists."
 
 CHAP. iTii.] Morton's apparatus gives impetus in paris. 201 
 
 CHAPTEE XIII. 
 
 ACTION BEFORE FRENCH ACADEMY. 
 " A small Euphrates through the piece is rolled."— Horace Walpole. 
 
 The letters which carried to Europe the news of the discovery 
 reached Paris in November, 1846 ; but the incredulity of the 
 surgeons prevented its early adoption, or even any experimental 
 trials, particularly as Velpeau, among others, looked up to as the 
 Jupiter Tonans^ had, from his throne on the medical Olympus, 
 " politely declined" having anything to do with it. But as ad- 
 ditional evidence from America accumulated, the interest increas- 
 ed, until at last, when an inhaling apparatus sent by Dr. Morton 
 had arrived, and an experiment had been made, on the 22d of De- 
 cember, by M. Jobert (de Lamballe), at the suggestion of an Amer- 
 ican medical student, the excitement reached its culminating 
 point. 
 
 M. IMalgaigne, the colleague of M. Jobert at the hospital St. 
 Louis, was the first in Paris to follow the example, and make 
 any number of experiments ; these he communicated on the 12th 
 of January, in a paper read before the Academy of Medicine. 
 As early as the first of February, Velpeau and Roux declared in 
 the presence of the two Academies, that the di-covery " was a 
 glorious triumph for humanity." 
 
 With France, the seat of all that is great in science or art in 
 the world, and Paris, the focal point from which emanate the 
 dicta which exert such an influence in guiding the opinions of 
 
 9*
 
 202 DISCOVERY OF ETHERZIATION. [CHAP XllI- 
 
 mankind, it was natural that Dr. Morton should look forward 
 with some anxiety to the opinion which should be given by the 
 savans of that city upon the merits of the discovery, and the cred- 
 it which should be awarded him as the discoverer. Knowing 
 that the newspapers and private letters would give them full ac- 
 counts of the initiatory experiments, he waited quietly and im- 
 patiently for the returning steamers which were to bring the an- 
 nouncement of its reception, and the judgments which had been 
 passed upon it. 
 
 WTiat was his consternation and surprise, therefore, when, in 
 the early part of February, the intelligence was returned that at 
 a meeting of the French Institute, held on January 12th, a letter* 
 had been read by IM. Elie de Beaumont, written in Boston on the 
 13th of the previous November, by Dr. Charles T. Jackson, and 
 deposited at the Institute Dec. 28th, which gave a full account 
 of the discovery, and set forth his sole claim as the discoverer 
 and originator of the experiments at the hospital. A short time 
 after the information was also added, that after hearing this letter 
 read, the Academy had referred the subject to a special commis- 
 sion consisting of MM. Velpeau, Rayer, Serres, Magendic, Du- 
 meril, Andral, Flourens, Lallemand, and Koux, who were directed 
 to examine and report at some future date. 
 
 M. Eiie de Beaumont to whom the letter had been addressed, 
 was an intimate friend of Dr. Jackson, and through the whole 
 of the subsequent discussions warmly befriended the cause of his 
 pupil, and furthered his interests, and by letters sent to this 
 country assured him that he would procure from the Academy a 
 decision in his favor. 
 
 * Tlie letter sent by Dr. Jackson, besides giving the means by -(irhicli he ar- 
 rived at the discovery, states also what measures he had taken to give it pub- 
 licity. " Task," he wrote M. de Beaumont, '' leave to communicate through 
 you to the Academy of Sciences, a discovery which I have made. * * 
 I have latterly put it to use, by inducing a dentist of this city to administer 
 the vapor of ether to persons from whom he was to extract teeth. I then 
 requested this dentist to go to the General Hospital of Massachusetts, and 
 administer the vapor of ether to a patient about to undergo a painful sur- 
 gical operation ; the result was," &c. &,c. This without even mentioning 
 his name, was the only reference made to Dr. Morton.
 
 CHAP Xin] DOUBLE-DEALING OF JACKSON. 203 
 
 " The gross injustice of entirely suppressing Dr. Morton's 
 name, and claiming the sole credit of the discovery, and of the 
 experiments at the hospital, created no little indignation, and 
 was the first thing that decidedly changed the sympathies of 
 many who had heretofore endeavored to favor Dr. Jackson, and 
 had thus, though unintentionally, done some injustice to Dr. 
 Morton. "=^ But the blow was all the more injurious, because it 
 was struck in the dark, with no premonitory warnings, by a man 
 too, who knew that from his extended acquirements and well- 
 knowTi scientific reputation, he should secure the attention of his 
 compeers over all that might be said or done by the humble and 
 hitherto unknown " rightful heir." 
 
 It was cunning, also, in an eminent degree, for by depositing 
 it at an early date, sealed as was done, it could remain in the 
 proper hands until the value of the discovery was really manifest, 
 when by giving due warning the seals could be broken and the 
 early date of the claim made patent by the date of the deposit. 
 TVhereas, on the other hand, if subsequent experiment should 
 show that its use was dangerous, or did not possess the value 
 which was at first anticipated, a letter sent at the proper time 
 would reclaim the letter deposited nnopened, and nothing would 
 ever have been known about the famous claim of Dr. Jackson, 
 if he could not even join in the hue and crj', and in heaping ob- 
 loquy on '' the dentist,^' who had the rashness to experiment with 
 matters outside the line of his true business. 
 
 As soon as the report of this communication reached Boston, 
 Dr. Morton, as may well be supposed, became exceedingly in- 
 dignant. At the outset, he of course in his own mind charged 
 the whole of this directly to the duplicity and double-dealing of 
 Dr. Jackson, and realizing the dangerous position in which he 
 was placed, determined that some instant and strenuous steps 
 should be taken to extricate himself. This energetic decision 
 did not suit Dr. Jackson, who found himself placed in a most 
 disagreeable position. He feared the reproaches of his former 
 student, and his return of the attack, and saw the danger of hia 
 
 * R. H. Dana.
 
 204 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XIII. 
 
 coveted ten per cent., and yet was unwilling to retract from the 
 false position in wliicli he was so capitally ensconced. A story 
 was therefore started, that in the letter to M. dc Beaumont, a 
 fair share of credit had been given to Morton, but that the meth- 
 od of its representation before the Academy being left to M. 
 de Beaumont, and he being allowed the liberty of making what al- 
 terations he wished, had out of friendship to Dr. Jackson, and 
 in order that his name should make as much impression as pos- 
 sible, stricken out entirely the name of Dr. Morton. 
 
 This lame excuse, although it did not by any means pacify 
 Dr. Morton, mollified his then existing excitement, to such a 
 degree, that he waited for a short time to see what would be the 
 result, or the next step taken. Nor did he have long to wait. 
 For a short time after, in order to sound his feelings. Dr. Jack- 
 son " sent his attorney to open negotiations with Dr. Morton, 
 anew, for an adjustment of all the difficulties. This was the last 
 week in February. True to his orders, the attorney saw Dr. 
 M.; assured him of their wish to accommodate matters ; had 
 frequent interviews with him ; and all the while pretending the 
 greatest friendship for him, and the sincerest regret at the mis- 
 understanding that had arisen ! This continued through the 
 week, and up to Saturday night, the steamer sailing the next 
 Monday.* On Sunday, Dr. Morton called upon Dr. Jackson, 
 at the request of his lawyer, and during their interview, they 
 had considerable conversation on the subject then, as now, en- 
 grossing much of their attention : When Dr. J. remarked, 
 * "Well, I have prepared an article, to appear in the Daily Adver- 
 tiser, to-morrow morning, which will satisfy, and set the matter 
 forever at rest ;' or words to this effect." 
 
 " Dr. M. , asked to see a copy, but being refused, he impatient- 
 ly waited for the forthcoming paper, which was to settle his 
 
 * In order to realize the necessity of impressing the duties of each event 
 accurately upon the mind, tlie reader must remember that at this time the 
 steamers for Euroi:)e sailed only once each month, so that if a letter intend- 
 ed for Europe missed one steamer, or if false news -were despatched, four 
 weeks were obliged to elapse before any other information could be for- 
 warded.
 
 CHAP. XIII. j SURREPTITIOUS PUBLICATION BT JACKSON. 205 
 
 claim forever. The morning came ; the Advertiser was procur- 
 ed ; and the article, which was to make or mar his future fame, 
 hastily perused." 
 
 This was a long letter printed on March 1st, purporting to 
 have been written and read before the American Academy of 
 Arts and Sciences, by C. T. Jackson, and which apparently had 
 the sanction of the whole Academy, for the signatures of Edward 
 Everett, Dr. John C. Warren, and others well known in Ameri- 
 ca and Europe, were attached to it in the form of a request for 
 its presentation. 
 
 A large number of these papers were sent by Dr. Jackson to 
 Europe for distribution, and as they seemed to convey the opin- 
 ions of those most competent to judge in his own country, it 
 created such a feeling in his fiwor, and against Morton, that it 
 was impossible at that time to overcome it, and which even sub- 
 sequent news, and the information up to the present time, has not 
 entirely removed. 
 
 ]Mi\ Wan-en, writing from Paris, on Oct. 1st, thus speaks of 
 the trials whicli this statement induced : " The greatest difficulty 
 I have had to contend with everywhere in regard to your claims 
 has been and still is the appjj'ent sanction of the American Acad- 
 emy of Arts and Sciences to Dr. Jackson's claims. In not wash- 
 ing their hands publicly of the paper setting forth these claims, 
 published by one of their number as coming from them, they are 
 leading themselves to be used in a way to disgrace themselves, 
 and to injure the cause of justice, and to retard all useful inven- 
 tions and discoveries. Their long silence is wholly unworthy so 
 distinguished a scientific body, and is prejudicial to the interests 
 they wish to promote. All over Europe where I have been, this 
 paper has circulated, or its effectr, are felt, leading men of letters 
 to infer that Dr. Jackson is the real and sole discoverer, because 
 he has the sanction of the names of Warren, of President Ever- 
 ett, and of the American Academy. If the Academy take no 
 means at an early day, to set tiiis matter right before the world, 
 they will be as they have been, as directly concerned in propa- 
 gating Dr. J.'s pseudo claims as if they had allowed him to 
 make that publication ex cathedra. This is a matter of the
 
 206 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XHL 
 
 greatest moment, and should be set right at once if they desire 
 to see justice prevail, or to give all an cqual^ or even a fair 
 chance.^* 
 
 This dangerous letter the Academy not only did not print in its 
 Transactions, but all responsihility as regards it was plainly disavowed, 
 and many severe strictures were made upon the fact of its hav- 
 ing been printed. In a letter to Dr. Morton, Mr. Everett sta- 
 ted : " I need scarce say that my recommendation to Dr. Jack- 
 son, to address a paper on the subject to the American Academy, 
 can, in no degree, be regarded as giving the sanction of that body 
 to his statements. It is a standing regulation of the Academy 
 not to assume any responsibility for either opinions or facts set 
 forth in the memoirs submitted to it. And if this were other- 
 wise, it is hardly necessary to remark that the Academy's sanc- 
 tion could not be conveyed in advance by an individual member." 
 
 The trustees of the Massachusetts General Plospital also speak 
 of Dr. Jackson's " transmitting to Europe as a paper which had 
 been read before the American Academy, a statement of his 
 claims to this discovery, when, in fact, it had not been so read ; 
 thus communicating it to the world under an official sanction, to 
 which it was not yet entitled." And, while referring to the same 
 subject, remarks: " We still find that every part of the statement is 
 utterly irreconcilable with the facts.^^ 
 
 Moreover, information has been given that the very letters 
 which were written by Pres. Everett and Dr. Warren, request- 
 ing Dr. Jackson to furnish his statement, were sent in compliance 
 with an intimation on the part of Dr. Jackson himself, who 
 wished for some apparent and valid excuse for emitting it at that 
 time, in order to influence the opinion of his own countrymen. 
 
 Here is the origin, and real history of that famous letter which 
 has done, as it was well calculated it should, such an injury to 
 Dr. Morton's claim at Paris. 
 
 After Dr. Morton had perused this precious document, the 
 whole scheme of duplicity practiced on him flashed upon his 
 mind. He at once saw that he had been duped, aud made the 
 victim of a trick, the enormity of which others must define. Pie 
 saw that all this pretended desire to settle the difficulties was only
 
 CHAP. XIII.] TUSCOVERT OF THE RUSE. 207 
 
 to gain time to prepare this paper, and to prevent him from draw- 
 ing up and forwarding by the steamer of the 1st of March, such 
 a statement as would expose Dr. Jackson's unjust claims. 
 
 This paper was drawn up principally by Dr. Jackson, as his 
 legal adviser admitted, during the very time Dr. Morton was kept 
 in town from his family, who were sick in the country, while Dr. 
 J. was pretending the greatest anxiety to adjust all difficulties, 
 and while Dr. Morton honestly supposed that there was to be an 
 end to the troubles which he has shown the strongest possible dis- 
 position to accommodate. 
 
 Dr. Morton kept this agreement in good faith, and in his 
 pamphlet giving full accounts of the scientific bearings of the dis- 
 covery, he studiously suppressed all allusion to the merits of the 
 discovery. 
 
 It was during this period, also, that one evening, at the tea-ta- 
 ble of Dr. Gould, an offer was made to Dr. Morton by Professor 
 Agassiz, to write and send to the French Academy a communica- 
 tion setting forth his claim. This valuable opportunity was de- 
 clined by Dr. Morton, although he saw what aid and importance 
 his cause would receive abroad from such an endorsement, on the 
 ground that as negotiations were then in progress, he did not wish 
 to do anything which might in the least interfere with any ulti- 
 mate amicable aiTangement. 
 
 But in the face of all this. Dr. Jackson's lawyer addressed 
 Dr. Morton a note the same day this deception was thus made 
 manifest, inviting Dr. M. to call at his office, or to name an hour 
 when he would be at home. Toward evening, he came in, and 
 endeavored to explain away the ruse that had been apparently 
 played upon Dr. M., but to no purpose. Dr. M. having, in the 
 meantime, been advised to hold no more intercourse with him on 
 the subject. 
 
 "Thus things remained until about a week before the sailing 
 of the April steamer, when the friends of both parties made 
 another attempt to arrange matters. At the request of the at- 
 torney, by note. Dr. Gould called on him at his office, when the 
 importance of an adjustment, and the probability of effecting it, 
 were conversed upon. It was thought that a statement might
 
 208 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. Xlll. 
 
 be drawn up which both could sign, and the basis of such a state- 
 ment was arranged. It was also agreed that Dr. G. should 
 write what he regarded as a correct historj, and Dr. Jackson's 
 attorney promised that he would cause the same to be done im- 
 mediately on his part ; and that from these papers a final state- 
 ment should be derived. In order to be early on his part, Dr. 
 Gould spent the greater part of the night preparing his paper, 
 the attorney having promised to have his completed by the next 
 morning. The time came, but no Dr. Jackson's attorney, neither 
 did he or his paper afterward make their appearance. On the 
 other hand. Dr. G. submitted his paper to Dr. Jackson, and two 
 or three of his friends, none of whom made any material objec- 
 tion to the statement, but thought with a few alterations it would 
 answer. But, though the effort was invited on the part of Dr. 
 J., no reciprocal attempt was made for its success. And thus 
 was a second attempt made on the part of Dr. J. to blind Dr. 
 Morton and his friends, in order that they should send out no 
 refutation to the unjust and unfair statements Dr. Jackson had 
 made in Paris and elsewhere.* 
 
 * Much "weight has been given by the adversaries of Dr. Morton to the 
 fact of his willingness to sign a paper thus drawn up by Dr. Gould, and at 
 the time of investigation of the subject by the Trustees of the Massachn- 
 Betts General Hospital, the argument was used by the attornej-s of Dr. 
 Jackson to influence their decision. But the truth is, Dr Morton never 
 was satisfied with, this statement ; he agreed to sign it simply because it 
 would put an end to farther contention, and although it did not give the 
 sole and undisputed credit to him Avhich he claimed, nor mention his pre- 
 vious experiments, which he insisted on, at least gave him the lion's share. 
 Dr. Gould has himself exj^ressed his opinion in the following letter printed 
 among the Congi'cssional documents : " In a memorial recently addressed 
 to the trustees of the hospital by the attorneys of Dr. C. T. Jackson, I 
 find published part of a statement of the early history of the employment 
 of ether, for the relief of pain, hastily drawn up by me, between the hours 
 of 11 and 2 o'clock at night, and intended to be subsequently revised and com.' 
 pared with a statement expected from Dr. Jackson. A copy of this paper was 
 taken without my permission, and has also been published without consult- 
 ing me. On page 4 it is stated that I informed the attorney that Dr. Mor- 
 ton pronounced my statement to be pkrfectly satisfactory, and said he 
 was ready to sign it. Dr. Morton did Bcij hcxcouldsign the paper ; but he 
 never declared it to be perfectly satisfactory, nor did I so report him."
 
 CHAP. Sill.] MORTON PROPOSES AN ARBITRATION. 209 
 
 But all these efforts on the part of Dr. Morton and his 
 friends, as well as the friends of both parties, failing, Dr. Morton 
 might have well been excused from another attempt at an ar- 
 rangement of these diificulties. Nevertheless, he was willing to 
 make one more trial, and determined, this time, to appeal direct- 
 ly to Dr. Jackson himself. Fully relying on the justice of his 
 cause, and confident that in time the validity of his claim would 
 be made clear, he was really anxious to amicably and satisfacto- 
 rily arrange their respective titles, and accordingly addressed to 
 Dr. Jackson the following note : 
 
 " Charles T. Jackson', M. D. 
 
 " Dear Sir : Being desirous that the misunderstanding between us, as to 
 the discovery of the fact that sulphuric ether will produce insensibility to 
 pain, may be speedily and satisfactorily adjusted, I now propose to you to 
 refer the whole matter to some disinterested umpire, before whom all the 
 testimony on both sides, as to the matter in controversy shall be submitted, 
 and whose decision shall be perpetually binding on both parties. 
 
 " An answer to this proposition, made with the anxious desire for a full 
 settlement of our difficulties is expected to day, or early Monday morning. 
 " Respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 " W. T. G. Morton. 
 
 "Saturday, March 27th, 1847." 
 
 " Boston, 3Iarch 28th, 1847. 
 " "W. T. G. Morton, Esq. : Last evening I received your note of yester- 
 day, and now reply that it will be as agreeable to me as it can be to you 
 to avoid any further dispute as to the claims of you and myself, in the 
 discovery of the apphcation of sulphuric ether by inhalation to surgical 
 purposes. 
 
 " All I require is impartial justice, and therefore I cheerfully accept 
 your proposition to refer this question to a suitable umpire. 
 
 " Eespectfully, 
 
 "C. T. Jackson." 
 
 » Boston, March 29th, 1847. 
 " C. T. Jackson, M. D. 
 
 " Dear Sir : Your note of the 28th instant, accepting my proposition to 
 refer our difficulties to a disinterested umpire, has this moment come 
 to hand, and I hasten to express my satisfaction at this favorable feature in 
 the controversy. 
 
 " It only remains for us to select the person or persons to whom the 
 matter in the debate shall be referred. If we can agree — and I trust we
 
 210 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XIII. 
 
 can — upon some one gentleman, I shall be perfectly satisfied ; or if not, 
 tlien you may select one person oi' two, as you prefer and I will do the 
 same, leaving them to choose another — whose decision shall be forever 
 binding. Please inform me what is your choice in the matter, and oblige. 
 " Most respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 " W. T. G. Morton." 
 
 This -was dated, let it be observed, on the 2%tli of Marclt, and 
 the steamer was to sail on the 1st of April, which made it desir- 
 able to Dr. Morton that all the conditions should be settled, and 
 the matter fully referred, before that time. He, therefore, with 
 past experience in view, and the Punic faith of his opponents 
 before him, waited impatiently for an answer. But again he 
 waited in vain, and the steamer sailed. During the month of 
 April, Dr. Jackson said, more than once, that the whole matter 
 was in course of adjustment ; and he said this in such a way as 
 that Dr. Morton should hear of it, and be led thereby, we must 
 presume, to infer that things could still be amicably arranged, al- 
 though he neither saw nor heard directly from Dr. J. all this 
 time. But the May steamer having sailed, and there being no 
 immediate opportunity to send to Europe, while Dr. J.'s claims 
 having had time to be fully known and established, he thought it 
 safe to write the following note, to wit : 
 
 " BosTO.v, May 3, 1847. 
 " Mr. TV. T. G. Morton ; 
 
 " Sir : I have lately received a pamphlet entitled, * Some Account of 
 the Letheon,' «fcc., published, as I am informed, by your consent, and 
 Would now inform you that, by such procedure, especially by the pub- 
 lication of such a pamphlet, you have absolved me from all obligations to 
 submit our relative claims upon the subject to an arbitration, as was 
 formally agreed upon between us. 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 " Charles T. Jackson." 
 
 The reader will particularly notice the date of this note, and 
 the length of time which had elapsed since the sending of Dr. 
 Morton's missive. Then, by referring to the information received 
 by Dr. Jackson, detailed on page 231, it will be plainly seen what 
 was the cause of an answer being returned at all, and how easy 
 it was to find an excuse for breaking off all intercourse where
 
 CHAP. Xlll.l MORTON COMZVIENOES HIS DEFENSE. 211 
 
 policy dictated another and better course of operations. On 
 May 3d, Dr. Jackson knew that he was never to make money 
 under the patent, that reputation was to be the only benefit, 
 and at that time he had the whole plan fully matured to claim 
 the whole honor and oust Dr. Morton from any participa- 
 tion. By the means put in operation, Dr. Jackson gained all 
 the time he wished to perfect his plans and spread over the world 
 the news that he was the sole discoverer, and having accom- 
 plished all that was necessary for the time being, was ready to 
 break with Dr. Morton, and wage that war which has continued 
 until the present time. It is the greatest pity that the kind and 
 fair proposition of Dr. Morton could not have been accepted, 
 as there is no reason to doubt, but that if in this impartial man- 
 ner it liad been referred to some honest arbitrators, the struggle 
 which has since led to such a voluminous and unsatisfactory 
 contention, could have been settled beyond a doubt, and the 
 claim of him who had been adjudged the prize would have been 
 left beyond dispute. 
 
 Nothing was now left Dr. Morton but to protect himself from 
 any further or more violent assaults, and place affairs on a better 
 basis for an even struggle. He therefore at once set himself to 
 work to collect evidence and proofs to substantiate his claim. 
 
 But in this he was but partially successful ; the prejudicial 
 stories put in circulation, and the statements of exposure, dis- 
 grace, and ruin, now ripe, as described in Chapter XV., led those 
 who possessed important testimony, to shrink from involving 
 themselves in this bitter and personal controversy. Indeed, had 
 it not have been for the noble and disinterested conduct of the 
 surgeons of the hospital, it is doubtful whether he could have 
 made any headway in eliciting some of his most valuable testi- 
 mony. They addressed letters to the Messrs. Eddy and others, 
 asking for all the facts within their knowledge. The testimony 
 thus procured he forwarded to Europe, but owing to the pecu- 
 liar circumstances of the case, and the private manner in which 
 he had so long conducted his experiments, it was a task requiring 
 both labor and time. 
 
 The majority of these proofs thus dispatched, and intended for
 
 212 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [chap. XIII 
 
 the most eminent of the surgeons and scientific men of France, 
 unfortunately fell into the hands of an enemy of Dr. Morton, by 
 whom they -were suppressed. The result was, that but few 
 reached their destination, and these being for the most part in 
 English, received but little attention. The Compte Eendus, of 
 the Academy, of March 24th, 1848, states that " M. Morton 
 announced the sending of documents destined to establish in his 
 favor the priority relative to the discovery. The documents an- 
 nounced are not yet before the Academy. " 
 
 During the summer he prepared a memoir, addressed to the 
 French Academy of Sciences, which embodied, as well as it could 
 in its contracted size (but twenty-one pages besides the pieces 
 Jusiicatives), his own " simple and natural statement" of his claim, 
 and the corroborative evidence of those who had been the wit- 
 nesses of his experiments. 
 
 On the last of August, 1847, the memoir was despatched to 
 Europe to the charge of Mr. Edward Warren, then on private 
 business, who was instructed to bring it as much as he could be- 
 fore the attention of those to whom it was addressed. But this 
 was a late date to come into the field, for eight months Dr. 
 Jackson had been diligently at work entrenching himself behind 
 masses of vouchers, fortifying all the approaches to the ears of 
 those whose candid opinion was wished, and putting into effect 
 all those arguments and appliances which he with his familiarity 
 with the men and the scientific bodies was so well able to do, to 
 the prejudice of Morton, who, on the contrary, was totally igno- 
 rant of the means by which he should proceed, and had no per- 
 sonal acquaintance with anyone "possessing influence at court." 
 
 The result was, that at this time Dr. Morton was looked upon 
 in France almost as an impostor, or at all events as an intruder, 
 who was endeavoring to attack a claim v/hich was considered 
 established. The people in America were therefore astonished, 
 as they read by the arrival of each steamer, reports of Dr. 
 Jackson's fast extending reputation, and the universal credence 
 which liis story received. 
 
 Moreover, the plan which had been adopted of having Mr. 
 "Warren represent the claim, turned out, as subsequent events
 
 CHAP. XIII.] FIFTEEN MINUTES TO MORTON's CLAIM. 213 
 
 proved, a particularly unfortunate one. To his energy and good 
 judgment, Dr. Morton owes much, and to him is due credit and 
 thanks for having, when the discoverer was looked upon with 
 suspicion and distrust, come openly to his rescue, and through 
 the long fights which ensued, befriended and assisted him. 
 
 But the difficulties which he had to contend with were those 
 which no amount of tact and decision on his part could over- 
 come. All his struggles and exertions could not avail much 
 when nearly bound hand and foot, and no amount of argument 
 could he make heard by persons rendered deaf by prejudice or 
 preconceived opinion. His departure from America had been 
 precipitate, and going out upon business of entirely different 
 character, he had not taken the precaution to supply himself 
 with those credentials which were so important to secure the 
 favorable attention of those whose help was so necessary. He 
 only had personal interviews with two members of the Academy. 
 He was received kindly and cordially, he was promised much 
 by them, he was assured of a calm, deliberate verdict, but still 
 the " old leaven was in the loaf," and the little impression which 
 he could make did not enough avail to change minds which 
 had been already made up. 
 
 Mr. Warren, on the arrival of the memorial at Paris, at once 
 set himself vigorously to work to present the claims in their 
 proper light, and rectify the error existing from the effect of Dr. 
 Jackson's published letter. Speaking of a visit to Yelpeau, the 
 president of the commission, he wrote on October 1st, 1847 : 
 " But having once like most other Parisians espoused Dr. Jack- 
 son's cause, supposing then there was no question as to his 
 claims, he does not of course wish to wheel about too suddenly, 
 and on this account moves most cautiously." On showing him 
 the "Memoir'* which had been prepared for presentation, so 
 wrote Mr. Warren, he examined it, and said it was " too long ; 
 that it is impossible to have it read, and advised me to make an 
 abstract to present in my own name for you, having your 
 memoir, &c., filed. He says, if my abstract is not more than 
 ten to fifteen minutes long at the outside, it can be read, when the 
 Academy will publish it, and then it will be read by all the
 
 214 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [chap. xilt. 
 
 learned men in Europe ; otherwise, no notice can be taken of 
 the matter more than to announce its reception, and pass it over 
 to the committee, who may report in a few months, or not so 
 60on." 
 
 This occasioned a great deal of trouble to Dr. Morton ; for 
 how could he explain his own claim, and bring the necessary 
 amount of proof to controvert Dr. Jackson's in so short a space, 
 particularly as it was not to be a simple statement of his claim 
 to the discovery, but rather an attempt to show the falsity of a 
 claim which had been set up by some one else, and had been for 
 some time apparently established. 
 
 Mr. Warren, however, adopted at this emergency a course 
 which he supposed would exert a favorable influence. It is men- 
 tioned to show the constant difficulties under which Dr. Morton 
 labored in bringing his claim and evidence to the notice of the 
 Academy. In a letter sent in October, he wrote: "I have 
 made arrangements with the porter of the hall of the Academy 
 to present a copy of your memoir and documents, which I have 
 had printed, to each member on the adjournment of the session 
 at w^hich the subject comes up." 
 
 This was actually the only way in which the scanty material 
 was brought before them, for as stated before but few of the 
 documents subsequently sent reached their destination* in time 
 to anticipate the formation of the opinion, while the large 
 amount which was dispatched many months afterward never 
 were presented to the Academy at all. On the 22d day of 
 
 *•' BosTOx, Mareh litJi, 1849. 
 " Dear Sir ; By a letter received from our Paris agent, while you were 
 in "Washington, -we learn that your pamphlets, addressed to the French 
 Academy and others, owing to a wrong impression, have not as yet been 
 received. They remained at the French customhouse from May 6th to 
 December 16th. The duties on them have now been paid, and they are 
 in the hands of an agent at Paris, awaiting your further instructions. Please 
 give us your orders in season for transmitting per next steamer from 
 Boston. 
 
 ""We remain your obedient servants, 
 
 "Harnden <fe Co. 
 "W. T. G. Morton. M. D."
 
 CHAP. XIII. ] MORTOX'S PAMPHLETS SOLD AS OLD PAPER. 215 
 
 January, 1851, Dr. Morton was astounded by receiving from 
 Paris the following letter from Dr. Brewster : " I sent your or- 
 der expecting to receive a package, but in its place comes five 
 huge boxes. I have not opened them ; the day has gone past to 
 circulate these pamphlets. 1 have no room in my house for 
 them. I have no time to distribute them, and if I did they 
 would not profit anything, the cost of storage would be heavy 
 and useless, therefore, what shall I do with them ? Tell me 
 by return steamer ! My advice would be to sell them as old 
 paper. " This was the fate of that mass of material which Dr. 
 Morton had collected with so much care and expense. Here 
 was lost what would have conduced so much to a diiferent ver- 
 dict, and explains what through the whole of the deliberation 
 of the commission was a puzzle to Dr. Morton, the little notice 
 which was taken of his evidence. 
 
 Any one can imagine the amount of influence which evidence 
 thus furnished would produce in his own case. And those who 
 have tried by argument to change the mind of an opponent can 
 bear witness to the power of "first impressions," and the diflB- 
 culty which the human mind finds in acknowledging an error. 
 
 Mr. "Warren remained but a short time in Paris, and after 
 accomplishing all that the limited material and slight opportuni- 
 ties allowed, returned home. The case, to use his own words, 
 " had gone to the jury," but argued before them on the one side 
 by one of their own body, and a warm personal friend of " Dr. 
 Jackson, who, from the frequency of his claims, well understood 
 the matter ;" while their attention was drawn toward the other 
 side, merely by the outside suggestions of a man *' borne down 
 by the embarrassments of the peculiar nature of his position." 
 On the appearance of a telegram, announcing the decision of 
 the French Institute, which was appended to a Congressional 
 report, No. 114, Feb., 1849, to which we shall hereafter allude, 
 and which probably influenced a minority report in Dr. Jackson's 
 favor, Dr. Morton immediately wrote to the Academy as fol- 
 lows : " If it is the intention of the Academy to pass upon this 
 question, I trust I shall receive notice thereof, that I may lay 
 before the Academy the evidence developed by the several inves-
 
 216 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XIII. 
 
 ligations, and may be personally present ; I have also, some most 
 material and recently discovered testimony, not laid before the 
 committee of Congress, or the trustees of the hospital, which I 
 hope to have in form in season for yonr investigation." 
 
 This letter appears in the Compte Rendus, the Journal of 
 the Academy, April, 1849. Dr. Hayward of Boston, also wrote 
 to Senator Sumner's brother, then in Paris, desiring him to obtain 
 precise information as to what the Academy intended to do. 
 Dr. Morton never received any reply from the Academy. Dr. 
 Hayward received a letter from Mr. Sumner, requesting him to 
 say to Morton, to breathe easy, the Academy would not decide 
 for a year or two. This assurance of no immediate haste, and 
 the disheartening condition of his pecuniary affairs^ prevented 
 his applying for the commission to take the testimony of the Bos- 
 ton physicians and others in payeluam, as was done before the 
 commission of 1852. Now having, as we have before shown he 
 had done, informed the Academy of the existence of important 
 testimony, and of his desire and willingness to undertake to ap- 
 pear there with it personally, if they nitended to pass upon the 
 question, what must have been his surprise and consternation, 
 upon his receiving in the following spring intelligence, that the 
 Paris Academy of Sciences — the " Institut de France" — had 
 awarded him one of the prizes founded by the philanthropic Mon- 
 thyon, to be awarded to benefactors of the human race. Alex- 
 andre Vattemare, Esq., the well-known director of ''International 
 Literary Exchanges," said, in forwarding the announcement to 
 Dr. Morton : *' I feel myself highly honored in thus being the 
 humble interpreter of the proclaimed esteem and high appreci- 
 ation of the Institute of France, for the service rendered to suffer- 
 ing humanity by your important labors." 
 
 Monsieur Flourens, the perpetual secretary of the Academy 
 for the Division of Natural Science, closed his official announce- 
 ment of the award to Dr. Morton by saying : " 1 avail myself, 
 with great pleasure, sir, of this occasion to offer my personal 
 congratulations, while I bear witness to the interests which the 
 Academy takes in your studies and in your success. Be pleased 
 to accept, sir, the assurances of my high consideration."
 
 CHAP. XIII. ] AAVARD OF THE FRENCH ACADE5IY. 217 
 
 This was, indeed, a noble evidence of the appreciation of Mr. 
 Morton's scientific labors by the foremost among the learned 
 bodies in the world. To use the words of the Hon. Mr. Walker 
 in a subsequent debate in the Senate, " It shows whom they con- 
 sidered as the real inventor;" and this flattering mark of dis- 
 tinction, coming from this high source, was highly gratifying to 
 Dr. Morton's friends. Letters of congratulation poured in from 
 all quarters, and the award of the Academy appeared to give it 
 an additional importance in the eyes of many eminent scientific 
 men, who hailed its decision with pleasure. Some, however, 
 thought that even this recognition was not commensurate with 
 Dr. Morton's merits ; among them, Mr. Thomas W. Evans, a 
 distinguished practitioner, then at Paris. " Although," he wrote 
 to Dr. Morton, " they have, in some measure, done you justice 
 yet I think not so much as you merit. It is the general opinion 
 of medical men here, that you should have a much larger share 
 of thanks than the Institute has awarded you. Allow mo to 
 congratulate you upon the honorable mention of your name." 
 
 It has been urged by many who wished to detract from the 
 credit given to Dr. Morton by this award, that it was at best 
 but half a compliment, that it was no recognition of his claim as 
 the discoverer, because an award of an equal amount was given 
 to Dr. Jackson. 
 
 The formal decision of that learned body was worded as 
 follows : 
 
 "3Ir. Jackson and Mr. jMorton have been mutually necessary 
 to each other ; without the earnest solicitations, the engrossing 
 idea, and the courage — not to say the audacity of the latter — 
 the observation made by Mr. Jackson might have remained for a 
 long time without application, and without the fact observed by 
 Mr. Jackson, the idea of Mr. Morton might probably have re- 
 mained fruitless and Avithout effect. The commissioners are of 
 opinion that there are two distinct awards to be made. The 
 commission, therefore, pro[/Oses to tlie Academy that a prize of 
 2,500 francs be awarded to Mr. Jackson for his observations and 
 experiments on the auaesthetical effects produced by the inhala- 
 tion of ether, and a similar prize of 2,500 to 3Ii'. Morton for 
 
 10
 
 218 DISCOVERY ON ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. XIII. 
 
 having introduced this method in the practice of surgery. " — Ta- 
 sistro's Translation. 
 
 The Academy, unfortunately for its own reputation as an im- 
 partial arbitrator in scientific matters, had previously shown a 
 disposition to make a decision on the discovery of ether, based 
 upon the cxparte testimony produced by the friends of claimants 
 in Paris. And although the recogjiition of Mr. Morton's claim 
 was not so full and perfect as he would have desired, nor proba- 
 bly the same decision that w^ould be made by the same Academy 
 now, had they the matter under consideration, it was still a 
 glorious tribute to his energy and boldness, and all that could 
 have been expected, in view of the small amount of evidence in 
 his favor, which was furnished, and the many difficulties v/hich 
 he was forced to contend with, owing to the high standing or 
 his opponent, his numbers of friends, and the completeness of his 
 arrangements to establish a favorable decision in advance of Dr. 
 Morton. Dr. Morton, however, took no notice of this award, 
 and it was not until Dr. Brewster some two years after wrote him 
 from Paris, that if he did not get possession of it soon, he would 
 lose it, that he made any reply to the Academy's official announce- 
 ment of the award. He then replied to Dr. Brewster that he 
 would not give houseroom to anything that bore Dr. Jackson's 
 name, and wrote the Academy respectfully protesting against a 
 decision by which the claims of Dr. Jackson and himself were 
 recognized as joint. Finally, the Academy's expression of opin- 
 ion was received by Dr. Morton in the acceptable form of their 
 largest gold medal. On one side of this magnificent testimonial is a 
 finely-executed medallion head of Minerva, surrounded by the 
 legend : " Institut National de France." On the other side is 
 inscribed, surrounded by a laurel wreath : " Academie des Sci- 
 ences — Prix Montyon — Medicine et Chirurgie — Concourse de 
 1847 et 1848— William T. G. Morton, 1850." Valuable as 
 was the medal, it did not absorb the whole sum of twenty-five 
 hundred francs voted by the Academy, and the balance was ex- 
 pended in a massive gold frame, ornamented with branches of 
 laurel — that classic tribute to victory.
 
 CHAP. xiY.] govern:went expectations. 219 
 
 CHAPTER XIY. 
 
 FIRST APPLICATION TO CONGRESS. 
 
 "Each individual of the society has a right to be protected by it in the enjoyment of 
 his life, liberty, and property, according to standing laws. No part of the property of 
 any individual can, with justice, be taken from him, or applied to public uses, without 
 his own consent, or that of the representative body of the T^Qoyle.'''— Constitution of 
 Massachusetts. 
 
 "The citizens of each Stite, shall be entitled to all the privileges and immunities of 
 citizens in the several States." — Constitution of the United States. 
 
 Under a belief that our Government was instituted for the 
 common benefit of all of the children of the Republic, and that 
 it was her firm endeavor to maintain and transmit all those 
 glorious institutions, which have been bequeathed us by the 
 framers of our constitution and our laws^ Dr. Morton naturally 
 looked to her to protect his discovery, encourage its introduction 
 if useful, and reward his exertions if the bsnefits conferred 
 should be sufficiently worthy. As he considered his discovery a 
 public blessing, he supposed, that instantly she would make some 
 recompense for his past exertions and expenditures, and throw 
 open the right to use it free and untrammelled to every one. 
 
 This reasonable expectation was confirmed by his conversations 
 with friends of science and humanity, who uniformly expressed 
 a belief that as soon as the general government was made ac- 
 quainted with the merits of etherization, and the blessings which 
 it would confer throughout the land, for all time, but more espe- 
 cially in order to relieve the cases of agony which from the 
 nature of their duties, were constantly occurring in the army and 
 navy, it would make some public recognition of so important a 
 discovery, or, at least, bestow a reward sufficient to secure the 
 patent to itself Many members of Congress affirmed that this 
 would be done, as it was the well-recognized policy of our Gov- 
 ernment to encourage all useful progress in the arts and sciences 
 of improved civilization.
 
 220 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XI7. 
 
 Moreover, there were instances upon which to base such a 
 supposition. 
 
 Congress had frequently rewarded individuals for discoveries 
 of limited importance, which in no wise entitled them to a place 
 among the benefactors of mankind. Purchasing the right from 
 a patentee to use a valuable discovery was no new thing at 
 "Washington, as was shown by the Hon. Mr. Borland, of Ar- 
 kansas, in the United States Senate, in a subsequent debate. " I 
 will cite," said he, " a few cases : We paid for the right to make 
 anchors of a certain form for the navy, $1,500 ; for the use of 
 circular bullet moulds, §5,000 ; for the use of gas in vapor 
 baths, $5,000 ; for elevating and pointing heavy cannon, $20,000 ; 
 for the right to use patent anti-attrition metal, $20,000. We 
 paid to the heirs of Robert Fulton, for benefits conferred by his 
 improvements in steam navigation, $76,300. We paid for Mix's 
 manger stopper, used in the cavalry service, $3,000. We paid 
 to Dr. Locke, for the use of his magnetic clock, $10,000. We 
 paid to McCulloch & Booth, for the right to use the improved 
 method of refining our argentiferous gold bullion, $25,000 — thus 
 making an aggregate of $165,000 paid in these cases. But, in 
 addition to these, there have been numerous instances in which 
 patent-rights, or the privilege of using in the service of the Gov- 
 ernment patented articles, have been purchased by the Depart- 
 ments — some of which instances I find cited in connection with 
 the report of the Select Committee of the House of Represent- 
 atives — for which were paid $178,032 ; — making an aggregate of 
 $343,000 paid by the United States for patents and the use of 
 patented articles. Since I have been a member of the Senate, 
 when meritorious individuals have come before us who had 
 made important discoveries, we have aided them to test their 
 discoveries by appropriations amounting, in the whole, to 
 $120,000." 
 
 It was well known that such appropriations were common 
 with every government in Europe, and it was well enough in- 
 ferred, that if the Republic could afford to pay $20,000 for an 
 invention in the art of killing human creatures, and those her 
 enemies, that she could well afford to pay five times that sum
 
 CHAP XIT.] NATIONAL REWARDS IN THE HE/\XING ART. 221 
 
 for the discovery of a method which should preserve the lives of 
 mankind in the persons of her own children. 
 
 It may not be amiss to state here that history presents many 
 instances in which masters of the healing art have received na- 
 tional rewards. Herodotus informs us that wealth and honors 
 were heaped upon Democedes for having improved the health of 
 Darius, king of the Persians, when he was their prisoner. 
 Hippocrates was enrolled by the Greeks as a citizen, presented 
 with a golden crown, and endowed with a public maintenance. 
 The physicians of Smyrna received honors scarcely inferior to 
 those paid the most eminent magistrates, and we often see 
 their eflSgies stamped upon ancient coins, in common v/ith the 
 images of Hygeia, and other divinities who presided over 
 health. 
 
 Nor was this national recompense for ameliorating human suf- 
 fering confined to the ancients. So recently as 1802 the Parlia- 
 ment of Great Britain had received and favorably considered a 
 memorial exactly parallel to that of Dr. Morton, from Dr. Ed- 
 ward Jenner, the discoverer of vaccination. He, like Dr. Mor- 
 ton, anxious to promote the safety and welfare of his country- 
 men and of mankind in general, sedulously endeavored to spread 
 the knowledge of his discovery, and was triumphantly successful. 
 But, in prosecuting his experiments. Dr. Jenner was " so inter- 
 rupted in the ordinary exercise of his profession as materially to 
 abridge its pecuniary advantages," as he stated in his " humble pe- 
 tition" to Parliament, in which he prayed that they would "grant 
 him such remuneration as to their wisdom should seem meet." 
 The readiness with which England granted this national reward, 
 naturally inspired Dr. Morton with the hope that our republic 
 would be equally grateful for an American discoveiy, equally 
 beneficial to mankind. 
 
 "Within the past year the French government have presented 
 Professor Morse, for his great discovery of the telegraph, with 
 the sum of 880,000, a large reward, and which shows in what 
 just appreciation the result of his labors is held. 
 
 As soon as concluded upon. Dr. Morton began to take the 
 steps necessary to bring it to the consideration of Congress, and
 
 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XIV. 
 
 for this purpose, as before stated, dispatched Mr. Edward War- 
 ren to "Washington. 
 
 Notwithstanding the distrust occasioned by the Dental Mani- 
 festo, so lively an interest was excited in the minds of many- 
 members of Congress by witnessing some of the wonders per- 
 formed, that on the 28th of December, 1846, Mr. Warren was 
 enabled to present his memorial to Congress. This was laid 
 before the Senate by the Hon. John Davis, senator from Massa- 
 chusetts and late governor of tliat State, and before the 
 House of Keprcsentatives by the Hon. Robert C. Winthrop, of 
 the same State, and then Speaker of the House. It was at once 
 in each chamber referred to a select committee, consisting, in 
 the Senate, of Messrs. Fries, Eelfe, Young, Lieb, and Toombs, 
 the first four named being physicians. The distrust awakened 
 by the opponents of anaesthesia in respect to its safety and efficacy, 
 as shown in a previous chapter, and the preoccupation of the 
 public mind with the Mexican war, which was then being waged, 
 all tended to exclude the subject from any consideration of Con- 
 gress. This induced Mr. Warren lo return to Boston. Here 
 he used all his influence to persuade Dr. Morton himself to go 
 to Washington. But the reasons before given were sufficient to 
 prevent his departure. He saw at once that upon a favorable 
 introduction and opinion in his own city depended all his hopes 
 of success for the future, and his best form of appeal to Con- 
 gress. He therefore decided to let affairs for the time follow 
 their own course, while he devoted all his energies and attention 
 to a more especial extension at home. The committee to whom 
 the subject was referred terminated their investigations on the 
 reception of a few unfavorable letters, and did not deign to even 
 honor the subject of anaesthesia with a report. 
 
 Mr. Warren stated before the commission at Boston, that 
 "while in AVashington, endeavoring to induce our Government to 
 introduce this discovery into the army in Mexico, and after get- 
 ting the matter referred to a select committee of the House of 
 Representatives, I learned with some surprise, that the Hon. Jas. 
 Dixon, a member of Congress, from Connecticut, and townsman 
 of Dr. Wells, had sent in a sort of informal protest to the com-
 
 CUAP. XIT.] JACKSON GLAD A PATENT 13 SECURED 223 
 
 mittee's further proceedings, until a constituent of his, Dr. Wells, 
 had furnished certain evidence in his favor. This was early in 
 January. I immediately called on Mr. Dixon, who stated that 
 Dr. Wells had requested his assistance, and had promised to 
 furnish him certain evidence of his claim ; but having gone to 
 Europe, without procuring it, he did not think it would arrive at 
 all, and, if not by a certain day, then near at hand, he would 
 aid me in my elForts ; at the same time saying, as near as I can 
 recollect, that about two years before he had heard that Dr. 
 Wells was making some experiments with nitrous oxide gas to 
 prevent pain in extracting teeth ; that having a severe tooth-ache, 
 he called on him, proposing to take this gas, but that Dr. Wells in- 
 formed him, that after giving it to thirteen or fourteen patients, 
 with only partial success, he had abandoned its use as dangerous, 
 and dissuaded him from resorting to it." Nothing further was 
 heard of Dr. Wells or his testimony. 
 
 The following extract, from a letter written by Dr. Jackson, 
 to Mr. Warren, then at Washington, on Jan. 7th, 1847, shows 
 what, at this time, was his own opinion as regards the claim of 
 Dr, Wells, and the value of the patent which had been issued : 
 " I am now glad that I have secured the discovery by law, for 
 the pretenders will have to test their claims thereby. I did 
 not wish to be troubled with the business matters pertaining to 
 the sale of patent rights, and so assigned to Mr. Morton my 
 right in the patent, he agreeing to take charge of the business, 
 and to pay me ten per cent, as my proportion of the sales of 
 licenses. I tliink that Mr. Wells is endeavoring to make a dis- 
 turbance for the sake of notoriety, for he cannot suppose he can 
 show that he has the least claim to the discovery, or that he can 
 invalidate the patent granted to Dr. Morton." 
 
 At the commencement of the year 1848, the discovery made by 
 Dr. Morton was engaging the attention of the Avhole civilized 
 world — partly on account of its inestimable value, and partly be- 
 cause royal academies and academies of science were agitated with 
 the claims of those who professed to have suggested the wonder- 
 ful qualities of ether. The question was now definitely decided, 
 after all claims had been carefully weighed, by a most appro-
 
 224 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XIV. 
 
 priate tribunal — the trustees of the Massachusetts General Hos- 
 pital — at which the first public exhibition of this pain-destroy- 
 ing power was made, and where its effects were first witnessed 
 by an admiring audience. 
 
 The twelve gentlemen who, as trustees of the hospital, made 
 a thorough investigation of the discovery of etherization, had 
 great advantages (independent of their personal characters and 
 quahties) for conducting a thorough and impartial inquiry.* 
 They were on the spot where the discovery was made, had in- 
 tercourse with Doctors Morton and Jackson, as well as the 
 principal witnesses ; and were none of them physicians. The 
 estimable chairman of the sub-committee which drafted the re- 
 port (Hon. Nathaniel I. Bowditch), with two other gentlemen, 
 are well-known members of the legal profession ; three, or more, 
 were members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences ; 
 one of them (Mr. J. A. Lowell) being, by his position as sole 
 trustee of the Lowell Institute, in Boston, brought more inti- 
 mately into contact with scientific men than almost any one in 
 that community ; and three quarters of the whole board were 
 graduates of Havard University. Never was a more fair, intel- 
 ligent, or competent "jury of the vicinage " empanneled to try 
 
 *" TVAsmNGTON, December 20, 1851. 
 " Dr. W. T. G. Morton. 
 
 " Dear Sir : In reply to your letter of the 17th instant, I would say 
 that, having been called on, on a previous occasion, to examine the ques- 
 tion of the discovery of the application of ether in surgical operations, I 
 then formed the opinion which I have since seen no reason to change, that 
 the merit of that great discovery belonged to you, and I had supposed that 
 the reports of the trustees of the hospital and of the committee of the 
 House of Representatives of the United States were conclusive on this 
 point. 
 
 " The gentlemen connected with the hospital are well known to me as 
 of the highest character, and they -possessed, at the time of the investiga- 
 tion, every facility for ascertaining all the facts in the case. 
 
 *' Tlie committee of the House were, I believe, unanimous in awarding to 
 you the merit of having made the first practical application of ether, and 
 a majority, by their report, awarded to you the entire credit of the dis 
 covery. 
 
 " Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 '' Daniel Webster."
 
 CHAP. XIV.] AWARD OP THE DISCOVERY TO MORTON. 225 
 
 an issue. It is the duty of this board anually to lay before the 
 Corporation a statement of the affairs of the hospital durincr the 
 past year. What should have been done on this occasion ? The 
 institution had become somewhat identified with the announce- 
 ment of the discovery, and the fact could not be passed over 
 unmentioned. In mentioning it, it was not easy to avoid thor- 
 roughly investigating to whom the honors of discovery belonged. 
 The report, after carefully taking up, considering, and weigh- 
 ing all the evidence, and all the assertions presented, came to the 
 following as the essential conclusions in the case : 
 
 1st. Dr. Jackson does not appear at any time to have made 
 any discovery in regard to ether which was not in print in Great 
 Britain some years before. 
 
 2d. Dr. Morton, in 1846, discovered the facts before unknown, 
 that ether would prevent the pain of surgical operations, and that 
 it might be given in sufficient quantity to effect this purpose with- 
 out danger to life. He first established these facts by numerous 
 operations on teeth, and afterward induced the surgeons of the 
 hospital to demonstrate its general applicability and importance 
 in capital operations. 
 
 3d. Dr. Jackson appears to have had the belief that a power 
 m ether to prevent pain in dental operations would be discovered. 
 He advised various persons to attempt the discovery. But nei- 
 ther they nor he took any measures to that end, and the world 
 remained in entire ignorance of both the power and safety of ether 
 until Dr. Morton made his experiments. 
 
 4th. The whole agency of Dr. Jackson in the matter appears 
 to consist only in his having made certain suggestions which led 
 or aided Dr. Morton to make the discovery — a discovery which 
 had for some time been the object of his labors and researches. 
 
 With this award (to use llie words of a Congressional docu- 
 ment) Dr. Jackson, Dr. Wells, and the scientific world, should 
 have been satisfied. It was ihe ^rsi, and ought to have been the 
 onlf/ contest. Our enlightened system of jurisprudence forbids, 
 except under extraordinary circumstances, a second trial of ques- 
 tions of fact. It forbids it as a guard against the danger incident 
 to repeated investigations, that truth will be overcome by artfully- 
 
 10*
 
 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP, XIT. 
 
 manufactured evidence. No body, either legislative or scientific, 
 to which this decision of the trustees of the Massachusetts General 
 Hospital has ever been submitted, have overruled it. It carries 
 conviction with it, and is incontrovertible. 
 
 In anticipation of a second application to the National Con- 
 gress, some of the prominent citizens of Boston began to take 
 measures to give a testimonial of the value set upon the discov- 
 ery, and the sympathy for the discoverer. 
 
 The trustees of the Massachusetts General Hospital took the 
 lead in this becoming expression of public feeling, and their com- 
 mittee exerted themselves with laudable energy, more anxious to 
 secure the co-operation of many eminent citizens than large 
 amounts from a few. The following letter shows the sentiments 
 entertained by these gentlemen : 
 
 " Boston, 3Iay 12, 1848. 
 " Dear Sir : At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Massachu- 
 setts General Hospital, a few weeks since, it was informally suggested, that 
 a limited subscription of one thousand dollars shall be raised for your bene- 
 fit in acknowledgment of your services in the late ether discovery ; no one 
 to be asked to subsci'ibe more than ten dollars. "We consented to act as a 
 committee to receive and apply the proceeds of this subscription. The 
 proposed sum having been obtained, we have now the pleasure of trans- 
 mitting it to you. "We also enclose the subscription book, in a casket which 
 accompanies this note. Among its signatures you will find the names* of 
 
 * Josiah Quincy, Jr., Abbott Lawrence, E. Francis, Geo. B. Emerson, 
 Saml. A. Eliot, Amos Lawrence, "Wm. Appleton, J.* I. Bowditch, Robert 
 G. Shaw, J. R. Adan, Chas. Sprague, Samuel Appleton, Chas. Amory, 
 "Wm. Sturgis, H. Appleton, John Brj^ant, Geo. "W. Thayer, N. I. Bowditch, 
 Amos A. Lawrence, J. A. Lowell, Chas. II. Mills, Thos. Dwight, T. O 
 Loring, John J. May, Thos. Lamb, J. "W. Edmands, Theodore Lyman, Ca- 
 leb Eddy, F. H. Bradlee, "Wm. P. Perkins, A. L. Payson, Geo. M. Dexter, 
 Jas. S. Amory, Rob. Hooper, H. Timmins, Richard Fletcher, Moses "Wil- 
 liams, Joseph Tilden, Chas. Jackson, "W. "W. Stone, John D. "WiUiams, James 
 Jackson, Geo. C. Shattuck, Geo. Hay ward, T. "W. Ward, Chas. Lyman, 
 
 J. Warren Appleton, Ozias Goodwin, Thos. Lee, J. Hooper, Mr. T , J. 
 
 Sargent, J. C. Warren, A Friend, R M.Mason, J.S. Copley Greene, Wm. H. 
 Prescott, Geo. H. Kuhn, Mrs. W. Pratt, J. Welles, G. B. Jones, Benj. Goddard, 
 Aug. Heard, Rufus Choate, Wm. Ropes. Thos. B. Curtis, Josiah Sturgis, Josiah 
 Bradlee, C. Fra. Adams, Joseph Burnett, Saml. H. Walley, Jr., H. M. 
 Willis, A Friend, Danl. Webster, Jaa. Parker, E. H. Robbins, John Ho-
 
 CHAP. XIV.] GIFT FR03I BOSTONIANS TO DR. MORTON. 227 
 
 not a fe-w of those most distinguished among us for\rorth and intelligence, 
 and it may be remarked, that it is signed by every member of the Board 
 of Trustees. 
 
 "You will, vre are sure, highly value this_^r5< testimonial, slight as it is. 
 of the gratitude of your fellovr-citizens. That you may hereafter receive 
 «n adequate national revrard is the sincere -svish of your obedient servants. 
 
 "Samuel Frothingham, 
 " Thos. B. Curtis. 
 "To Dr. ViLLiAii T. G. Morton." 
 
 The silver casket accompanying tins note was executed by 
 Messrs. Jones, Low and Ball, and bore the following inscrip- 
 tions : — In front, " Testimonial in honor of the Ether discovery 
 of September 30, 1846." And on the lid— 
 
 THIS BOX 
 
 CONTAINING ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS, 
 IS PRESENTED TO 
 
 WILLIAM THOMAS GEEEN MORTON, 
 
 BY THE MEMRERS OF THE 
 
 BOAKD OF TRUSTEES OF THE 
 
 MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL, 
 
 AND OTHER CITIZENS OF BOSTON, 
 
 May 8, 1818. 
 Under this is a line extracted from the Hospital Report : 
 
 ** He has become poor in a cause which has made the icorld his debtor." 
 
 William I. Bowditch and Caleb Eddy, Esquires, were appoint- 
 ed a committee to present this gratifying acknowledgment of 
 public gratitude to Dr. Morton, who made the following reply to 
 the gentlemen who had so handsomely directed the affair : 
 
 mans, B. Andrews, Rich. H. Dana, Jr., J. Mason "Warren, Jolm. P. Gushing, 
 C. T. Putnam, Edward Wigglesworth, John Bumstead, John M.Fessenden, 
 S. Frothingham, Dwight Boyden, J. Thomas Stephenson, Henry B. 
 Rogers, W. "Whiting, Marcus Morton, J. Chickering, Paschal P. Pope, 
 Henry P. Sturgis, Augustus Thorndike, Russell Sturgis, G. P. Curtis, Ed- 
 ward Blake, A Friend, J. H. "Wolcott, George H. Loring, H. H. Hunnewell, 
 Franklin Haven, N. Goddard, Jr., Henry Andrews, George B. Blake, A 
 Friend, J. P. Higginson.
 
 228 DISCOVERY OF EITIERIZATION. [CHAP. XIV. 
 
 " Boston, 3Iay 15, 1848. 
 
 " Gentlemen ; I need liardly say that your comnninication of the 12th 
 inst., and the accompanying casket, subscription book, and donation, have 
 been received by me with gratification of no ordinary degree. 
 
 "Apart from the positive vahie of the gifts, the kind feeling -which has 
 led to this manifestation on the part of so many of the first citizens of Bos- 
 ton, has affected me in a manner that I am not likely soon to forget. The 
 circumstances in which I have been placed for some time past give them 
 an additional value ; and by my children the testimonial will be appre- 
 ciated hardly less than by myself. 
 
 "In recognising among the names those of each of the Trustees of the 
 Massachusetts General Hospital, I am bound to acknowledge this renewal 
 of my indebtedness to that institution. It was the first to receive, verify, 
 sustain, and promulgate, the ether discovery ; and, from the earliest, I have 
 received from its oflScers, surgeons, physicians, and trustees, nothing but 
 constant courtesy, liberality, andkiud consideration. 
 
 " Allow me to acknowledge your personal kindness in acting as a com- 
 mittee for the purposes of subscription, and the tasteful manner in which you 
 have given to it an enduring value and significance. 
 
 " You are pleased to speak of my services as deserving a national reward. 
 I am glad to have your concurrence and sympathy in this opinion ; and it is 
 not unknown to you, that, if received, it would be to me not only a reward 
 but an indemnification and relief. 
 
 " Respectfully, your obliged and obedient servant, 
 
 "William T. G. Morton 
 " To Messrs. Samuel Frothingham and Thomas B. Curtis." 
 
 During this interval, Dr. Morton received a valued endorse- 
 ment of his rights as a discoverer from Dr. Simpson, a distin- 
 guished professor in the University of Edinburgh. The profes- 
 sor had just published a pamphlet upon chloroform, the applica- 
 tion of which he had discovered, and proposed as a substitute for 
 ether in certain cases. Upon a fly-leaf of a copy of this pamph- 
 let which he sent to Dr. Morton was written the following note : 
 
 " My Dear Sir : I have much pleasure in offering, for your kind accept- 
 ance, the accompanving pamphlet. Since it was published we have had 
 various other operations performed here, equally successful. I have a note 
 from Mr. Liston, telling me also of its perfect success in London. Its ra- 
 pidity and depth are amazing. 
 
 " In the Monthly Journal of Medical Science, for September, I have a long 
 article on etherization, vindicating your claims over those of Jackson
 
 CHAP, xrv.] ENDORSEilENT BY PROFESSOR SIMPSON. 229 
 
 " Of course, the great thought is that of producing insensibility — and for that 
 the world is, I think, indebted to you. 
 
 " I read a paper lately to our society, sho-wing that it was recommended 
 by Pliny, (tc, in old times. 
 
 " With very great esteem for you, allow me to subscribe myself, 
 
 " Yours, very faithfully, 
 " J. Y. Simpson. 
 " Edinburgh, 19th Nov., 1847.
 
 230 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. fCHAP. XV 
 
 CHAPTEE XY. 
 
 ERA OF PERSECUTION. 
 
 * * * "He that filches from me my good name, 
 Eobs me of that which not enriches him 
 And makes me poor indeed." — Othello. 
 
 It is always disagreeable to wake up to the sudden apprecia- 
 tion of unpleasant facts. Any surprise conveys for the moment 
 a most unwelcome shock. It requires a most remarkable equili- 
 brium of temper in a man, who can hear with equanimity, dis- 
 astrous intelligence broken to him, without the slightest prepara- 
 tion or premonitory warnings. Few persons like to be suddenly 
 awakened in the morning. It is a disappointment hard to bear, 
 to be informed by the nurse that the long-expected heir to the 
 family name has proved to be a girl. It is not pleasant to dis- 
 cover that the girl of your choice thinks one of your friends an 
 interesting man, and that she smiles on him on meeting him at the 
 precise moment that the thought was passing through your brain 
 how uncommonly stupid and bad-natured she had become. But 
 among all these unpleasant surprises, there is none which can 
 match that occasioned by the information that some cherished 
 speculation or investment, from which fabulous returns were ex- 
 pected, has proved a failure. In an instant after the letter which 
 brings the unwelcome news has been opened and read, away 
 vanish the castles iii the air, all those cherished plans which the 
 last venture was sure to bring a realization of, and a most unliap- 
 py mental prostration follows upon the previous excitement. 
 
 Somewhat of such a character must have been the feelings of 
 Dr. Jackson, after having perused the counterpart of the follow- 
 ing note — and by it suddenly appreciated the fact that his ex-
 
 CHAP. XV.] AN UNPLEASANT SURPRISE. 231 
 
 pected ten per cent, had disappeared with the furniture for his 
 last built Chateau d' Espagne. 
 
 " Boston, AprU 20th, 1847. 
 "Dear Sir : — As by the terms of the agreement made between yourself 
 and me, on the 30th day of October, 1846, 1 am required as often as once 
 in six months, to render you an account of the net profits resulting from 
 sales of certain patents, etc., as will appear by reference to said agree- 
 ment, I have now to inform you, and do inform you, that, up to this 
 date, April 2d, 1847, I have received no net profits on account of any, 
 and therefore can render you no further account than this, nor pay to you 
 any moneys resulting from any net profits received. 
 
 " Yours respectfully, 
 
 "R. H. Eddy." 
 
 It certainly was a giievous trial for him, for the sum at any 
 time was not to be despised, but would have been especially ac- 
 ceptable in the then collapsed condition of his pocket. Besides, 
 it came upon him so unawares, he had no idea, previous to the 
 arrival of the note that zero was to be his receipts, for certainly 
 with the rights to use a valuable discovery for sale, and energet- 
 ic men to dispose of them, he was authorized in expecting a 
 handsome share in the returns. "^ 
 
 * The following extract from a letter of the attorneys of Dr. Jackson, 
 to Messrs. Eddy and Morton, as late as Jan. 28th, was probably not writ- 
 ten without his knowledge and consent, if it was not prepared at his insti- 
 gation : 
 
 " Permit us to say in all frankness, we conceive the promise of ten per 
 cent, for Dr. Jackson's interest, as altogether inadequate, and so we think 
 it must seem to be to all disinterested persons. Dr. Jackson must be con- 
 sidered as deserving something more than double commissions for his in- 
 terest in a discovery from which both of you have profited and will con- 
 tinue to profit so much. A sense of what is generous and honorable (not 
 to say anything of the justice of any further claim) should influence you in 
 deciding to give Dr. Jackson, not a paltry per-centage, but what may be 
 considered a fair share of the profits. The portion of the profits which 
 is now allowed by you to Dr. Jackson, under certain conditions, seems to 
 us to be worse for your good reputation, than allowing him nothing ; as it 
 acknowledges his interest in the discovery, but appears to be given to him 
 by you for the purpose of passing merely his title to the profits of the dis- 
 covery. Under the present circumstances of the case, we think the least 
 that in justice to yourselves and Dr. Jackson you can oflFer, is twenty-five
 
 232 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. XT. 
 
 It was evident to him from this outset of the business, that 
 the next six months would not show a better balance. If, with 
 the first excitement still agitating the minds of the community, 
 and with but few in the country who could lawfully use the pat- 
 ented discovery, the agents had not been enabled to accomplish 
 enough sales to furnish any dividend, it was certain that they 
 never could, and that money was the least reward which he was to 
 expect. But then came the thought to his mind, if no pecuniary 
 returns could be anticipated, there was the glory of the discovery 
 left ; that certainly was something, and if he could reap a full 
 crop of that, he assuredly ought not to feel disappointed.* 
 
 But at the same moment that this idea occurred to him, came 
 the reflection of his previous business transaction -with Morton, 
 when applying for the patent. The jointure of their names in 
 the application, and his subsequent assignment. In addition, he 
 knew full well what real share he had in the discovery, and 
 what Morton had accomplished, and that the latter claimed 
 openly the sole and absolute merit, and only recognized him as 
 interested to the extent of the value of his name and influence. 
 He knew Morton's sturdy, impulsive character, and that the 
 slightest shadow of an attempt to usurp his honors would be 
 
 per cent, of the profits arising from the invention, both at home and 
 abroad, in settlement of his claim upon you. It is our wish to settle the 
 matter amicably, if possible. "We hope you will see by our suggestions, 
 that we wish to have a fair distribution of the profits of a discovery 
 made among those who cannot, if they disagree, effectually sustain the 
 patent ; and which, if sustained, promises to give all parties large sums 
 of money for their united co-operation." 
 
 Extract from a letter of Dr. Jackson, to Mr. Whitney, in Paris : 
 
 "Morton and Eddy are in copartnership, and are making money out of 
 my invention, and even refuse me a paltry sum of ten per cent, on net 
 profits of sales in Europe. Eddy tendered me an offer of five per cent., 
 and Morton declines paying a cent." 
 
 * Extract from a letter of Dr. Jackson to Mr. Whitney, after he had dis- 
 covered that it was exceedingly doubtful if there would be any pecuniary 
 returns to him — to be compared with the letter of the attorneys of Dr. 
 Jackson to Dr. Morton : 
 
 " Now, I do not care about the money. I have never received a cent, 
 and never expect to receive anything for my discovery ; I wish only to re- 
 ceive the honor and to legally fix my claim to posterity."
 
 CHAP. XV.] DESTRUCTION OF THE BOND. 233 
 
 resisted to the last, and exposed if the case were brought to a 
 public examination. 
 
 Here was a dilemma. It was clear that Morton must be dis- 
 posed of, that the whole case must be so clouded by discussion 
 and controversy that none but the clearest head and the most 
 patient investigation could discover the true merits of the case. 
 JVil desperandum was a good motto for the emergency, and he 
 determined to make the attempt. But first, as the primary step 
 to this end, it was necessary to dissolve all connection with 
 Morton, and prove to the world that he was no longer associated 
 with him in any way. It was a late period for action, '' but it 
 is better to be late than never" move in any affair. 
 
 On the 26th of May, Dr. Gay, attended by a witness, called 
 at the office of Dr. Morton, and finding him at home, informed 
 him that he was present at the request of Dr. Jackson. He 
 said that the tender conscience of Dr. Jackson was troubled on 
 account of the agreement which he had entered into with Mor- 
 ton ; that he was unwilling to receive the ten per cent, on the 
 profits which he had before bargained for, as he could not but 
 feel that it would bum in his pockets as so much blood- 
 money, &c. After which long peroration. Dr. Gay, in the 
 presence of Dr. Morton, destroyed the bond by which Dr. Jack- 
 son was enabled to show that he ever owned any rights under 
 the patent. This finished, the couple took their leave. 
 
 Dr. Morton was slightly surprised at this procedure, but allow- 
 ing every man to have his own individual tastes supposed that 
 some portion of the declaration was true, and that Dr. Jackson, 
 from conscientious motives, really did not wish to receive any- 
 thing from the patent, even supposing it should ever prove valu- 
 able. To be sure it was a sudden change in sentiment, for he 
 had always before been apparently willing to have his delicacy 
 of feeling infringed upon to the amount of his ten per cent, and 
 had even seemed troubled that it could not be affected to a some- 
 what greater degree, even as severely as twenty-five per cent. 
 But he ultimately set it down as one of those sudden changes of 
 opinion not uncommon in great minds, and observed that in the 
 then existing condition of their pecuniary prospects, the destruc-
 
 234 DISCOVERT OP ETHERIZA.TION. FCHAP. XY. 
 
 tion of the bond would make very little difference in the amount 
 of " material aid" either of them would ever receive. 
 
 But the true reason of this mclo-dramatic performance, transpir- 
 ed on the afternoon of that very same day, when the anniversary of 
 the Massachusetts Medical Society took place, and the usual 
 dinner. At this dinner, Dr. Jackson being called upon, rose 
 and made a speech, in which he informed them, 1st. That he 
 was the sole discoverer of etherization ; 2d. That he had been 
 swindled into an application for a patent and co-partnership 
 with Morton ; 3d. " That he had destroyed the bond given him 
 by Morton, and made the use of ether, in sm-gical operations, 
 free to all mankind,^ ^ and, to use his own words in his letter to 
 Baron Von Humboldt, " free it has been from that day, in spite 
 of all attempts, to speculate in human sufferings, for money, as 
 was steadily persevered in by Dr. Morton and his associates." 
 Lastly, he ended off with the affecting declaration, that " he vol- 
 untarily offered his discovery freely to all medical men." 
 
 Dr. Jackson has ever since asserted, that, as a consequence, 
 " his claim was acknowledged by acclamation," and that he was 
 greeted with such applause, '' that even the door-keepers looked 
 in to see what was the matter," while, on the other hand, the 
 name of poor Morton " was received with hisses." This may 
 have been so, but it certainly would be diflScult to say whether 
 this uproar arose from a recognition of Dr. Jackson's own indi- 
 vidual merit, or an appreciation of the magnificence of his gift. 
 It was truly an overpowering compliment to them, and the least 
 return which any one present could make, would be some ap- 
 plause. Whether Dr. Jaclison had the right to give what, he did, 
 is another question. Where is the value of property, if one per- 
 son can, without permission, dispose of what belongs to another ? 
 If he had no power to throw it open, and this was doubtful as 
 the patent stood in Morton's name alone, the performance was 
 simply ridiculous, and reminds one of the habit of the petty- 
 Tartar sheik who was accustomed, after his meal of horse- 
 flesh, to have a trumpeter blow a blast before his tent, and an- 
 nounce that " his majesty having dined, all the nations of the 
 eai'th were at liberty to go to their dinners."
 
 CHAP. XV.] THE COUP D'ETAT. 235 
 
 It was, of course, a superfluous bit of information for him to 
 inform the members of the society that he had destroyed the bond 
 hut afeic hours before, just in time to be in season for the speech, 
 and after he had discovered that it did not possess the slightest pe- 
 cuniary value. It 'v%'as so much more preferable to leave the 
 time for this disinterested act vague, to allow each member to in- 
 fer that, " in the cause of justice, honor, and honesty," he had 
 some time before voluntarily impoverished himself. While, on 
 the other hand, the infamous Morton, still hankering after the 
 filthy lucre, was inclined to keep the harvest, and sell for gain 
 what he had been so willing to give away. 
 
 A curious little circumstance, which was not intended to in- 
 jure the disinterested and honorable position which Dr. Jackson 
 occupied at the close of the dinner, was the fact that the pam- 
 phlet of Dr. Gay, in vindication of Dr. Jackson and his claim, had 
 just then appeared (that very day) and a copy was placed in the 
 hands of each member of the society. 
 
 Whether all these gentlemen who, on that day, received Dr. 
 Jackson by acclamation and acknowledged the justice of his claim, 
 would, if the question had been put on any of the subsequent an- 
 niversaries, have done the same thing, can be best proved by an 
 examination of the relative number of names of members of the 
 society, who have signed the memorial presented by each of the 
 claimants ; nevertheless, it was an excellent coup for Dr. Jack- 
 son, it was a pleasant fillip to his digestion after the dinner, but, 
 alas ! it was but transitory. A little time, a little longer exami- 
 nation, and a little truth from the other side, unhappily for him, 
 changed all the minds, so that it is extremely doubtful if now 
 they would receive his announcement by acclamation. 
 
 The position of Dr. Jackson in Boston, and in scientific cir- 
 cles, was excellent for the credence of his statements. He was 
 favorably known, and his knowledge was appreciated, even by 
 Morton. An assertion made by him would carry great weight, 
 while hints and inuendoes from him would possess double the 
 value of those coming from the mouth of almost any other man. 
 Morton was simply a dentist, a man well known to be sure, for 
 his skill in his own business, but that wa.s all. Nothing was
 
 236 DISCOVEEY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XV. 
 
 known, except among a few, of his antecedents, and if discredit 
 could be thrown upon him and his truthfulness, any statements 
 which he might make would be disbelieved at once. The plan 
 was immediately formed by some person to affect Morton's good 
 fame. It was all important that prejudicial statements should 
 appear, not traceable to any one's authority, but of such a covert 
 and vague character, as to spread a general feeling of doubt and 
 dislike. It was necessary to move cautiously, for the libeler 
 might suddenly be called to account, for Morton was not the 
 man to sit quietly under suspicion, and bear without return any 
 injuries which might be inflicted. 
 
 As the wisest plan, therefore, it was concluded to try what 
 effect fear would have upon him, and see if threats would not in- 
 duce him to vacate without contest the position which was cov- 
 eted. If Morton could be induced, by any means, to make any 
 admission, or " back down " in tlie slightest degree from the dom- 
 inant position he then occupied, it would be a great point gained, 
 for at once a good basis for argument would be formed, that, if a 
 man would make one admission that some points in his state- 
 ments were incorrect, it furnished a presumptive proof that his 
 entire story was untrue, and that his whole claim therefore was 
 fallacious. 
 
 But first, it was necessary that some charge should be trumped 
 up against Morton, or some prejudicial item in his history dis- 
 covered, by which a degree of color could be given to the story 
 with which it was designed to act upon him. This was soon 
 accomplished, by the production of anonymous publications 
 from every place where Morton had, for ever so brief a 
 period, resided or not resided. By prying into every fact in 
 his past history, by inquiries put to all who had ever had the 
 slightest business transactions with him, and by distorting every 
 report, or slander told by an enemy, a basis was soon formed 
 sufficient to authorize the commencement of action.* 
 
 * To show with what extraordinary rapidity the agents worked when 
 afterward endeavoring to form a larger collection of injurious evidence, 
 and with what zeal the human bloodhounds pursued the scent of their an- 
 ticipated victim, some dates have been collected to show, when various
 
 CHAP. XT.] THE THKEAT. 237 
 
 The next move was to employ what had been collected, and 
 see if the effect of the announcement upon Morton would produce 
 the result hoped for. For this purpose it was arranged that the 
 attorney of Dr. Jackson should see Morton, and try what influ- 
 ence the exhibition and a threat would have upon him. Accord- 
 ingly, on the afternoon of the 21st of May, a student of Dr. 
 Jackson called at the office of Dr. Morton, and finding him at 
 home, informed him that the attorney for Dr. Jackson wished to 
 see him on a matter of the utmost importance, one which con- 
 cerned Dr. Morton alone, but had no reference to Dr. Jackson, 
 and appointing 7 o'clock that same evening for the interview. 
 
 To this Dr. Morton replied, that he could not make the visit 
 at that hour as it was after his usual time for leaving for his 
 home in the country, but that he would see Dr. Jackson's attor- 
 ney at some early hour on the ensuing day. With this change 
 the messenger did not seem satisfied, but said that as it was of so 
 great importance the interview had better be arranged for the 
 same afternoon at 4 o'clock. 
 
 On visiting the attorney's office at the appointed hour. Dr. 
 Morton found him alone, with the exception of a student of Dr. 
 Jackson. The attorney commenced the conversation by remark- 
 ing, " I have seen your pamphlet." 
 
 " Not mine — you mistake," replied Dr. Morton, " you mean 
 Mr. "Warren's. How do you like it!" (This referred to the 
 publication of " Some Account of the Letheon, or Who was the 
 Discoverer," which had just then appeared.) 
 
 " I was much surprised at its contents," replied the attorney ; 
 and then added, "Well, Morton, you know what is in the past; 
 what is to be done ? Shall each of you throw all the cudgels we 
 can? It would be much better for you and Dr. Jackson to set- 
 tle than to have the prospects of yourself and family forever blast- 
 ed ; for there has been collected from various cities such evidence 
 as must crush and ruin you if it is published. Now, although 
 
 places wei'e visited, where it was expected any information could be pro- 
 cured. On April 11th, at Mount Morris, N. Y. — on April 12th, in Roches- 
 ter—April 7th, 9th, 12th, 13th, at St. Louis— AprU 23d, 26th, 27th, 28th, 
 at Cincinnati — and then immediately after at Baltimore.
 
 238 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XT. 
 
 your conduct may have been the imprudence of youth, as it was 
 before you was of age, still, that will not be taken into account. 
 On the other hand, if you will own the fact that you first got 
 your information relative to the discovery from Dr. Jackson, and 
 make a statement to that effect, you could stay here, and practice 
 your profession, and be a useful man in your business." 
 
 Although astonished by this preamble, and not appreciating its 
 tenor, Dr. Morton saw at once that there was a plan on foot to 
 terrify him into an acquiescence with their proposals, leaving the 
 character of the means to be employed entirely in obscurity ; he 
 therefore determined to discover, if possible, what this terrible 
 punishment with which he was menaced really amounted to. 
 
 " I confess," replied Dr. Morton, " I cannot understand what 
 you intend by your remarks, unless it is to say to me, that if I 
 do not choose to assent to Dr. Jackson's statements you will en- 
 tirely ruin me and my family." 
 
 To this the student of Dr. Jackson made answer : " We mean 
 that there is a man who has gathered the most complete mass of 
 testimony as to your past history, and that it will be published 
 in less than ten days, unless a correct statement of the matter is 
 made. Then it can be prevented, and all be kept an entire se- 
 cret." 
 
 Here were the batteries entirely unmasked. Dr. Morton saw 
 at once the plan which had been laid to injure him, and the means 
 by which it was to be accomplished, but he did not know of 
 what the materials were to consist, and what mass of testimony 
 it could possibly be which they had collected. He saw that it 
 was of vital importance to discover what this was, so that he 
 could at once explain and refute it, and he decided to compel 
 them cither to declare it upon the spot, or let them publish it to 
 the world, and thus put forever out of the way of danger to him 
 this formidable weapon. 
 
 He therefore boldly answered : " I am to understand, gentle- 
 men, that you have sent for me to threaten, and thus to frighten 
 me into your measures. You have the wrong man. You may 
 make the most of your boasted collection of evidence to ruin me 
 and my family. I consider this only shows the weakness of your
 
 CHAP. XV.] A TRAP LAID. 239 
 
 cmise, that you can resort to such contemptible schemes to help 
 it out." 
 
 Both the attorney and student at once denied that there "^^'as any 
 such design on their part, or the part of Dr. Jackson, and said, 
 that the instigation came from another individual. They assert- 
 ed that they were very anxious to have the matter amicably set- 
 tled, and suggested that, considering the previous negotiations 
 had failed, the two rivals had better ^Hry again,'' proposing 
 at the same time that Dr. Morton should draw up such a state- 
 ment as he would be willing to sign and hand it to them for ex- 
 amination. To this new proposal. Dr. Morton replied, that 
 ''he did not believe anything could he accomplished by this mode 
 of procedure, as the failure of the former attempt had not result- 
 ed from any backwardness on his part, to negotiate, but from an 
 evident inclination in Dr. Jackson to postpone every measure 
 that could bring it to an open and fail' judication." 
 
 Tiie attorney still, however, urged this point, until finally it 
 was arranged that Dr. Morton should call in person on Dr. 
 Jackson, the next day at three o'clock, P. M., and instead of 
 the more complex and tedious plan by writing, should have a 
 plain explanation with him. An important engagement pre- 
 vented Dr. Morton from keeping this appointment at the hour, 
 so that he was unwillingly compelled to notify Dr. Jackson of 
 his inability to attend, but at the same time, he requested him 
 to appoint any other hour that might suit him. To this Dr. 
 Jackson replied, that " he had taken advice, and made up his 
 mind not to see him at all on the subject." 
 
 Finding that Morton was not to be intimidated, and by his 
 bold procedure had foiled the first plan, it was evident that some 
 other use must be made of the libels so laboriously collected. To 
 publish them they did not dare, for their very character would 
 lay them exposed to jegal procedure. Moreover, it would have 
 defeated their object, for it would have afforded Morton the op- 
 portunity which he wished, at once, by the same public mean.s, 
 to explain, and refute them, and thus make impotent the scheme 
 devised for his ruin. 
 
 But if they could not publish the accusations, they could be
 
 240 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XV. 
 
 secretly shown, and by a careful choice of the persons, they 
 could be made to work him a great deal of injury ; and as evil 
 report flies quick, soon would produce nearly as much effect as 
 if given to the world in print. * 
 
 That this was done, is shown by the testimony (taken down 
 from his own lips, by Richard H. Dana, Jr.) of an agent who 
 was engaged in 1847 to make sales of the patent rights. He 
 says : " In May, 1847, I was employed by Dr. Morton as a den- 
 tist. Dr. Morton lived out of town, and was not in his office 
 evenings. Dr. H.j used to come there evenings, and converse 
 with me, and told me a good deal against Morton, and in favor 
 of Dr. Jackson. I had at that time a pecuniary difficulty with 
 Dr. Morton, and was rather disposed against him ; Dr. H.'s state- 
 ments made considerable impression upon me, and I communi- 
 cated them to Dr. Hay den, who was also employed by Dr. Mor- 
 ton. At length Dr. H. asked me to go with him to Dr. Jack- 
 son's and learn something that would astonish me. I went ; 
 Dr. Jackson and one of his students were there. They had on 
 the table some documents, which were submitted to me to read. 
 These documents were a letter from a Mr. De Forge, an anony- 
 mous article in a western paper, attacking Dr. Morton's character, 
 published some years back, and certain letters in support of the 
 charges. Dr. Jackson gave the documents to me. I showed 
 them to Dr. Hayden. Some time afterward, Dr. Jackson told 
 me that his lawyers had sent for Dr. Morton, and told him, that 
 unless he renounced his claim to the discovery, they would pub- 
 lish these documents, and that Morton cried and begged them 
 
 * Dr. Morton lost no time in laying the subject of this interview before 
 his attorney, R. H. Dana, Jr., Esq., who first wrote the substance of this 
 interview in his journal, and then called upon the attorney of Dr. Jackson 
 for information as to the alleged charges, and what \ise they intended to 
 make of them; and they gave him the same assurance that they had given 
 Morton, viz. : that it was not they who intended to use them, but another 
 party. Mr. Dana, by a singular accident, traced the possession of them to 
 a gentleman in Boston, and demanded, as the attorney of Dr. Morton, to 
 see them. This gentleman stated that the papers were in the hands of 
 another, and under his exclusive control. 
 
 t A dentist of Boston.
 
 CHAP. XT.] TRANSFEEEKCE OP OPERATIONS TO EUROPE. 241 
 
 not to do so, and promised to retract everything, and acknowl- 
 edge Jackson's claim. He said he met Morton in his attorney's 
 entry, and that Morton begged him not to publish the thing, 
 and promised to do all he would request. Statements were fre- 
 quently made to me, and to others, to the same effect, by Drs. 
 Jackson and H., and his students. They endeavored to get me 
 to publish these documents anonymously ; I beheve they wished 
 to have them published if it could be done without involving 
 them. I do not think they intended to publish them themselves, 
 but only to intimidate Morton into compliance." 
 
 The same budget of libels was carried to a distant state, and 
 offered to be shown to the father-in-law of Dr. Morton, and the 
 attempt was made by assertions, that the truth of them could 
 be proved in every particular, to prejudice him against his son. 
 They were offered to be shown to some of the surgeons of the 
 hospital, and to Dr. Burnett, and from the effect which was pro- 
 duced in Boston, it is evident that a large number of other persons 
 were made confidants of their import. Mr. Caleb Eddy who 
 was about to testify in favor of Dr. Morton, was told by mem- 
 bers of Dr. Jackson's family, that he was about to be ruined. 
 
 But it was not enough that the mischief should be sown in this 
 country, it was necessary that the same influence should be 
 brought to bear in Europe, especially upon the members of the 
 French Academy, who were then examining into the merits of 
 the discovery. Dr. Jackson knew full well, that it would be of 
 the greatest value to his claim to the undisputed ownership, to 
 have a full recognition by the Academy; and if in the decision, 
 the name of Morton could, by any means, be omitted, his point 
 would be gained, and Morton would be forever lost sight of in 
 the subsequent belief of the community and the honors to be 
 awarded in the future to the discoverer. 
 
 In order to bring it in the most effective and yet subtle man- 
 ner, before the several members of the committee, it was neces- 
 sary that some one should be on the spot to Jiint to them concern- 
 ing the slanders, and to cast such slurs upon Morton, as if coming 
 from disinterested parties,that the committee wo-uld be, perforce, 
 compelled to listen to them. It would not be politic to send 
 
 11
 
 242 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XV. 
 
 them to M. de Beaumont, for it was well known that he was a 
 personal friend, and was the strong advocate of the Jackson 
 claim; besides he was a foreigner, and of course could only learn 
 the tenor of the libels by hearsay. Pie therefore wrote to his 
 friend, J. D. Whitney, Esq., then in Paris : 
 
 " Boston-, March 29th, 1847. 
 ' Dear Friexd : 
 
 " I write in hopes my letter may meet you in Paris, to ask you to call 
 on M. Elie de Beaumont, M. Yelpeau, M. Roux, M. Milne Edwards, and 
 Dr. Brewster, to inform tbem in relation to the discovery made by me, 
 of the insensibility to pain effected by inhalation of sulphuric ether vapor. 
 Please let them know that the discovery originated exclusively with me, 
 and that Morton only extracted a tooth by my advice in order to test it — a 
 painful operation. 
 
 I^wish you would explain to gentlemen in Paris, Messrs. Eddy and Mor- 
 ton's characters, that they may know how much reliance to place in their 
 statements. The whole Eddy family are at war with us, and old Mr. Eddy 
 runs round in the streets and in the gi'ocer}^ stores to tell his falsehoods 
 about me, and to try to run me down. 
 
 " We have proofs that Morton is a swindler, and that he has tried to 
 bribe his workmen to certify to falsehoods, and that he attempted to bribe 
 one of the printers of the Atlas to insert an article against me, which had 
 been rejected by the editor. He is accused of swindling with forged let- 
 ters of credit on persons in St. Louis, Xew-Orleans, &c. 
 
 " I have seen the letter in which he is denounced for these transactions, 
 and shall soon have other and ample proofs of liis villainy. I think, there- 
 fore, his word is not to be put against that of an honest man. 
 
 " Do set this matter-right in Paris, so far as you can, and oblige 
 
 " Your friend, " C. T. Jackson. 
 
 " J. D. Whitney, Esq., Paris:' 
 
 " Dear Whitney : 
 
 "I add another half sheet to my letter to say that the facts relating to 
 the characters of my opponents, need not be published, though I think they 
 ought to be made known to any one who should appear to be willing to 
 lay their claims before the Academy of Sciences. 
 
 " I understand that Morton is actually obtaining certificates favoring his 
 claim, and that he and Eddy are about to send by this steamer letters to be 
 laid before the Institute. They ought to be at once rejected as coming 
 from perjured men. Let the Academy at all events decline any action until 
 informed whether these memorialists are respectable people or not. It is 
 too bad that I should be annoyed by such a man as Morton,* or that any 
 
 * Compare the above statement with the following letter written twen- 
 ty-eight days previously :
 
 CHAP. XV.] FALSE INSINUATIONS. 243 
 
 one should pay the least attention to his absurd claims. He is completely 
 tied up here by his own admissions. So he will ultimately be proved an 
 imposter. 
 
 " If I am commissioned a U . S. Geologist, I shall write to you to assist 
 me by taking charge of a part of the work. 
 
 " Please call on Mr. Walsh, correspondent of the National Intelligencer, 
 and let him know the merit of the case, and tell him I have sent to M. de 
 Beaumont a full account of my claims, drawn up by Dr. Gay, &.C., &c. 
 " Truly your friend, *' C. T. Jackson"." 
 
 Maj. Benj. Perley Poore, of Boston, who was in Paris at the 
 period of the investigation by the committee of the Academy of 
 Sciences, as " Historical Agent of the Commonwealth of Massa- 
 chusetts, and correspondent of the Boston .4 ^/o^," thus details the 
 manner in which these libels were employed to influence the Acad- 
 emy against Morton. " This impromptu recognition of Dr. Mor- 
 ton," he wrote (referring to the announcement of M. Magendie 
 that the discovery was made " by an American dentist without any 
 allusion to Dr. Jackson"), " as the one who first rendered the quali- 
 ties of ether of practical use, brought over a volley of missives 
 from Dr. Jackson and his attorneys. A common sewer of abuse 
 was poured forth upon Dr. Morton, who was denounced as hav- 
 ing committed every crime, except murder : and when his pam- 
 phlet arrived, most Americans were prejudiced against him. I 
 have a letter fi*om Mr. "Walsh, then United States Consul, in 
 which he declines considering Dr. Morton's claims ; and a friend 
 of Dr. Jackson made personal application to me, to send noth- 
 
 To the Secretary of the Executive Committee of the American Society of Den- 
 tal Surgeons : 
 
 " Mr. "W. T. G. Morton, dentist, entered his name with me as a student of 
 medicine, March 20, 1844, and attended to practical anatomy in the Massar 
 chusetts Medical College during the winter of that year, where he dissect- 
 ed with diligence and zeal, and paid special attention to the anatomy 
 of the head and throat — parts of human anatomy particularly important 
 to the surgeon dentist. He also studied Bell's, and other standard worka 
 on anatomy, and attended the lectures of Drs. "Warren, Hayward, and 
 other professors. I would recommend him as a suitable person for admission 
 as a dental surgeon. He is a skillful operator in dentistry, both in surgi- 
 cal and mechanical departments, and has studied the chemical proper- 
 ties of the ingredients required for the manufacture of artificial teeth. 
 
 " BosToK, March 1, 1847" "Charles T. Jacksoit.
 
 244 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XT. 
 
 ing for publication in the J5oston Atlas, which would even rec- 
 ognize Dr. Morton, whom he denounced as an illiterate quack, 
 of infamous character. 
 
 " Another parcel of documents from Dr. Jackson was read 
 before the Academy on the 5th of May, and added to the oblo- 
 quy cast upon Dr. Morton. 
 
 *' You will sec, sir, that Dr. Jackson completely forestalled 
 Dr. Morton before ^ the Academy, and had an opportunity, 
 through his friend, Elie de Beaumont, to win the confidence of 
 the Academicians, while he and his friends did all in their power 
 to defame and to degrade Dr. Morton. I might, sir, state facts 
 which have come to my knowledge concerning publications made 
 in scurrilous American papers by Dr. Jackson's emissaries against 
 Dr. Morton — a line of conduct which can but enlist in Dr. 
 Morton's behalf the sympathy of every gentleman. 
 
 "I have sent a copy of this to Dr. Morton, and can substan- 
 tiate, if necessary, every statement which it contains." 
 
 That these horrible reports could fail in producing some effect 
 upon tke individuals composing that committee, is not to be sup- 
 posed, even if the endeavor was made by them to render a fair, 
 unbiased opinion. If one of the claimants was such a deceitful 
 villain as his countrymen represented him to be, what confidence 
 could be put in his statements, particularly when coming in di- 
 rect collision with the personal assurances of a man known to 
 them, and highly recommended by every one who mentioned his 
 name. This unavoidable bias, and the forestalling of opinion by 
 early testimony, as explained when speaking of the action of the 
 Academy, goes far to explain the result of their inquiry, and the 
 half recognition of Morton's claim, as shown by the divided 
 award. 
 
 Tlie most persevering attempts were made by Dr. Jackson to 
 discredit everything which related to Dr. Morton's claim, his 
 statements, or any of the testimonials which he has received. 
 The following letter which came into the possession of Dr. 
 Morton, in the following curious manner, shows the silent, 
 unobtrusive way adopted to spread round these discrediting 
 reports.
 
 CHAP. xtI an dnluckt letter. 245 
 
 Our present Minister to Paraguay, Mr. Bowlin, while walking 
 in the Capitol grounds one day, discovered a letter lying in his 
 path, which he picked up. Finding that it was a sheet which 
 had heen sent in an envelope, and that this had been destroyed 
 or lost, he was forced, in order to discover the owner, to open it 
 to see to whom it was addressed. On looking at the signature, 
 he discovered the name of Dr. Jackson, whom he knew to be 
 an enemy of Morton's, to whom he was a warm friend. Mor- 
 ton's name next attracted his eye, and finding soon what the na- 
 ture of its contents was, it was by him given to Morton. 
 
 '* (Private.) " Boston, March 2Sth, 1852. 
 
 "K. H. Bacox, Esq., 
 
 " Mv Dear Sir : I am much obliged to you for your note, and for your slip* 
 from iST. Y. Evening Post, which is admirable and just what ought to have 
 been said. The more Morton's pretensions are examined, the more will it 
 become apparent that they are without any foundation. That medal affair 
 I think will turn out to be an abominable fraud, and it will break up the 
 last ground of hope for Morton. I have seen evidence that the French 
 Academy des Sciences does not give a medal for a prize of medicine et 
 chirurgie, but only a money prize. The Montyon prize fund for medicine 
 et chirurgie is 44,843 francs, the annual interest of which is paid in 
 the form of prizes, viz. : about 2690 francs. Xow I received from the 
 Academy of Sciences of France, one of the prizes of medicine et chii'urgie 
 in the Montyon fund, which sum was $-500, and this I have had invested for 
 more than a year in the Tremont Bank for my two daughters. Now the 
 Montyon prize for 1847 was given to me, and it is probable that " un au- 
 tre prix" given to Mr. Morton was that for 1848, but the says it was 
 
 given to Mr. Morton ' pour avoir introduit cette methode dans la pratique 
 chirurgicale, d'aprcs Ics indications de M. Jackson.' 
 
 " Hence it was for seiwices, rendered to me by Mr. Morton — pay to my 
 mechanical operator, nothing more. 
 
 " It would appear probable that Mr. Morton, in order to gull people, by 
 
 * The following is the slip referred to : " It is not true, as reported by 
 telegraph to New-York last Monday, that Dr. Jackson has been arrested 
 here by Morton, or anybody else. His lawyer has been served with notice 
 of intended suit. Nothing more. There is a deepening indignation here 
 against the intended majority report of the ' Chloroform Committee.' The 
 thing when it shall come up, will expose more villainy than one could be- 
 fore conceive to environ any claim for government bounty. Dr. Jackson 
 is here, but carefully avoids any personal contact with Members of Con- 
 gress."
 
 246 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XT. 
 
 having something more than five-franc pieces to show, has caused by his own 
 order a medal to be made for him by some jeweler or goldsmith of Paris, with- 
 out the knowledge or consent of the Academy of Sciences, and has had the 
 name Montyon engraved upon it, and his own name also. 
 
 "If the Academy had acted in changing his autre prix of moncj' into a 
 medal worth $300 (its actual value) it would appear in the proces verbal 
 of the Academy, and in the Compte Rendus of the Academy, but no such 
 record is to be found. 
 
 " Again it lias been publicly declared that this medal is a forgery or 
 fraudulent ; and if Morton had any papers to show it to have been come by 
 honestly, he would of course show them to the doubters. Hence we have 
 a right to doubt, and to demand proof The medal is anything but proof 
 It bears no mai'k of being from an Academy of Sciences in its execution, 
 and 'the Academy has no dies for striking a medal' of this kind. So says 
 Monsr. Jules Marcou, geologist for the French government, resident now 
 in Dorchester, near Boston. 
 
 " In haste, yours most truly, 
 
 " Charles T. Jackson." 
 
 It is not to be for a moment supposed that Dr. Jackson, with 
 his familiarity with the rules of the Academy, did not know that 
 the medal was genuine, and that it had been really awarded by 
 the French Academy to Dr. Morton. This letter was designedly 
 written to act on the credulity of a newspaper reporter, hard up 
 for an item, and was intended to furnish him the material, out of 
 which to work a " sensation paragraph." Whether it was all 
 true or not, was no matter to Dr. Jackson, only provided it was 
 published, for once out, it would be extensively copied, and no 
 amount of subsequent retraction could remove the false impres- 
 sion. 
 
 No sooner was it known, in 1848, tliat a move was on foot to 
 present Dr. Morton with a slight testimonial from the Bostoni- 
 ans, which was afterward enclosed to him in a silver casket, and 
 before referred to, than there appeared in the various newspapers 
 of Boston, under the signature of Dr. Jackson, a card, cautioning 
 the friends of science and humanity against a combination of in- 
 terested persons, &c., &c., followed up by his addressing letters 
 to persons who had subscribed, or that it was supposed would do so,
 
 CHAP. XT.] THE TELEGRAPH MADE A SCAPEGOAT. 247 
 
 calculated greatly to detract from Dr. Morton's true merits, and 
 induce a reluctance on the part of individuals to have anything 
 to do with this testimonial. He attempted to turn the whole 
 affair into ridicule, and show that Dr. Morton made an improper 
 use of the names appended to the testimonial, because, after the 
 correspondence between him and the committee, and the names 
 of the signers of the testimonial had been published by the 
 committee, he republished it in an appendix to a small work he 
 sent to the press. 
 
 While Dr. Jackson was in Washington, in 1849, he was fre- 
 quently attacking Dr. Morton's character and threatening to 
 impeach the veracity of his witnesses. Dr. Edwards, the chair- 
 man, replied, " It will not do to attack Dr. Morton's character, 
 for no man ever came to Washington with better credentials." 
 
 Now whether the flourishing of letters from the savans of 
 Europe, which he did do, and the attacks upon Morton's charac- 
 ter, were found insufficient to secure the realization of Dr. Jack- 
 son's expectations from the committee, can only be conjectured 
 by the sudden exhibition of the following telegraphic dispatch, 
 which was appended to a minority report : 
 
 *' Note. — Before the ink Avith which we penned our concluding 
 sentence was dry, a telegraphic dispatch was laid before us by 
 Joseph L. Lord, Esq., of Boston, announcing that, on the 31st 
 of January last, the Institute of France awarded the * Cross 
 OF THE Legion of Honor' to Dr. Jackson, as the discoverer 
 of etherization. 
 
 " It is extremely gratifying to find that our own views concur 
 with the decision which has been pronounced in favor of Dr. 
 Jackson, by the most enlightened body of scientific men in the 
 world." 
 
 The chairman of the committee wrote to Dr. Morton, a few 
 weeks after, that " The dispatch w^as a feather in Dr. Jackson's 
 cap, and had it not been received, I have no doubt the minority 
 report would never have seen daylight." 
 
 Upon the announcement of the first Congressional report, 
 notices appeared in the newspapers, asserting that the French 
 Institute, after examining all the opposing testimony, had
 
 248 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XY- 
 
 awarded the credit of the discovery to Dr. Jackson. This was 
 followed up by articles from Dr. Jackson's attornies, published 
 in the Boston newspapers, purporting to give the views of each 
 member of the Committee of Congress, as inconsistent with the 
 report they had recently made in fiwor of Dr. Morton. In ad- 
 dition, they detailed conversations they had had with Morton's 
 witnesses,* in elFect that tliey had acknowledged to them that 
 they had falsely testified. This, with the above announcement, 
 took the attention of the public so effectually, that any van- 
 tage ground Morton had seemed to acquire by the Congressional 
 report was completely enclouded, and it was not until after the 
 minority report had been reviewed in connection with the de- 
 cision of the French Academy, that Dr. Jackson came before 
 the public with the following card : 
 
 " To the Editor of the Boston Daily Advertiser : 
 
 '' Dear Sir : It having be^n alleged that I have stated that the award of 
 the Cross of the Legion of Honor was made to me by the French Govern- 
 ment in consequence of a. formal decision, of the Academy of Sciences of 
 France, in favor of my claims to the Ether discovery — I would remark 
 that I have made no such statement, but that I consider the award as due 
 to the entire unanimity of opinion which I have been informed by my cor- 
 respondent in Paris, and among them, by Mons. L. Elie de Beaumont, a 
 distinguished member of that learned body, prevails among its members 
 as to my right to the discovery. 
 
 " Under these circumstances I presume the French Government would 
 not deem a formal vote of the Academ}^ necessary — though one may have 
 been passed — before conferring the honor. 
 
 " In the Report of the minority of the Committee of Congress on the 
 Ether discovery, the award, in consequence of a mistake in a telegraphic 
 communication, is ascribed to the Institute of France, instead of being as- 
 cribed, as it should have been, to the President of France, who in confer- 
 ring thi-s honor for scientific services, is supposed to act in accordance with 
 the views of the Institute. 
 
 *' Pespectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 " Charles T. Jackson 
 
 " Boston, Mareh Z\st, 1849." 
 
 * The Report, Is'o. 114 — 30th Congress, closes with a note alluding to 
 these interviews between Jackson's attorneys and Morton's witnesses in 
 which it says, that it " shows an efi'ort to entrap him in a mode not usu- 
 ally practiced by the legal profession of the United States."
 
 CHAP. XT.] FREE MASONS. 249 
 
 Although the above was a partial retraction, it was too late 
 to repair the injury done. 
 
 Dr. Morton had made application for admission to the rights 
 of a free mason, and an examination concerning his demands 
 was still pending before a selected committee. The charges 
 against him were laid before it, as a reason against his admis- 
 sion — for even this gi atification was begrudged him by his ene- 
 mies. But here the plot resulted in faikire, for after an exami- 
 nation of them, the charges were dismissed as unsubstantiated, it 
 not untrue, and Dr. Morton was admitted to full fellowship, and 
 passed in regular order through all the degrees. 
 
 Again the depreciating statements were laid before the com- 
 mittee of the Massachusetts General Hospital, when engaged in 
 an examination of the two claims. Mr. N. I. Bowditch thus 
 refers to this cowardly and mean procedure, in a letter written 
 by him to the Chairman of the Congressional Committee : " I 
 will not deny that I feel a warm interest in the success of Dr. 
 Morton's application. I regard him as a much-injured man. 
 The system pursued by Dr. Jackson and his friends it is difficult 
 to reconcile with a regard to truth, justice, and honor. The 
 cliaracter of Dr. Morton has been attempted to be assailed, his 
 private confidential letters written many years before, have been 
 procured and exhibited, tales to his disadvantage told with a 
 view to influence those with whom he had pecuniary dealings, 
 and a deliberate attempt made by Dr. Jackson himself to lay before 
 me, as chairman of the Hospital Committee, an anonymous newspaper 
 attack on Dr. Morton, published many years before in a distant state. 
 All this I felt to be an unworthy attempt of Dr. Jackson and 
 his friends to procure a decision in his favor, in a mere question 
 of scientific discovery, upon the wholly irrelevant grounds of his 
 opponent's alleged private character." 
 
 Even as late as the year 1855, when Dr. Morton was about 
 receiving the gratifying and honorable appointment of Commis- 
 sioner from the National Agricultural Society to the French In- 
 dustrial Exhibition — (the great Exposition) — the same unworthy 
 use was made of this libelous evidence to poison the minds of the 
 society, and defeat his election, bv bein" laid before the Presi- 
 
 11*
 
 250 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XT 
 
 dent of the society, the Hon. Marshall P. Wilder. But, as in 
 several of the previous instances, it was again defeated, and a 
 certificate of election was sent him.* 
 
 Even to his own town, to his own home, where, with his 
 family, he endeavored to withdraw himself from all contact 
 with his enemies, and forget the persecutions with which he 
 was so constantly assailed, the trained bloodhounds which were 
 panting for his destruction, followed him. 
 
 A letter was sent from Boston to the clergyman of the parish 
 which Dr. Morton attended, informing him of the tenor of what 
 was asserted against Dr. Morton, and pointing to the place in 
 Boston where the evidence could be seen and examined. The 
 clergyman visited the place indicated in the letter, and although 
 surprised at what was represented to him as true, acted as 
 behooved a man of his profession. He at once informed Dr. 
 Morton of the fact, and of what was represented against him, 
 but beyond that he kept the knowledge to himself. 
 
 This was not the result anticipated, it was not intended that 
 the beginning and the end should be at the same place, it was 
 hoped that the love of gossip inherent in a small town, would 
 quickly spread the news to every inhabitant of the village. A 
 second attempt was accordingly made, and this time with suc- 
 cess, copies were furnished to an individual of the town, gifted 
 with less prudence and a longer tongue. He acted according 
 to the suggestions, and soon the report was in the mouth of every 
 man, woman, and child ; it lost nothing in its travels, and gath- 
 ering importance by each successive repetition, it ultimately ar- 
 rived at most horrific dimensions. A terrible excitement fol- 
 lowed, and the angry buzz of the many tongues became like that 
 from a swarm of bees disturbed in their hive. 
 
 "With the excitement further fomented by special agents, and 
 
 * " United States Agricultural Society, ) 
 Washingtox, March 3, 1855. ) 
 " Dr. "W". T. G. Morton is hereby appointed a Commissioner to attend and 
 report upon the Industrial Exhibition at Paris, on the part of the United 
 States Agricultural Society. 
 
 " Marshall P. "Wilder, President. 
 " William S. Kino, Secretary.''
 
 CHAP. XT.] r>R- MORTON BURNT AT THE STAKE. 251 
 
 veiy likely prompted by them, it was soon found necessary to 
 furnish some outlet for their united venom. A personal attack 
 upon Dr. Morton their courage would not allow, for there were 
 the terrors of the law to restrain their zeal. At last some wise- 
 acre proposed, that as they could not wreak their vengeance 
 upon the body of Dr. Morton, they should expend it upon some 
 inanimate substitute. He was therefore hung in effigy, and after- 
 ward burnt at the stake. A Guy-Faux-like proceeding which 
 resulted in the loss of a spare suit of clothes, a fund of amuse- 
 ment to the small urchins of the village, a safe ebullition of feel- 
 ing on the part of the older inhabitants, and very little injury to 
 the object of their resentment. 
 
 When it was known in Boston that Dr. Morton was again 
 upon the point of making an application to Congress, a panic 
 fell upon the league raised to crush him. Again malice prompted 
 a plan, and again were the charges brought to bear to his disad- 
 vantage. Emissaries were sent to show the evidence to the 
 mayor of the city, and the attempt was made to induce him to 
 interfere in his official capacity. It was proposed to him, that 
 after examining them he should write to Washington, and by 
 endorsing them, endeavor to prevent any action of Congress in 
 the matter. 
 
 But this wretched scheme was frustrated by the kind inter- 
 position of Dr. Morton's friends in the city. Mr. Bowditch and 
 Mr. Burnett went in person before the mayor, and by their 
 representations and personal assurances, induced him to suspend 
 all action on his part, and let matters take their own course. 
 
 Finally, at the time of the second application to Congress, 
 and after its especial reference to a committee, the charges were 
 again used to prejudice the minds of the members and influence 
 their decision. " A mass of written and printed statements was 
 offered by Dr. Jackson, tending to impeach the character of Dr. 
 Morton. This your committee rejecte-d, deeming it wholly irrele- 
 vant to the subject committed to them by the resolution of the 
 House, and leading to a long and laborious trial of many 
 immaterial issues. 
 
 " Dr. Jackson speaks of Dr. Morton in terms of great bitter-
 
 252 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XT- 
 
 ness. He assails bis private character, declaring that it is infa- 
 mous. Much of his letter to Baron Von Humboldt, -which he 
 has filed before your committee as his answer, for this reason 
 would not be suffered to remain on the files of the Court of 
 Chancery, but would be stricken out for scandal and imperti- 
 nence. Your committee utterly refused, as stated above, to 
 receive evidence of general character, or of particular accusation 
 or defense, for or against either of the parties, not relevant to 
 the issue. But, as the charges advanced by Dr. Jackson against 
 Dr. Morton, in the letter above, must remain on the files of the 
 House, and be printed with the proceedings of the committee, 
 they deem it but just to say, that these charges are not only not 
 supported by, but are utterly inconsistent with, the current proofs 
 in this case."* 
 
 Dr. Morton "requested that they should be received, he being 
 allowed time to procure rebutting evidence," but, for the reasons 
 above given, the request was not complied with, and again his 
 desire to see what these charges consisted of, and to bring them 
 to a public examination, was frustrated. 
 
 It is highly probable that, although this evidence was not Re- 
 ceived by the committee in its ofiicial capacity, it was examined 
 by the members individually, and that its influence upon them 
 was shown by their subsequent division and the publication of 
 the minority report. That this has some foundation, is shown 
 by the rancor and violence with which the report is occasion- 
 ally characterized. 
 
 No one but a person unfiivorably biased against the man him- 
 self could have penned such a paragraph as occurs in the minor- 
 ity report : 
 
 "Dr. Jackson remonstrated before the committee against 
 any weight being given to Morton's statements. He declared that 
 he was a man of infamous character, and, therefore, wholly un- 
 worthy of credit. Dr. Jackson, by his counsel, offered to the 
 committee evidence to prove Morton's infamous character, for the 
 pui'pose of discrediting him as a witness. The committee de- 
 clined to receive this evidence, upon the grounds distinctly de- 
 * Congressional Reports,
 
 CHAP. XT.] ATTEMPTS TO PREJUDICE CONGRESS. 253 
 
 dared by them, that the committee should throw out of the 
 question the statements of hoth parties. This the committee 
 have not done with respect to Mr. Morton. The committee, 
 moreover, reprove Dr. Jackson for having spoken of Morton with 
 great bitterness, and declare that ' they deem it but just to say- 
 that Dr. Jackson's charges are not only not supported, but are 
 wholly inconsistent with the current proofs in the case.' 
 
 "Dr. Jackson thus stands charged as a false caluminator. The 
 undersigned, therefore, believing Dr. Jackson to be an honest 
 and truthful man, cannot, without doing him gross injustice, 
 withhold the evidence as to Morton's character." 
 
 Another attempt to prejudice Congress against Dr. Morton 
 was made at the American Medical Convention, which met about 
 the same time at Richmond, Virginia. Careful plans had been 
 laid by Dr. Jackson, and by the attorney of the Wells claim, to 
 obtain from that body the passage of a resolution disparaging the 
 merits of Dr. Morton as the discoverer of ansesthesia, but the 
 doctor fortunately became apprized of their intentions. Letters* 
 of high character were given him by Judge McLean, by the Hon. 
 
 ♦ The following are some of the letters above referred to : 
 
 " House of Representatives, ^ 
 
 \Y(isMngtQn, May 4, 1852. \ 
 " My Dear Sir ; 
 
 " Allow me to introduce to your acquaintance, Dr. Morton of Boston, 
 a gentleman to whom the world is so much indebted for the discovery of 
 another agent, which places him among the benefactors of his race. I have 
 read with great care, the report of the select committee of the House of 
 Representatives, embracing with an appendix upward of one hundred 
 pages, and it seems to me, the report demonstrates beyond a shadow of ques- 
 tion, the right of Dr. Morton to the honor of that discovery. I am sure you 
 will find him an instructive and entertaining acquaintance, and I shall be 
 grateful, if you would introduce him to other members of your Convention. 
 " I am, very truly yours, 
 " Dr. Hugh M-Guire, " Chas. J. Falkxer. 
 
 ''Richmond, Fa." 
 
 "WAsnixGTOX, iMay i 1852. 
 " My Dear Doctor : 
 
 *' This will introduce to you. Dr. Morton of Boston, and of anaesthe- 
 tic celebrity. He desires in visiting Richmond, to make the acquaintance
 
 254 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. XV 
 
 Mr. Falkner and other gentlemen in Congress, and members of 
 the medical profession, to Southern physicians at the conven- 
 tion, while those from the North were already acquainted with 
 his position, and ably defended it. 
 
 During the whole of this period Dr. Morton had not seen 
 these charges, which were so constantly employed against him by 
 his adversaries. They had, thus far, not dared to bring to his 
 eyes, either by publishing or by depositing them in the hands of 
 persons in whom they had confidence, so that Morton could have 
 access to test their truth or falsity. 
 
 But finding that all the attempts which had been made to use 
 them to Morton's prejudice in this secret manner, had wholly, or 
 in great measure, failed, another much bolder plan was at once 
 resolved upon, which it was supposed would at once blast his 
 reputation and prospects for ever. 
 
 Copies of all the charges were furnished to some of the lead- 
 ing newspapers throughout the country, to the New-York Herald 
 and others, but, to their credit be it said, no notice was 
 taken of them. It is not known how they were sent, whether 
 anonymously, by some of Dr. Jackson's friends, or directly with 
 the endorsement of the party emitting them. The miserable 
 truth still remains, that it was hoped and expected that the 
 slanders should be spread broadcast over the country ; that every 
 
 of some of the medical gentlemen of that city. As you are -well acquainted 
 there, you can gratify his wishes, and I am sure you will take pleasure in 
 doing so much for one, who has done so much for our profession. 
 * •' Yours, very truly, 
 
 " John Fred. Mat. 
 •' Dr. Robert K. Stone, 
 
 " Richmond Ta." 
 
 " "WASHiNaTON, May 4, 1852. 
 " My Dear Sir : 
 
 " This will be handed to you by Dr. Morton, who desires to become 
 acquainted with j-ou, and I take pleasure in introducing him. He is the gen- 
 tleman who has acquired much celebrity by the application of ether. 
 
 " Very truly yours, 
 
 "John McLean, 
 " Dr. D. Derkin, 
 
 •• Charleston, S. Carolina."
 
 CHAP. XT.] pandora's BOX. 255 
 
 honest man and virtuous woman should be instructed to look upon 
 with holy horror, as an infamous impostor, the man who had 
 done no greater harm than to boldly and openly assert his rights, 
 and oppose what he knew to be a base attempt to defraud him of 
 what was as dear to him as his life. 
 
 One, however, was at last found, which was not so scrupulous. 
 In a scurrilous and obscene newspaper, there appeared a letter, 
 which, opened at once before Dr. Morton, the whole of the 
 abominable tissue of charges, which had for so many years been 
 used to his injury. This was headed — 
 
 "Boston Correspondence — The great Ether Question and its 
 pretended Discoverer — The Discovery of Etherization — Startling 
 Disclosures concerning the Career of "W. T. G. Morton," and 
 was composed of a collection of the most outrageous false- 
 hoods, exaggerated reports, and malicious libels, which could be 
 collected in the space of a column and a half of a newspaper. 
 The whole was made up of unsupported charges and assertions of 
 irresponsible individuals, unsubstantiated by any evidence, and 
 such statements as might be brjught to bear against almost any 
 person in the community who had ever had the slightest inter- 
 course or business transactions with his fellow-men. It is evi- 
 dent from its perusal that the gossipy slanders and flying reports 
 from distant parts of the country had been taken as direct and 
 positive truths ; that the wish had not been to discover if those 
 reports were true, but merely that some charge should be 
 made. 
 
 It is not necessary to recapitulate what all the charges contain- 
 ed in this letter were, or to mention them in any way so as to 
 disprove their correctness ; it is simply necessary to say, that as 
 soon as possible after this article appeared. Dr. Morton drew up 
 a f«ll explanation of them, so as completely to refute them. This 
 was handed in to the Congressional committee, who, howerer, as 
 it had previously refused to entertain the charges against him 
 when presented by Dr. Jackson, felt itself compelled, from a 
 sense of justice, to decline all examination. But as some of the 
 members had either seen privately the evidence, or had perused 
 the article (a copy of which had been laid on the desk of each
 
 256 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XT. 
 
 member of Congress), they took the pains to look over this rebut- 
 ting testimony, with the conclusiveness of which they expressed 
 themselves as perfectly satisfied. 
 
 Dr. Morton has now on hand, in the form of letters and vol- 
 untary affidavits, a mass of facts which should forever set at rest 
 any revival of the libels, or any further attempts to use them for 
 unjust and dishonorable ends. 
 
 The pubhcation of this article was the last feather which broke 
 the camel's back ; it was a point beyond which human endurance 
 could not, if it ought to, go ; Dr. Morton, accordingly, at once 
 lodged a complaint against Dr. Jackson, as the issuer of this in- 
 famous verbiage, and had him arrested for libel. Strange to say, 
 the same telegraphic announcement which conveyed the intelli- 
 gence that a majority of the Congressional committee had concur- 
 red in awarding C' 100,000 to Dr. Morton as the discoverer of 
 Etherization, gave also the news of the arrest of Dr. Jackson on 
 this charge. 
 
 This did not by any means suit Dr. Jackson, and so to confuse 
 matters, and as a dernier resort in the disagreeable scrape, he flatly 
 denied the truth of the statement. First, he addressed a note to 
 the editor of the ''Baltimore Sun," as the readiest paper at hand, 
 in which he declared : 
 
 " I have not been arrested in Washington, although a suit has 
 been commenced against me, but upon what grounds of action I 
 am wholly unable to say. I am exceedingly desirous that all the 
 matters in controversy between Mr. Morton and myself should be 
 the subject of judicial investigation." 
 
 Immediately after which, and to prevent any injury and unfa- 
 vorable impression in the city of the two contestants, where it was 
 all-important for his future prospects that not a suspicion should 
 be raised against him as having any agency in the appearance of 
 the libels, the following paragraph appeared as an editorial in the 
 " Boston D.iily I^Iail :" 
 
 "The Ether Discovery. — ^Tbe following was telegraphed 
 to the Transcript and Journal on Monday evening : 
 
 *" Washington, March loth. The committee in the House have 
 decided upon awarding $100,000 to Dr. Morton for his discovery
 
 CHAP. XT.] A DILEMMA. 257 
 
 of Ether. Dr. Morton has caused the arrest of his competitor, 
 Dr. Jackson, for libel.^ 
 
 " This statement is false in manv respects. Dr. Jackson has 
 not been arrested for libel, although it is true that a majcriy of 
 the committee have decided to recommend an award of $100,000 
 to the discoverer of the anaesthetic properties of sulphuric ether. 
 It is rumored that the committee Avere Mortonizcd. A minority 
 report of the committee to -whom the matter was referred, will 
 undoubtedly expose one of the most stupendous attempts that 
 has ever been made to defraud the United States Government, 
 by false evidence, the exhibition of a fraudulent medal, &c. 
 The matter will be thoroughly sifted on the' floor of the House, 
 and the due amount of ignominy will recoil upon the partici- 
 pant in this iniquitous conspiracy to deprive a great discoverer 
 of all benefit of his discovery. Morton has no more claim to 
 this discovery than the Fejee Mermaid ; his entire merits in the 
 premises are precisely the same as those of a thief who enters a 
 person's house, and finding some valuable article, attempts to 
 appropriate it to his own use and behoof on the ground of dis- 
 covery. The attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of members 
 of Congress, to mention nothing else, is in perfect character 
 with the unblushing impudence of the individual." 
 
 Suspecting from the tone of this paragraph from whose pen it 
 must have originated, an examination was made, which the fol- 
 lowing testimony fully explains : 
 
 " On this March 19th, 1852, I carried to the office of the 'Daily Mail' 
 the newspaper article about ether of Thursday, March 18th, annexed here- 
 to and verified by my sis^natui-e. Mr. J. N. Bradley was there. I asked 
 him, Bradley, ' On whose authority did your editor publish this article ?' 
 He replied in two words, ' Dr. Jackson.' 
 
 " N. I. BOWDITCH." 
 
 The bold declaration of Dr. Jackson in the ''Baltimore Sun," 
 was at once contradicted in the " ^ya^hington Union," by a 
 friend of Dr. Morton, in order to relieve him of the imputa- 
 tion of falsehood, accompanied as proof by a note from the 
 lawyer of Dr. Morton, to whom he had intrusted the prose- 
 cution.
 
 258 DISCOVERY OF EXHERIZATION. [CHAP. XV. 
 
 * " Dear Sir : The suit for libel was instituted as directed by you, and 
 Dr. Jackson was arrested on yesterday. 
 
 " Very truly yours, 
 
 " J. M. Carlisle. 
 " Dr. W. T. G. Morton. 
 
 " March 11th, 1852." 
 
 " Here was a kettle of all kinds of fishes." 
 
 Here was a direct conflict of veracity. Here was one assertion 
 totally contradicted by another's evidence. It was evident to all 
 the denizens of the national capital, as they read the morning 
 papers, that there was a lie somewhere, that if one was right, 
 the other must be wrong, and that the onus of proof was most 
 decidedly against Dr. Jackson. All the scandal-mongers waited 
 auribus erectis to hear what Avas to come next ; whether a duel 
 between the two belligerents, with ether bottles, he who longest 
 withstood the action of the agent to be declared the victor, and 
 by the **'code of arms," whitewashed against all insinuation, or 
 that Dr. Jackson, concluding " that discretion was the better 
 part of valor," had incontinently abandoned his baggage and 
 camp. 
 
 But they were gratified AAath neither the one nor the other. 
 Auxiliary reinforcements came to the rescue. Dr. Jackson's 
 Washington attorney finding that by his obstinate and precipi- 
 tate assertions, he had placed him in a most unenviable light as 
 the manager of his affairs, and wishing to extricate Dr. Jackson 
 from his dilemma, published the following neatly-worded and 
 ingenious epistle, which fully relieved his embarrassment : 
 
 *' To the Editor of the Union : 
 
 " "Washington, March 26, 1852. 
 
 "My attention has been called to an article in your paper, of the 2-ith in- 
 stant, which is calculated to convey the impression that Dr. Jackson inten- 
 tionallj' made a mis-statement, in a letter addressed to the Baltimore Sun, in 
 relation to a suit against him for libel. As Dr. Jackson has left this city, I 
 deem it my duty, as his attorney, to correct this impression. 
 
 "At the time of the service of the process rcfei-red to. Dr. Jackson was 
 stopping with me. An officer called at my house (in the morning) and de- 
 sired an interview with Dr. Jackson. Upon showing him the writ, the offi • 
 cer, in my presence, politely said that he was instructed by Mr. Carlisle, 
 the attorney in the case, not to require bail, and that it would be sufficient for
 
 CHAP. XV.] LIBEL SUIT. 259 
 
 Dr. Jackson to endorse his name upon the -^rit. This -w^as immediately- 
 done, and, after a few moments' conversation, the officer retired. The 
 courtesy of Mr. Carlisle, and the politeness of the officer, in causing 
 the service to be made in the least offensive manner, were fully appre- 
 ciated. 
 
 " The impression conveyed, and apparently intended to be made, by the 
 statement heralded throughout the country, that Dr. Jackson had been 
 ' arrested for libel,' was that he had been disgraced by being forcibly 
 seized and detained in custody by the officers of the law. This was the 
 view of Dr. Jackson's friends at the Xorth. In that sense he cer- 
 tainl}' had not been arrested. I am confident that Dr. Jackson never be- 
 lieved himself to have been arrested in any sense, and supposed that he 
 had merely been served with a notice of the commencement of a suit. If 
 there had been any error, the fault was wholly my own, in not having ex- 
 plained to him that there was a technical arrest. 
 
 " The statement in your paper furnishes the first information that has 
 been received of the grounds of action in the libel suit. I am authorized 
 to state that Dr. Jackson was not the author of the article in the Police 
 Gazette reflecting upon Mr. Morton's character — that it was not prepared 
 at Dr. Jackson's instigation or suggestion, and that he never distributed a 
 single paper. I have in my possession the sworn affidavit of the regular 
 correspondent of the Police Gazette, declaring the article in question to 
 have been wholly written by himself, and to have been distributed by 
 him. 
 
 " The public will soon have an opportunity to judge of the relevancy of 
 the testimony offered to the committee in Congress, and are desired to sus- 
 pend their judgment imtil all the facts in relation to this extraordinary con- 
 troversy are before them. 
 
 "Eespectfully, your obedient servant. 
 
 From the time that the suit for libel was brought, early in 
 February, 1852, Dr. Morton, as will be shown as we advance, 
 was obliged to be in Washington, until his bill came up and was 
 defeated in the Senate, in August following. The occasion of this 
 defeat, rendered it necessary that he should devote every moment 
 of his time during adjournment of Congress, to the taking of 
 testimony in 2')erpetuam, in both Hartford and Boston, that he 
 might have it to lay before Congress in the following winter, to 
 meet the unexpected ground of his opponents. This took eveiy 
 moment of time and all the means he could command, and was 
 the only time which he could have to prepare for his suit against 
 Jackson. His preparation for this suit involved the necessity of
 
 260 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XV. 
 
 his taking depositions in different states, by giving notice to Dr. 
 Jackson first. This course was necessary in order that he could 
 use tlie testimony in a court of hnv. It was impossible to attend 
 to take depositions in the ether discovery, and in the libel suit 
 both at once, because he must be present personally ; he there- 
 fore decided to fight his claim to the elher discovery, and to 
 take his chance of prosecuting the libel suit at a future day ; 
 from this time until his final defeat before Congress, he was com- 
 pelled to be in AVashingtou every day Congress was in session, 
 and to incur heavy expenses. Wlien he was liberated, then it 
 was too late. He was left too helpless, and in no condition to 
 carry on a libel suit, that involved, even in the preliminaries, the 
 taking of depositions that would cost many months of time and 
 several thousands of dollars. 
 
 It was unreasonable to expect friends, after he had drawn so 
 largely on them to help him prosecute his application upon the 
 government, to now come forward and assist him to thousands 
 more, in a conflict which would drive his opponent and power- 
 ful family friends to spend their last dollar, before he should be 
 imprisoned for libel. 
 
 His friends and advisers argued that it would be difRcult, if 
 not impossible, to trace the authorship of the scandalous produc- 
 tion to Dr. Jackson, or to his instigation. From what was known 
 of his past manoeuvres it might seem highly probable that it look- 
 ed to him as its originator, but the great dilficulty lay in decid- 
 edly and clearly tracing it. The suit has, therefore, never been 
 brought to trial. 
 
 For many reasons it is much more preferable that this has so 
 happened. All trials on such grounds are sufficiently obnoxious 
 to our better feelings. Eut how much more would this be the 
 case, when the defendant is a highly-educated, distinguished man, 
 with a large and appreciative circle of relatives and friends ; and 
 upon the other side is he who has accomplished so much for the 
 well-being of his race. 
 
 Had Dr. Jackson been content long ago, to abandon his at- 
 tempts on the character of Dr. Morton, all might now have been 
 dismissed from examination, and no unpleasant exposure would
 
 CHAP. XV.] LOOK ON THIS PICTURE — THEN ON THAT. 261 
 
 have been rendered necessary, in this book, or at any other time. 
 But this is not the case ; this very delay to prosecute the suit has 
 seemed to embolden his opponents to follow Dr. Morton still 
 closer ; within the last month they have been circulating these 
 slanders through letters and personal interviews with the Mayor 
 of New- York, Doctors Parker, Francis, Barker, and other emi- 
 nent gentlemen interested in raising a national testimonial for Dr. 
 Morton. The following letter was addressed to the Mayor of 
 New-York, under the date it bears, and sent by him to the Board 
 of Ten Governors to induce them to reconsider an appropria- 
 tion alluded to in the letter. Compare it with the letter imme- 
 diately following, from the Mayor of Boston : 
 
 " Boston, September 16, 1858. 
 
 "Hon. Daxiel F. Tiemann, Mayor of New-York : 
 
 " Sir : I have learued by a letter from a gentleman in Xew-York, 
 and from the public newspapers, that the Governors of the ^evr-York 
 Almshouse have voted $1,500 to Wm. T. G. Morton, for my discovery of 
 anaesthesia by ether, and that too -without investigation of my claims to the 
 discovery, and wholly on exparte statements by Morton, and bis associates. 
 
 " I trusted, tbat the good sense of the Governors would bave led them 
 to regret the false claims of Mr. Morton, and tbat a man of bis notorious 
 bad character, would be looked uj^on with suspicion at least, and tbat due 
 caution would be bad in passing on tbe claims of such a man. May I now 
 ask you, if it is within your executive jurisdiction, tbat you "Would inter- 
 pose your veto to this unprecedented act of tbe Board of Ten Governors, 
 and bave tbe matter properly examined. 
 
 " My reasons I stated to-some extent in a former letter to you. 
 "Most respectfully, I have tbe honor to be, 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 " Charles T. Jackson." 
 
 " Mayor's Office, City-Hall, 
 
 " Boston, May 13, 1858. 
 " To His Honor, Mayor Tiemann : 
 
 " My Dear Sir : Allow me to introduce to your favorable notice, 
 Dr. "Wm. T. G Morton, a gentleman well known to you by reputation, as 
 tbe disoverer of tbe power of ether to render persons insensible to pain 
 during surgical operations. Tbe purpose of his visit to New- York he will 
 state to you. He carries with him tbe highest recommendations as to 
 character and truthfulness, from tbe medical faculty, and our scientific men, 
 and I sincerely hope, that tlie object which be wishes to accomplish may 
 meet with a successful result in your metropolis. 
 
 " I remain, truly yours, " F. W. Linooln, Jr."
 
 262 DISCOVERT OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XT 
 
 The production of this long and disagreeable mass of facts 
 may be opposed by many, as irrelevant to the great question of 
 priority of claim to the discovery, and as placing in a most unen- 
 viable light, a man who perhaps has only acted unwisely ; more 
 from impulse and mistaken judgment, than from a bad heart. It 
 may be asserted that the publication will not produce an effect 
 any more favorable to a right appreciation of Dr. Morton's posi- 
 tion, while it is designed to injure Dr. Jackson, and rake up 
 much that had better be forgotten with many other unfortunate 
 events of the past. 
 
 But it must be remembered that this is the first time a public 
 attempt has been made to remove from Dr. Morton the stigma 
 which, in the minds of many, has been attached to his 
 name; that for eleven long years these rumors and charges 
 have been working their effects, not alone in his own '' country 
 and his own town," but everywhere over the surface of the 
 globe, where the slightest interest has been felt in the discovery 
 or in the controversial merits of the question ; that for this 
 long period Dr. Morton has been placed in a false position, one 
 from which he was powerless to extricate himself — that the many 
 tongues of slander have been in active operation against him, 
 while there was no one so situated in respect to means for pro- 
 curing refuting information, who cared to come forward and en- 
 gage in such a disagreeable and profitless task as the attempt to 
 explain them away. 
 
 Dr. Morton long has wished that the matter could be allowed 
 to die out ; but it was not so designed. Much of the mischief is 
 done, and now cannot ever be remedied. But for the future let 
 all individual considerations be thrown aside in the controversy. 
 Let the public place itself in the position of Dr. Morton, and con- 
 sider that because he has been the means of conferring a great 
 and valuable blessing, and has been perforce compelled to come 
 forward more publicly, and in a different character from what 
 be ever wished or expected, that to him, to his wife, and to 
 his children, there is no honor, no reward, no recognition 
 which is so permanently valuable as his own good char- 
 acter. Let all the past be forgotten, and the claims of the con-
 
 CHAP, rv.] THE TRUE STAND-POINT. 263 
 
 testant?, should any doubts or discussions ever again arise, be ar- 
 gued from their true stand point, the relative proofs which 
 each is enabled to bring for examination, of their priority in 
 time and in evidence of what truly constitutes a discovery. 
 
 Let each man consider the words of the Hon. Mr. Walker in 
 ending his report. That : " It is in vain to attempt success by 
 depreciating the character or capacity of Dr. Morton. He is rec- 
 ognized wherever known as a man of integrity and honor, of 
 great enterprise and of high capacity. Conscious of his origi- 
 nal claim to this glorious discovery, he has decidedly asserted 
 his rights when necessary, amidst sore bufFetings of fortune, 
 and the close-cleaving malignity of powerful adversaries, certain 
 that he would eventually receive a universal recognition of his 
 position. Institutions, learned men, and able jurists, both at 
 home and abroad, have gradually united in awarding to him the 
 glory of a discovery that will solace his declining years, and im- 
 part to his memory a hallowed radiance, as a benefactor of the 
 human race. He has proposed referring the subject to the decis- 
 ion of a judicial tribunal, and has ever avowed his readiness — in 
 the noble language of De Foe — " to stand or fall by the public 
 justice of his native land."
 
 264 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XTX 
 
 CHAPTER XYI 
 
 PECUNIARY DIFFICULTIES. 
 
 "Forgive, ***** 
 Glancing an eve of pity on his losses, 
 That have of late so huddled on his back ; 
 Enough to press a royal merchant down, 
 And pluck commiseration of his state 
 From brassy bosoms and rough hearts of flint." 
 — Merchant of Venice. 
 
 In order that the reader may fully comprehend the events 
 which will be narrated in this chapter, and the reasons of their 
 occcurrence, it will be necessary to again revert to the period of 
 the first publication of the discovery. It is very probable that 
 the perusal may induce the same objections urged against the 
 statements contained in the last chapter, that the details have no 
 bearing upon the merits of the " Ether Question," and that the 
 claims of either contestant could be equally as well established 
 without their mention. But this is not in reality true. The 
 manner and period of tbeir occurrence have exerted a great influ- 
 ence over Doctor Morton's position and prospects, and have ma- 
 terially guided his action in the past ; it seems, therefore, as if 
 they fairly comprised a portion of the " History of Anaesthesia." 
 
 Among the first persons in his own profession upon whom 
 Doctor IMorton called after the trial at the hospital, and com- 
 municated his discovery, was his old friend Dr. N. C Keep, the 
 same person who lias before been mentioned, when speaking of 
 the outset of Morton's career as a dentist, in Boston. At this 
 time Dr. Keep was Vice-President of the American Society of 
 Dental Surgeons, in receipt of a fair amount of practice, and 
 much esteemed personally by others besides Dr. Morton. 
 
 At this first interview, Dr, Morton fully explained what he 
 had accomplished, what were his intentions for the future, and 
 what he expected as a result of his labors. He likewise showed
 
 CHAP.m.] PARTNERSHIP WITH DR. KEEP. 265 
 
 Dr. Keep a vial of the ether which he was then using, as Dr. 
 Keep had never, to that moment, either used it or seen its em- 
 ployment. The story produced quite an effect upon his hearer, 
 and at his request Dr. Morton left the vial of ether, that he 
 might employ it upon the first case in his ovra practice, which, in 
 his judgment, might need it, at the same time he procured from 
 Dr. Morton full directions for its proper employment . 
 
 The practice of Dr. Morton, which had been for some time 
 back steadily increasing, was now fully great enough to occupy 
 the whole of the time of himself and assistants, without the ad- 
 ditional burden his discovery was likely to bring upon him, both 
 from an increase in his business, and from the necessary steps to 
 extend its use. Finding that it was imperatively necessary that 
 he should have more leisure time to prosecute his investigations, 
 and be less under restraint, Dr. Morton decided to relieve him- 
 self as much as possible of the onus, by taking into his office 
 some person in whom he had confidence, who could relieve him 
 of many of those operations which he was then forced to give 
 his personal attention to. 
 
 During the conversation just referred to, the information was 
 dropped by Dr. Keep, that Dr. Wilson, one of the principal 
 operators in his office and soon about to become his son-in-law, 
 as reported, proposed quitting him. As subsequent inquiry 
 showed this to be true, the proposition was made by Dr. Morton 
 that he should enter his office, at a fixed salary. This arrange- 
 ment pleased Dr. "Wilson, and met Avith the approval of Doctor 
 Keep, who freely consented to a release from the then existing 
 engagement between them. 
 
 The supposed contemplated matrimonial alliance of Dr. "Wilson 
 placed him on the most intimate terms in the family of Dr. Keep, 
 and after his transference to his new location, he informed Dr. 
 Morton that he had often held conversations with Dr. Keep in rela- 
 tion to the business advantages which the discovery of etheriza- 
 tion was likely to give Morton, all of which had a tendency to 
 show how great the interest of Dr. Keep in the subject was. 
 
 A few days after the entrance of Dr. AVilson upon his duties, 
 Mr. Morton received the following note : 
 
 12
 
 266 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [cHAP XVI. 
 
 •' Dear Sir : I want to see you in relation to an arrangement to use the 
 gas. Have not been able to leave in the day-time, and suppose you are 
 full also. " Respectfully yours, "N. C. Keep." 
 
 As soon as his engagements permitted, Dr. Morton called round 
 to reply, and held a long conversation upon the use of ether, and 
 the most feasible plan by which Dr. Keep might be enabled to 
 reap some benefits from its administration. The course of the 
 conversation showing that Dr. Morton was still ovewhelmed with 
 business, and was anxious to be relieved of some portion with- 
 out too great a pecuniary loss, Dr. Keep made the proposition 
 that they should associate themselves as partners, upon some 
 terms to be subsequently agreed upon, as mutually advantageous. 
 This proposal proved by no means unpalatable to Dr. Morton, 
 who would have been glad to have found any one in whom he 
 could place confidence, but found an especial attraction in the 
 position given Dr. Keep by his long experience and his honor- 
 able office in the Medical Society. 
 
 A careful examination of the facilities of Dr. Morton for the 
 transaction of his business, which was made a few days later, 
 together with the prosperous state of finances and character of 
 practice, which an inspection of his books showed, proved satis- 
 factory to Dr. Keep. A co-partnership was therefore agreed 
 upon between them, and on the 28th of November the articles 
 of agreement were drawn up between them on the following 
 terms : 
 
 The co-partnership was to continue ten years. The profits 
 were to be divided equally, and at least once each year. In case 
 of the death of either party, the other was to continue the busi- 
 ness and divide the profits as before with the legal representatives 
 of the deceased party. Lastly, Dr. Keep was to give his whole 
 time and attention to the dental business. 
 
 This last clause was introduced to allow Dr. Morton full lib- 
 erty to devote himself to his discovery, and even to go to foreign 
 countries, for at that time it was his intention to go to Europe. 
 
 It seemed as if no possible objections could exist against this 
 arrangement, and as if it would prove favorable to both parties. 
 But a short time after his installation the '* Dental Manifesto"
 
 CHAP. XVI. ] DISSOLUTION OF PARTNERSHIP. 267 
 
 made its appearance, which so alarmed Dr. Keep that he at once 
 proposed a dissolution of the co-partnership, giving as a nominal 
 reason his ill-health. 
 
 Although Dr. Morton knew that he possessed a legal hold 
 upon him, still he did not wish to enforce it. Consequently, on 
 the 31st of December, just one month from its formation, the 
 partnership was dissolved, each separating with good wishes and 
 hopes of each other's ultimate success. Nevertheless, this ab- 
 rupt and sudden termination of his business prospects did Dr. 
 Morton great injury in the estimation of those who at that time 
 did not stop to consider, and had not the means to judge from 
 the stand point which these pages unfold. Indeed, the short 
 duration and sudden dissolution with Dr. Keep are to this day 
 urged by some against Dr. Morton. 
 
 The pleasant terms upon which the two partners separated are 
 well expressed by the following note : 
 
 " Dr. Keep acknowledges the receipt of the valuable token of Dr, 
 Morton's friendship this day presented (a gold pen with pencil). In using 
 it for the first time, he would express the deep interest he feels in Dr. 
 Morton's welfare, and sincerely wishes him a happy new year. 
 
 " 74 BoYLSTO.v Street, January, 1847." 
 
 The four months subsequent to the withdrawal of Dr. Keep 
 were fully employed by Dr. Morton, as has been before stated, 
 with the multifarious duties incident to his discovery, and very 
 little time during this period was allowed him for relaxation or 
 social visiting among his friends. Still, however, he occasionally 
 met Dr. Keep, and was greeted by him on each occasion with 
 the warmest expressions of good feeling. 
 
 In April, Dr. Wilson also left ; but after his departure was 
 often in the office of Dr. Morton, and kept up his intercourse 
 with him and his other assistants. 
 
 With affairs in this condition, imagine the surprise and con- 
 sternation of Dr. Morton when, on the day of the destruction of 
 Dr. Jackson's bond, as told in the last chapter, he was furnished 
 with the just-issued pamphlet of Dr. Gay, and saw over the 
 signature of Mr. Keep an affidavit taken but two days before, 
 which was intended to throw the most entire distrust over Mr.
 
 268 DISCOVERY OK ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XTI. 
 
 Morton's knowledge of the use of ether, and implied that in his 
 hands it could not be less than excessively dangerous. It closed 
 by stating — " I remonstrated with Mr. jMorton in reference 
 to his mode of practice in this respect, till I found it of no 
 avail." 
 
 This apparent "going over to the enemy" annoyed Dr. Morton 
 considerably ; but although surprised at the very decided and al- 
 most gratuitously bitter manner in which the affidavit was word- 
 ed, he did not wake up to the full perception of the danger which 
 his past confidence in others exposed him to, if once it should 
 be designed to injure him. But the blow soon came, and in such 
 a manner that he could not close his eyes to his perilous position. 
 
 Only forty-eight hours after, at the close of a most fatiguing 
 and harassing day in the city, Dr. Morton had retired to his cot- 
 tage in the country, and approaching his home through the gate 
 of the main entrance, had ascended the hill from which the first 
 glimpse of his door could be had, when he was surprised by the 
 air of quiet which pervaded the house, and by the non-appear- 
 ance of his children, who were accustomed to wait at the porch 
 until he came in sight, and then run to welcome him. Soon, 
 however, his eyes lit upon a strange man leisurely pacing up 
 and down the length of the piazza which crossed the front of the 
 house. 
 
 This was a striking contrast to the group which ordinarily oc- 
 cupied the same place, and the greeting which he was accustomed 
 to receive. Surprised and anxious, Dr. Morton hastened his steps, 
 and on approaching the stranger, asked : 
 
 " Do you not find the family at home, sir ?" 
 
 " Yes," was the curt reply. 
 
 As no additional explanation was given, Dr. Morton passed on 
 and entered the house. In the main entry he met his little son, 
 who said that his mother wished to see him at once in the nur- 
 sery. 
 
 On reaching the room, Dr. Morton found the whole family as- 
 sembled, and with evidcnts marks of anxiety and fear on each 
 countenance. To his inquiry, " AVhy they were all gathered in 
 that hot room?" he wife answered by asking him if he had not
 
 CHAP. XVI.] THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGEE. 269 
 
 seen that strange man who was below. " He has been here all 
 day," she added, "and has acted so strangely. Who can he be? 
 \Yhat can he wish V 
 
 The ignorance of his wife as to the object of this singular visit? 
 led to a further explanation, by which Dr. Morton learned that 
 in the morning as his wife was starting away in her own carriage 
 for a ride, she was surprised by seeing a buggy driven furiously up 
 the avenue and toward the house. She stated that she was some 
 distance down the avenue herself when she was passed by this 
 reckless Jehu. In consequence of the distance she then was from 
 the house, and with a mere passing thought of the rudeness of 
 the driver, who had nearly upset her own vehicle in his attempts 
 to pass, she had continued her ride. 
 
 On her return a couple of hours later, she was surprised on 
 entering the parlor to find the same stranger lounging on the sofa 
 with his hat on. Thinking from his actions and appearance that 
 he was insane, she had become alarmed, and with the whole fam- 
 ily had taken refuge in the nursery, first taking the precaution to 
 send to her father's for assistance. Her mother had at once, on 
 the receipt of this message, come over, but with the information 
 that her husband had left town, and would not return until 
 night. 
 
 Through the whole of the rest of the day the family had con- 
 fined themselves to their refuge in the nursery, where with clos- 
 ed and bolted doors, they had waited with impatience the return 
 of the doctor. 
 
 Immediately on hearing this stor}', Dr. Morton started for the 
 piazza, to discover what explanation was to be given to this mys- 
 tery. Just as he reached the hall door, he was met by a messen- 
 ger from his office in the city, who handed him a letter, saying 
 that it had been left just after his departure by a gentleman, who 
 gave explicit directions that it should be handed to Dr. Morton 
 as soon as possible. Thinking it of too great importance to be 
 left until morning, his servant had taken it and followed by the 
 next train. 
 
 Approaching a light. Dr. Morton tore off the envelope and 
 read this singular communication :
 
 270 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XVI. 
 
 " Dear Sir: I have this moment learned most singularly of a deep laid plot 
 to ruin your practice, and to drive you from the State. "Were it not that it 
 embraces steps intended to anno}^ and disturb not only yourself, but your 
 innocent wife and children, and that through your humane discovery you 
 have saved my life, I should not feel justified in committing this broach 
 of confidence which I do in making this statement. 
 
 " I can at present do no more than counsel you to guard the impulses of 
 your fiery nature, and trust to Providence that all will end as well as I sin- 
 cerely believe it will. 
 
 " One tchom you have forgotten, hut who will neve'^ cease to 
 remember you." 
 
 Immediately after the perusal of this note, the connection of 
 this mysterious stranger TNath the plot referred to, occurred to 
 Dr. Morton. Accordingly, he at once approached the man and 
 demanded an explanation of his strange conduct, and the rea- 
 son why he was there at all. To this the man replied that 
 when inquired of by the proper parties he was ready to com- 
 municate his business, but to no one else. 
 
 Keeping his temper, notwithstanding the insolence of the man, 
 Dr. Morton informed him who he was, and as the head of the 
 household, demanded his business. To this information the 
 stranger replied by a look of the blankest astonishment, and at 
 once apologized for his conduct, excusing himself on the ground 
 that he supposed that Dr. Morton was quite an old man. 
 
 He then added, that he was ordered there by the Sheriff as n. 
 deeper of all the goods and chattels belonging to Dr. Morton, to 
 liwait the decision of a suit which had been commenced against 
 him by a creditor in Boston. Who the creditor was, for what 
 debt, or any further information, the man could not give — he 
 merely knew that he was ordered there to stay and take charge 
 of the personal property. 
 
 For a long time after this conversation, Dr. Morton paced up 
 and down the gravelly walk by the side of the house, revolv- 
 ing in his mind what had better be done under the circum- 
 Stances — what account it were best to give to relieve the anxiety 
 of his wife, and in trying to guess who this summary creditor 
 could be. 
 
 Finally, with a smiling countenance, but a heavy heart, he
 
 CHAP. XVI.] irrSTERT UPON srrsTERY. 271 
 
 rejoined his wife, and informed her that it was all explained — 
 that he could account for the visit of the stranger, but that she 
 must wait for further information until the ensuing night. This 
 nominally, if not in reality, pacified her, and the rest of the 
 night was passed quietly, if anxiously. 
 
 On reaching Boston the next morning, the first person met by 
 Dr. Morton, was one of his patients, to whom, as usual, he ad- 
 dressed himself with a cordial salutation. Greatly to his sur- 
 prise, instead of a polite return, he was accosted in a cool, cut- 
 ting manner, with the words : " This is a very serious business, 
 Doctor, my mother-in-law is in great distress." 
 
 Not knowing very well what his words implied, and feeling 
 that he must say something, Dr. Morton replied by the naive 
 question, as to whether it was in his power to do anything for 
 her? "Do for her," repeated the gentleman, emphatically, 
 " why, the very mention of your name would drive her frantic. 
 Her physician has scarcely admitted the members of her own 
 family to see her since her interview with the officer." 
 
 Completely mystified. Dr. Morton endeavored to procure an 
 explanation ; but with an air which precluded any further pur- 
 suance of the subject, the gentleman left him. 
 
 On reaching his ofiice, he found a lady, one of his most valua- 
 ble patients, descending the stairs. He addressed her with an 
 apology for not having been more punctual to his hour of ap- 
 pointment. But, with the remark : "Oh, it is no matter, I 
 shall not want any more attention," she hastily departed, leav- 
 ing him to gaze after her in speechless astonishment. 
 
 Mystified and worried, Dr. Morton was met at the head of 
 the stairs by his servant who informed him that there was a lady 
 waiting for him in the office. " She is awfully fidgety," added 
 the man in a low voice, "and won't keep still for a moment." 
 The first remark of the lady was, " I suppose you can guess, doc- 
 tor, what I am here for? I think they might have been a little 
 more civil with me. Now, doctor, you won't see me go to court, 
 will you?" 
 
 No satisfactory intelligence could be procured from her other- 
 wise than that an officer had been to her house, and had pre-
 
 272 DISCOVERY or etherization. [chap.xti. 
 
 sented some law papers, and frightened her almost to death. 
 But what it was all about she did not know, and fmding that 
 Dr. Morton's name was on the paper given her, she had hurried 
 to him for information. 
 
 During the next few hours several persons visited him, some 
 frightened, but most indignant, who all made demonstrations 
 more or less similar to those above described. Among them was 
 an old gentleman, who, having, by some erratic turn in the wheel 
 of fortune, been reduced from comparative affluence to poverty, 
 had induced Dr. Morton to become his bondsman for his situa- 
 tion in the office of a periodical. The past month having been 
 an unfortunate one for him, he had been obliged to use for 
 family expenses all the receipts for the past month, but this had 
 been no unusual thing with him, and a short time was all that 
 had been necessary to supply the deficiency. But that morning 
 he had received a summons to appear at once at the office and 
 settle. Fearing that some trouble would ensue if he attended 
 without the necessary sura, he had been obliged to fall back up- 
 on Dr. Morton for the necessary two hundred dollars. 
 
 Others of the visitors were old patients who had long previous- 
 ly settled their accounts, and at that moment owed him nothing. 
 But who all had come to find out why bills once paid had been 
 a second time presented. 
 
 From all these interviews. Dr. Morton discovered the key to 
 the whole mystery Access had been had to his account book 
 and list of patients, and each one had been trusteed for the amount 
 due him by them, but owing to some mistake, every name on 
 the list had been treated in the same manner, and thus not only 
 his debtors, but all those who had ever been, had been served 
 with a writ of attachment. But the worst of the whole affair 
 by far lay in the fact that each one supposed that it had been 
 done by Dr. Morton himself, and thus their indignation fell 
 solely upon his head. 
 
 No one but a professional man can fairly appreciate the terri- 
 ble effisct which such an act would produce. With them all 
 hopes of success depend upon the possession of the esteem and 
 friendship of their patient<=!. And one act of such meanness aa
 
 CHAP. XVI.] A PLOT TO RUIN MOliTON's BUSINESS. 273 
 
 this would be sufficient to effectually ruin the prospects of a 
 medical man for a lifetime. 
 
 The interpretation can be given in a few words. His enemies, 
 not content with blasting his character, had found it expedient 
 for the success of their plans that he should be ruined in pocket 
 also. They knew that in course of time the cloud which could 
 be raised to obscure his good name must clear away, and the 
 removal bring it out more bright from the contrast. But if by 
 any manner he could be bereft of the means of contesting their 
 plans, or of prosecuting his claim, he would be left at their 
 mercy. They knew that owing to the short period since his es- 
 tablishment in business he had but a small surplus capital, that 
 his sole and only revenue came from his practice, that this in- 
 come he had freely spent in purchasing and embellishing his home 
 in the country, and in introducing this discovery, and therefore 
 that once his business ruined or affected in any way he was de- 
 fenceless. The readiest way to do this was by driving away the 
 patients then his, and by preventing new ones from visiting 
 him. 
 
 The manufacturer of the inhaling machines with whom Dr. 
 Morton then had a large contract, under this state of things, be- 
 lieved that his debt was in great danger ; that Dr. Morton, from 
 tlie great amount of money he had been freely expending in in- 
 troducing his discovery, and his ill success in disposing of his pat- 
 ent-right, would soon be a ruined man. Another reason, how- 
 ever, which influenced him, was a statement which had been 
 published by Dr. Morton to his own pecuniary injury, that a 
 sponge was both a safer and more efficient means for administering 
 ether, than any apparatus. The manufacturer at this time had 
 for Dr. Morton a large number on hand, and it was evident that 
 as they were useless for other purposes, they would all be left 
 upon the doctor's hands as unsaleable. 
 
 Another person, influenced at the same time, was a gentleman 
 who held a note di'awu by an inhabitant of Boston, and given 
 by him to Dr. Morton, for an indebtedness. This note Dr. Mor- 
 ton at once had passed out of his hands, endorsing it, and waiv- 
 ing demand and protest. On the note becoming due, it had been 
 
 12*
 
 274 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XTI. 
 
 protested, and this fact had reached the ears of Dr. Morton's 
 persecutors. Representations were made to the holder of the 
 note that it would never be paid. Dr. Jackson himself inform- 
 ed the holder of one of these claims, that a public exposure was 
 to be made, that would ruin Morton. 
 
 Influenced by these considerations, and alarmed for their mon- 
 ey, legal proceedings had been at once commenced by both these 
 parties, the preliminary steps being the installment of a keeper 
 in the house of Dr. Morton, and the trusteeing of all sums due 
 him by his patients. 
 
 Moreover, the proceedings were commenced not in any ot 
 the local courts, but in the Circuit Court of the United States ; 
 which choice allowed the attachment of property, not only in 
 Massachusetts, but over the whole Union. As many of the pa- 
 tients of Dr. Morton resided out of the State, the annoyance 
 which was occasioned them by this act can be better imagined 
 than described. 
 
 Another severe infliction was at the same time visited upon 
 Dr. Morton. On the very day when these events transpired he 
 had been much vexed and troubled by the absence of his princi- 
 pal operators. Patients, many from great distances, with whom 
 appointments had been made, presented themselves, and impa- 
 tiently waited for the attendance expected. Persons for whom 
 work had been commenced again called for the completion. But 
 no one was there to attend to them. Dr. Morton was too much 
 occupied with the business peculiarly his, and with his own trou- 
 bles, to be able to pay them the attention demanded ; and what 
 made the case worse, was unable to give the slightest explana- 
 tion for not compljdng with his promises, or any reasonable ex- 
 cuses for the singular conduct of his assistants. 
 
 But all things must have an end, and this terrible day finally 
 came to a close, and Dr. Morton, heart-sick and crushed, 
 was allowed again to return to his own home. The sym- 
 pathy of his wife and the cheering presence of his family 
 afforded some relief ; but still the cloud overshadowed him, and 
 the night was passed even more unhappily than the preceding 
 one, for now it was evident that his trials had but commenced, and
 
 CHAP sn.] DESERTED. 275 
 
 that he was to live for some time, a life of suspense, constantly 
 expecting some new and unexpected persecution. 
 
 On rising the next morning, he prepared to return to Boston, 
 and with his mind more calm and equable from his night's repose, 
 determined to courageously face his troubles, and by his very 
 cheerfulness, thwart the pleasure to be gained from the malicious 
 designs that he saw existed against him. 
 
 But he had not fully measured his own powers, or sufficiently 
 considered all the means which could be employed to harass him. 
 One blow struck, it was necessary to follow it at once by a sec- 
 ond, in order to prevent any reaction, and complete his discom- 
 fiture. The next one was equally as well aimed as the first, and 
 produced fully as much effect. 
 
 On visiting his rooms an explanation was given for the absence 
 of his operators on the day before, in the fact that they had de- 
 serted him entirely. Some of them had taken rooms nearly op- 
 posite his own, and had established themselves on their own 
 account. Confusion followed, as a matter of necessity, for 
 many of his patients who had before visited his office, did not 
 know him personally, and had been operated upon by his assist- 
 ants. They were, therefore, entirely ignorant as to which of the 
 persons they had seen was Dr. Morton. This was taken advan- 
 tage of by the seceders, for on the return of the same patients, 
 they were induced to revisit the rooms where they saw the 
 familiar faces, thinking that the office had been removed, and 
 never once suspecting that they w^ere not still in the rooms of 
 Dr. Morton. This is proved by notes which Dr. Morton has in 
 his possession, directed to him, and coming from persons whose 
 names are not upon his account books at that time. Some of 
 them speak of work which they wished finished, or complain of 
 inattention and negligence at previous visits. Indeed, it is prob- 
 able, from information which has been given by various persons, 
 that some one represented himself as Dr. Morton. For it was 
 reported that during the summer Dr. Morton had visited Nahant, 
 and several other towns, and had performed operations, and 
 taken orders ; conversations held with him at these place were 
 detailed whereas, during the whole of this time, he was not at
 
 276 DISCOVERT OF ETDERIZATION. [cHAP. XVI. 
 
 any of these places. At the time these assistants left Dr. Mor- 
 ton, as was ascertained by a reference to his books, there were 
 under way twenty whole sets of teeth, valued at about four thou- 
 sand dollars. These sets were in different stages of progress, 
 and were entirely lost to Dr. Morton. But the end was not 
 here. 
 
 Some portion of his assistants were left behind, but of a 
 character totally unfit to manage his business, except in conjunc- 
 tion with his principal assistants, who had left, and it was neces- 
 sary for Dr. Morton to terminate their engagements on the best 
 terms he was able. This gave rise to dissatisfaction and hard 
 feelings. They went over to the other side with their sym- 
 pathies, and testified that Dr. Morton unbosomed himself to 
 them, by admissions fatal to his own claims, and entirely at vari- 
 ance with his course publicly pursued with everybody else, and 
 on all other occasions. 
 
 The rest of that year was a sad one. Proceedings at law fol- 
 lowed close upon the settlement of each returning demand. 
 Every claim which could be found against him, was either 
 pressed for payment by the creditor, or got into the hands of 
 Jackson's attorneys, and was at once urged by them. Plis prac- 
 tice was ruined, as previously stated, and patients deterred from 
 visiting him through fear of being implicated in his troubles, and 
 exposed to the annoyance of a lawsuit. His character seemed 
 irretrievably injured from the diffusion of malicious reports, and 
 the unfavorable light in which he was presented by those to 
 whose satisfaction the trusteeing of the patient? had never been 
 explained. The surplus capital which he had laid aside was 
 quickly swallowed in the payment of his debts, or in lawyers 
 fees. Plis home-farm in the country ceased to afford him the 
 pleasure it formerly did, for, harassed as he was at every 
 turn, even that quiet retreat seemed te lose its soothing in- 
 fluences. 
 
 So bitter did the trials of Dr. Morton at last become, that a 
 feeling of sympathy was excited in the breasts of many who 
 otherwise might not have interested themselves in him or his 
 affairs. Among those who prominently stood forward and es-
 
 CHAP. XTI.] ON THE VEKGE OF RUIN. 277 
 
 poused his cause, was Mr. N. I. Bowditch, one of the trustees of the 
 hospital, and a gentleman who has ever since continued a warm 
 and steadfast friend. Finding, from examination in his capacity 
 as a committeeman, appointed by the trustees of the hospital to 
 examine this subject, how baseless were many of the injurious 
 reports in circulation, he continued still further his investigations, 
 until he had discovered the trying position in which Dr. Morton 
 was placed, and that unless he could be at once relieved from the 
 oppression, he would be irretrievably ruined. Quietly and un- 
 ostentatiously he began to untangle the skein and arrange many 
 of the most formidable obstacles in the way. But in order to 
 verify the correctness of his belief, and also to secure proof for his 
 report, he opened a correspondence with various persons whom 
 he knew to be the most conversant with the position of Dr. Mor- 
 ton and his affairs, requesting all the information which they 
 could give him upon the subject. The following letters are some 
 of the replies furnished, in compliance v/ith his request : 
 
 "Boston, 27 State-street, Jan. 14, 1848. 
 " N. I. BoTVDiTcn, Esq. , 
 
 " Dear Sir : It gives me great pleasure to be able to communicate, 
 in answer to your inquiry, the information I have relative to the pecuniary 
 embarrassments under which Dr. W. T. G. Morton labors. I -was em- 
 ployed, last summer, to collect a debt of him, and was thereby led into an 
 examination of his affairs, the result of which was tliat I found he had no 
 means of paying his debts, or supporting himself and family, except the 
 proceeds of his professional labors. The debt xchich I was engaged in col- 
 lecting teas contracted in carrying out his plans in respect to his discover}/ ; and 
 with several other debts contracted in the same way, were pressed upon him for 
 payment. Suits were commenced, and a large number of his patients trus- 
 teed, which together with the neglect which his business had suffered while 
 he was employed about his discovery, materially diminished the extent of 
 his practice. I am satisfied that then Dr. Morton made every efifort which 
 could reasonably be required of him, to pay his debts, but could not. 
 They are mostly still outstanding against him ; and, with his present im- 
 paired state of health, the proceeds of his labors, although devoted to this 
 purpose — as heretufore, I believe, faithfully done — will be so far diminished 
 that he will not be able to meet his debts for a long time to come, if at all ; 
 while he is, and will be, continually subject to annoyances and trouble on 
 
 account of them I have gone somewhat into detail, that you 
 
 may see the nature of Dr. Morton's embarrassments. They have grown out
 
 278 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XTI. 
 
 of his efforts in a cause which has resulted in a great public good, and he de 
 serves abetter fate than to be left to sink under them. 
 
 "Yours, truly, 
 
 " Benj. F. Brooks." 
 
 " Boston, Jan. 8, 1848. 
 " N. I. Bo-^DiTcn, Esq. 
 
 '* Dear Sir : In reply to your request to communicate such knowledge 
 as I may have respecting the present pecuniary and personal condition of 
 Dr. W. T. G. Morton, I would state, that my acquaintance with him com- 
 menced in 1842, and has continued, bj^ almost daily business intercourse, 
 until the present time. By his own industry and perseverance, while under 
 peculiar and perplexing difficulties, he increased his business largely from 
 year to year, until about the close of the year 1846 ; when owing to his 
 exertions to introduce and extend the ether as an anesthetic agent, his 
 regular business was neglected, and of course very much injured. During 
 the whole of this time, I have had considerable knowledge of his pecuniary 
 afifairs, and am satisfied that he has been a loser of several thousand dollars, 
 directly or indirectly in consequence of his labors devoted to this object. To 
 the same cause (so far as it may be proper for an unprofessional man to 
 express an opinion) I have attributed the present suffering condition of his 
 health. In all my business relations with Dr. Morton. I have never had 
 occasion to doubt the integrity of his intentions. 
 
 " Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 "Joseph Burnett." 
 
 "30 Court-street, Jan. 14, 1848. 
 " My Dear Sir : 
 
 " In answer to your further inquiries, I reply that you are right in 
 supposing that my situation, as legal adviser to Dr. Morton, has enabled 
 me to know the state of his pecuniary affairs. He is now very much em- 
 barrassed, and has not the means of making even a satisfactory compromise 
 with his creditors in the way of present payment ; yet, if his health does not 
 fail him, he hopes to be able to paj'^ all his debts in the course of two or three 
 years — provided, of course, that his creditors will give him time and oppor- 
 tunity. I have recently made an examination of his affairs, in order to 
 furnish a statement to his creditors, and am satisfied that his present in- 
 debtedness arises out of the unavoidable neglect of his dental business for 
 some months after the announcement of the ether discovery, and the diffi- 
 culty of re-establishing it in his present ciroumstances, added to the direct 
 pecuniary losses he sustained in attempting to introduce the use of ether 
 under his patent right. I have read the letters of Mr. Burnett and Mr. 
 Brooks, and can sa}- that nearly all the facts stated by them are also within 
 my knowledge, and that I agree with them in opinion as to the present
 
 CHAP. IVI.j THE nOU2>D3 LET LOOSE. 279 
 
 state of Dr. Morton's health, business, and pecuniary affairs, and the causes 
 which have produced it. 
 
 "Truly your friend and servant, 
 
 " Rich'd H. Dana, Jr.* 
 " To N. I. BowDiTCH, Esq." 
 
 In a leading periodical published in March, 1848, R. H. Dana, 
 Esq., at the request, and from evidence furnished by Dr. Morton, 
 wrote an article setting forth his claim. An arrangement was 
 made by Mr. Dana with the publishers in behalf of Dr. Morton, 
 that 10,000 copies should be furnished at the rate of four cents 
 for each copy. This was a verbal understanding alone, no writ- 
 ten agreement being made. In May of the same year, the editors 
 published in one of the numbers " A Defence of Dr. Charles T. 
 Jackson's Claims," accompanying it in the same number by an 
 editorial statement derogatory to Dr. Morton's character, and im- 
 plying that they had been inveigled into their previous publica- 
 tion, and had entirely changed their minds on the inspection of 
 proofs since furnished, t At the same time a bill was presented by 
 them to Dr. Morton for the expenses of his pamphlet, in which 
 the charge was made, not of four cents per number, as agreed 
 upon, but of twelve cents, or a total of $1200. 
 
 A decided denial of the justice of this charge and refusal of 
 payment was of course made. A great degree of surprise was 
 expressed by both Mr. Dana and Dr. Morton that this change in 
 the amount should have been substituted ; but the explanation 
 was obvious when legal proceedings were commenced by the at- 
 torneys of Dr. Jackson, the very writers of the pamphlet, to re- 
 cover on this demand. By the advice of Mr. Dana, on June 8th, 
 a tender in gold was made the publishers in liquidation of the 
 claim ; or if preferable to them, it was proposed by Dr. Morton 
 that the subject in dispute be made a matter of reference. This 
 
 * " It is well known that Dr. Morton, instead of profiting by his discov- 
 ery, has suffered in mind, body, and estate, in consequence of the time and 
 toil he has consecrated to it. 
 
 " 0. VV. Holmes." 
 
 t '* It is a matter of regret to us that we were cheated into the admission 
 of an article in favor of this pretender. At that time we knew nothing of 
 the iriLe character of the alluded to."
 
 280 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. IVI. 
 
 last proposal was accepted by the editors, on the condition that 
 the Kev. E. N. Kirk, their minister, should be the sole referee. 
 Dr. Morton agreed to this reference if they would associate his 
 pastor, Rev. W. M. Eogcrs. This the editors refused, and con- 
 tinued the suit. During two years the case was kept off, without 
 any trial. At the expiration of that time the case was taken 
 from the docket of the court and referred to Mr. Wm. Dehon, 
 who adjudged the same amount to be due so long before tendered 
 by Dr. Morton. 
 
 The alternate states of excitement and subsequent prostration 
 in which Dr. IMorton lived ; the corroding care and constant 
 anxiety which his endeavors to establish his discovery on a iSrm 
 basis necessitated or were occasioned by the malevolence of his 
 enemies ; the overwhelming amount of labor required, together 
 "with the prolonged action of the vapor of ether, in which for 
 several years he was literally steeped — soon began to show their 
 eflTects upon his health. 
 
 As early as 1848, Dr. Plomans, his family physician, stated in 
 a letter to the trustees of the hospital, that, " from living so much 
 of late in an atmosphere of ether, from the anxiety attending 
 the various trials and experiments connected with the discovery, 
 and from the excitement caused by the controversies which it has 
 occasioned, the health of Dr. Morton has become such, that he 
 is unable to attend to his professional duties to any extent," 
 
 The disease first manifested itself in a severe prostration of 
 the nervous system, with lancinaLing pains in the prostate gland, 
 shooting during a severe attack to other parts of the body. The 
 skill and attention of Drs. John C. Warren, Homans, and Dale, 
 although producing a temporary relief of special and urgent 
 symptoms, seemed to produce little effect upon the general prog- 
 ress of the malady. Attended with intermissions of perfect 
 relief, the attacks seemed to increase in violence, until, in the fall 
 of 1852, one occurred of such severity that his life was despaired 
 of. By the free use by Drs, Hayward and Kneeland of narcot- 
 ics, his extreme agony v as after a time relieved. 
 
 " I have become," wrote Dr. Morton to a medical friend, " a 
 perfect sensitive plant. I am chilled by the slightest changes of
 
 CHAP. XVI.] ILL-HEALTH OF DR. MORTON. 281 
 
 weather; a little extra fatigue bring.? on a spasmodic action, from 
 which I can obtain relief only by warm drinks and external ap- 
 plications. My nervous system seems so completely shattered, 
 that a trifling surprise or sudden noise sends a shock aU over me. 
 I am so restless that I cannot lie or sit long in any position, by 
 day or night. Then convulsive pains seize me suddenly, without 
 any premonitory warning or apparent cause, and my limbs are 
 instantly drawn up by the intensity of the cramps, which rack 
 me so that I cannot prevent screaming until I fall exhausted. I 
 can compare my sensations at such times only to the appearance 
 of the curling up of a piece of leather subjected to a high heat. 
 My eyes feel heavy and painful, and neuralgic pains, like the 
 pricking of needles, dart from them to all parts of my head ; similar 
 shocks or pains often rise from the lower portions of the back. 
 These arc most severe in the morning, and I never feel comfort- 
 able until I have been up two or three hours in the sun. After 
 the subsidence of one of these attacks, my limbs tremble, and I 
 feel dizzy, weak, and despondingly sick. The disorder has not 
 diminished for the last four years, but seems rather to increase 
 in the frequency and severity of the attacks. " 
 
 The above is a very fair description of a broken constitution 
 and a shattered nervous system — how irremediably complete, rest 
 from work, and constant care, and the progress of time, only 
 can show. The best medical attendance of Boston and Wash- 
 ington has been given, but the concurrence of their opinions does 
 not give a very favorable ground for hope in the end, or any 
 expectations of immediate relief 
 
 Sucli is now the physical condition of that man whose sole 
 wish it has been to relieve the agony and suffering of others. If 
 every gi'oan or sigh of pain which his discovery has been the 
 means of relieving could be changed to a prayer for his well- 
 being, what an enviable po&ition would his novr be ! Or if in 
 this world each was worth but the tenth part of a mill, Croesus 
 himself would not have been richer.
 
 2S2 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XVH 
 
 CHAPTEE XVII. 
 
 SECOND APPLICATION TO CONGRESS. 
 
 "This discovery certainly merits a notice from the American Legislature, since it may 
 take rank perhaps of all the great improvements which adorn the present age of surgery. 
 Should the Congress of the United States follow the generous policy of the British Par- 
 liament in similar cases, they would naturally institute an investigation into the facts 
 connected with this discovery, and bestow a proper reward on whomsoever was found to 
 merit it."— Z>/'. J. C. Warren. 
 
 Dr. Morton now appears on a new stage of action, where a 
 national recognition of his labori?, by reports of Congressional 
 committees, and the votes of each House of Congress in his fa- 
 vor, shows that he has done well in waiting for public opinion, 
 and a sense of right to work their proper and just effects. 
 
 Finding, from the unsatisfactory result of his first application 
 that a more strenuous effort must be made, and knowing that to 
 effect this he should be upon the spot to superintend in person 
 the prosecution, he had often, during the summer, pondered 
 over the best course for him to pursue. The advice generally 
 given him by his friends was that he should relinquish every- 
 thing, his home, and many other ties which bound him in Bos- 
 ton, and at the commencement of the next session, repair to 
 Washington, and then adopt the counsel of one of his advisers, 
 who wrote , " I should, if I were in your place, prosecute my 
 claim if I died in the gutter." 
 
 But however willing he might have been to go, the means at 
 that time were most unluckily wanting. Much money would 
 be required for his mere personal expenses, in addition to the 
 amounts needed for the advancement of his interests. 
 
 The embarrassments caused by the expenditures he had con- 
 sidered it necessary to incur in the demonstration and proclama- 
 tion of liis discovery, and the expense of controversies, the de- 
 tails of which are given in another chapter, had so completely
 
 CHAP. XVII.] TRUE FRIENDS COilE TO THE RESCUE. 283 
 
 drained his exchequer that it required all his exertions to meet 
 the daily expenses at home. 
 
 But at tliis juncture, true friends came to the rescue, and at the 
 slightest hint of his need, freely furnished the required amount. 
 Letters like the following were received from Amos Lawrence, 
 Dr. Bobbins, Mr. John J. May, Thomas B. Curtis, Hon. J. 
 "Wiley Edmonds, Ozias Goodwin, George "\Y. LjTnan, Joseph 
 Burnett, Dr. PeiTy, and others : 
 
 *' Dear Sir : I am induced to contribute towai'ds enabling 
 you to prosecute your claim ; accordingly enclose you herewith a 
 draft. With my best \\^shes for your success, I remain 
 "Your obedient servant, 
 
 "J. P. CuSHDsG." 
 
 Dr. Morton arrived at Washington in January, 1849, and 
 was warmly welcomed by his friends, and many others, to whom 
 he was highly recommended, and to whom he was already well 
 known by reputation. His acquaintance was also sought by the 
 medical officers of the army and the navy, who had used the 
 agent which he had discovered in the public service, and could 
 bear testimony to the incalculable benefits resulting from it, in 
 saving the lives, and in allaying the sufferings of the gallant sol- 
 diers and sailors who defended our country's flag. 
 
 Before leaving Boston, he had been furnished with the most 
 complimentary letters from Geo. M. Briggs, the Governor of 
 Ma.ssachu setts ; John P. Bigelow, Mayor of Boston; Hon. 
 Charles Sumner, Hon. Rufus Choate, Ex-Governor Morton, 
 and many distinguished members of the medical profession, 
 which letters are herewith given. It will be seen that they re- 
 commend his claim, and certify to its justice : 
 
 "Boston, January 11, 1849. 
 " Hon. John Davis : 
 
 "My Dear Sir: I beg leave to introduce to you my friend 
 Dr. Morton, of this city, by whose laborious efforts the anaes- 
 thetic properties of sulphuric ether were discovered, and its bene- 
 ficial influence in diminishing human suffering in various maladies.
 
 284 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XVII 
 
 He visits Washington in the hope of obtaining some recognition 
 on the part of Congress of the value of his discovery. I hope 
 he Avill succeed, for he has nearly exhausted his pecuniary re- 
 sources, as well as his health, in the great work. 
 " Respectfully your friend, 
 
 "John Homans." 
 
 "Boston, Jamianj 10, 1849. 
 " Hon. Horace Man-n : 
 
 " Dear Sir : I venture to introduce to you Dr. Morton, whose 
 name is familiar to you from his connection with the discovery 
 of the application of ether to the relief of man's estate. 
 
 " He goes to Washington, hoping to obtain from the govern- 
 ment some remuneration for a discovery so brilliant and 
 successful, yet not probably within the scope of the American 
 patent Inws. I doubt not you are familiar with the proofs of 
 his name in this matter, and if not he will place them with great 
 force before you. 
 
 "I am, very respectfully, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 "R. Choate.'* 
 
 "Boston, Januaru 11, 1849. 
 ** My Dear Sir : Dr. Morton visits Washington in the hopes 
 of promoting a petition for remuneration from Congress, on 
 account of his agency in the discovery of the ether. I wish to 
 express to you my interest in his petition, and my sense of his 
 merits. Of course I do not enter into tlie controversy connected 
 with the discovery. But I do think Dr. Morton deserves well of 
 Congress. 
 
 " Ever faithfully yours, 
 
 "Charles Soiner. 
 "Hon. J. G. Palfrey." 
 
 *' Boston, Jan. 12, 1849. 
 "Dear Sir : I am happy to have the opportunity of present- 
 ing to your acquaintance Dr. W. T. G. Morton, of this city.
 
 CHAP, xvn.j THE VALUE OF A SINGLE WORD. 285 
 
 Dr. M., TV'ho, by reputation, is doubtless known to you, has the 
 distinction to have his name identified with one of the most im- 
 portant discoveries of modern limes — the apphcation of ether 
 as an agent for producing insensibility to pain in surj^ical opera- 
 tions. His object, as I understand, in visiting AVashington at 
 this time, is to endeavor to procure from Congress, some recog- 
 nition of the value of his discovery. I beg leave to commend 
 him to your kind attention. 
 
 " I am, very respectfully, 
 
 '' Your friend and servant, 
 
 '• Marcus Morton. 
 " To Thomas H. Benton." 
 
 *« Boston, Jan. 11, 1849. 
 " To THE Hon. Charles Hudson : 
 
 " Dear Sir : Dr. W. T. G. Morton, of this city, is about to 
 present to Congress a petition lor some remuneration for his ser- 
 vices in the discovery of the power of ether to destroy pain 
 during surgical operations. A year ago the Board of Trustees 
 of the Massachusetts General Hospital, where the first experi- 
 ments were tried, made an elaborate report, recognizing his 
 claims. Dr. C. T. Jackson (to ^vhom he had applied as a 
 learned chemist, at the suggestion of ]\Ir. Wightman, a well- 
 known philosophical instrument maker) gave him valuable in- 
 formation as to the properties of ether, and advised him to use 
 it. Upon the strength of this circumstance. Dr. Jackson now 
 claims the whole discovery as his, alleging that he knew all about the 
 properties of ether as far back as 1842. The Hospital Trustees 
 examined their relative claims with great thoroughness and fair- 
 ness, and though much has been published, the entire Board 
 (consisting of twelve as impartial judges as could be selected) still 
 continues of the same opinion as when their Report was pub- 
 lished, a year since. 
 
 " Indeed, if Dr. Jackson knew what he says he did in 1842, he 
 is chargeable with allowing some half a dozen years of human 
 suffering, which he might have relieved, by speaking a single 
 word, or making a suggestion to a single surgeon. The patent is
 
 286 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. XTII. 
 
 by common consent abandoned. The greatness of the discovery 
 ought, certainly, to entitle its author to some splendid remunera- 
 tion. This claim therefore, before Congress, has my best wishes, 
 and I trust that you will do anything in your power to pro- 
 mote the success of the application. 
 
 " I am, with great respect and regard, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 " E. H. ROBBINS." 
 
 "Navy Departnment, 
 " Bureau of Medicines and Surgery ^ 
 ''January, 18, 1849. 
 " Mt Dear Doctor : Allow me to introduce to you Dr. Mor- 
 ton, of Boston, the acknowledged author of the anaesthetic dis- 
 covery. Should you be able to aid him in any of the objects con- 
 templated in his visit to our city, you will confer an obligation 
 upon your friend and 
 
 " Obedient servant, 
 
 " Thomas Harris.'* 
 
 "Boston, Jan. ZOth, 1848. 
 
 " My Dear Sir : I understand that Dr. "Wm. T. G. Morton is 
 about applying to Congress for some grant as a recompense for his 
 services in introducing the use of ether as a means of avoiding 
 and relieving pain. This discovery, it is conceded, is one of the 
 most beneficial in its results that science has bestowed upon our 
 race. The gratitude of all mankind belongs to those who have 
 given it to the world, for all countries have received it, and all 
 ages will accept it as one of the most signal triumphs of art 
 over one of our most deadly and constant enemies — bodily 
 pain — against which, in some form or other, it is half the 
 business of life to struggle. 
 
 "If the discoverer has received no direct profit or indirect 
 advantage from his labors for his fellow-creatures everybody re- 
 mains his debtor. If he has suffered in health and estate, the 
 debt becomes one of honor, which it is a shame to the com-
 
 CHAP. 2VII.] IJ3TTER FROM O. W. HOLMES. 287 
 
 munity to leave unpaid. He has a right to look to his coun- 
 try for it ; its government is in the habit of voting swords and 
 medals to its heroes, and can, if it will, reward its other benefac- 
 tors. 
 
 " The generally-received opinion here is, that to Dr. Morton 
 belongs, if not the whole, the greater part of the credit attach- 
 ed to this discovery. There are some differences of opinion, it 
 is true, as almost always happens with regard to the origination 
 of new and important ideas, but after hearing and reading a great 
 deal upon the subject, I can assert that I only found here and 
 there a dissentient from the common opinion to which I have re- 
 ferred. It is a notorious and wholly undisputed fact that Dr. 
 Morton in person instituted the first decisive experiments at the 
 risk of his reputation, and with a courage and perseverance, 
 without which, even had the idea of the possibility of such ef- 
 fects been entertained, the world might have waited centuries or 
 indefinitely before the result was reached. 
 
 " It is well known that Dr. Morton, instead of profiting by 
 his discovery, has suffered in mind, body, and estate, in conse- 
 quence of the time and toil he has consecrated to the work. 
 
 " I have no particular relations with Dr. Morton, and no in- 
 terest in common with him, to bias me in my opinion and feel- 
 ings. But recommending what other countries have done for 
 their public benefactors, and unwilling to believe that a rich and 
 prosperous republic cannot afford, and wiU not incline to indulge, 
 its gratitude whenever a proper occasion presents itself, I have ad- 
 dressed you this line to tell you that I think now is the time, 
 and this is the man. 
 
 " I am, yours very truly, 
 
 " 0. W. Holmes." 
 
 '^Boston, Feh. 2, 1849. 
 
 " Dear Sir : Your note was received to-day, and I regret 
 that you had the trouble of writing. I should have written, 
 but have not been well. 
 
 "Dr. Morton claims to have made what may be termed the 
 scientific discovery. In other words, he claims to have been
 
 288 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. xvil. 
 
 possessed of the properties of ether without suggestions from 
 any person, and ■without any sources of information that "vvere 
 not within reach of all. This may be true. I have not ex- 
 amined the evidence on this point, for I consider it an unim- 
 portant matter. 
 
 " But the great discovery, that for which the whole world is in- 
 debted, was that the inhalation of ether could be employed with 
 safety — I repeat it, with safety — to annihilate pain. This, the 
 only fact of real practical value, he proved, first by self-experi- 
 ment, and he was the only man who ever had proved it. 
 
 *' I am glad to find you interested in this matter. It appears to 
 me incumbent on our national legislature to chronicle this event 
 in our country in an appropriate manner. Let us substantiate 
 the fact that this discovery was made in this country. Let us 
 not decree a tablet on his tombstone, or ask of posterity to pay 
 our debts with a monument, but here in our day make a living, 
 life-giving remuneration that shall do honor to him and to our- 
 selves. 
 
 " Very truly yours, 
 
 " C. G. Putnam." 
 
 " Boston, January 7, 1849. 
 " My Dear Sir : Mr. W. T. G. Morton, dentist of this 
 city, is about to memorialize Congress that they may grant 
 him a reward for the discovery of the anaesthetic properties of 
 ether ; and has engaged Mr. Fletcher Webster to visit Wash- 
 ington on his behalf for that purpose, as I am informed. Both 
 the above-named gentlemen request me to write to you on the 
 subject. I told them I had no doubt if Congress should en- 
 tertain the petition, that you would appoint an intelligent and 
 impartial committee. 
 
 The obstacles they have to apprehend are the reluctance of 
 Congress to grant money, and the opposition of the rival claim- 
 ant for the discovery. Dr. Charles T. Jackson. The general 
 opinion here is that Morton is the man to whom the world is 
 mainly indebted for the discovery, and this opinion is well ex-
 
 CHAP, xm] DRS. JAMES JACKSON AND JACOB BIGELOW. 289 
 
 pressed in the printed report of the Massachusetts Hospital 
 
 trustees. 
 
 << Very truly and faithfully yours, 
 
 "Jacob Bigelow. 
 " R. C. WiNTHROP, Esq." 
 
 *' Boston, Jan. 10, 1849. 
 "Dear Sir: ]Mr. Morton, who visits "Washington to seek re- 
 muneration from government for the benefit which he has confer- 
 red upon the country by the introduction of sulphuric ether, re- 
 quests me to express to you my opinion (which I do most unre- 
 servedly) that the world is indebted entirely to Mr. Morton for 
 the introduction of this agent to produce insensibility to pain, and 
 that it is a physical blessing not second to any one that has been 
 conferred upon suffering humanity. 
 
 " I sincerely hope that ^Ir. Morton will receive some remuner- 
 ation for his very great benefaction. 
 
 " With high respect, your obedient servant, 
 
 " John Jeffries. 
 " Hon. R. C. WiNTHROP, 
 
 "Speaker of the House of Representatives.''' 
 
 "Boston, Jan. 30, 1849. 
 " Dr. Edwards : 
 
 " Sir : As chairman of the committee on the ether discovery, 
 I take the liberty of informing you that I this day met Dr. James 
 Jackson, who, as you are probably aware, is the decided head of 
 the medical profession in this city, and, indeed, in New Eng- 
 land. 
 
 I said to him that a line from him to you upon the subject in 
 question would have great weight. He replied as follows : ' I have 
 never been present at any of the early experiments, and know 
 nothing upon the subject which is not derived from the printed 
 testimony in the case, and other sources of information open to 
 all ; and I have long made it a rule never to sign any recommend- 
 ations or certificates in behalf of any one ; but if the expression 
 
 13
 
 290 DISCOVEKY OF ElUERIZATION. LCHAP. XVII. 
 
 of my opinion will have any weight, as you suppose, you may 
 state fully and unequivocally that in my opinion Dr. Morton is 
 entitled to a grant from Congress for the ether discovery, more 
 than any and all other persons in the world, and that it owes this dis- 
 covery juar excellence to Dr. Morton.' 
 
 " Being myself much delighted at such an explicit confinnation 
 in so high a quarter, of the views which I have long entertained 
 myself, I beg leave, through you, to communicate this opinion to 
 the committee of Congress, as I deem it of far more importance 
 in Dr. Morton's behalf than any testimonial or recognition of his 
 claims which he has yet received. 
 
 *' I remain yours. 
 
 Very respectfully, 
 
 "N. I. BOT\T)ITCH." 
 
 Boston, January 15, 1849. 
 
 *'My Dear Sir: I write you at the desire of Dr. Mor- 
 ton, the discoverer of the wonderful properties of ether, who 
 is anxious for an act of Congress to confirm his claim to the 
 discovery, and for some more substantial proof of the generosity 
 of the llepublic. In the latter appeal, I have no great sym- 
 pathy except inasmuch as it is necessary to accomplish the 
 former. 
 
 That he is entitled to the credit of having made this discovery, 
 I have no doubt, the expression of opinion from the trustees of 
 the Massachusetts General Hospital and other citizens of Boston, 
 accompanied with a thousand dollars in a silver box, is enough 
 to establish his claim in this vicinity, but an act of Con- 
 gress in his favor, if only with the addition of a nominal re- 
 ward, would substantiate his claim throughout our own and 
 other lands. 
 
 I do feel that the importance of his discovery of which I every 
 day see striking proofs, merits some public testimonial, such as 
 an act of Congress in Dr. Morton's favor. He tells me that ]\Ir. 
 Webster and other gentlemen from Massachusetts have warmly 
 espoused his cause, and as it is his desire, as it is also my wish,
 
 CHAP. XVII.] POrNTS OF THE ETHER CONTROVERSY. 
 
 291 
 
 to aid him in his cause, I have taken the liberty to call your at- 
 tention to his application. 
 
 " I remain with respect, 
 
 *' Your obedient servant, 
 
 '* Egbert W. Hooper. 
 "Hon. S. Grinn-ell, Washmg'ion.'" 
 
 " Boston, Jamiari/ 2Qth, 1848. 
 
 " Dear Sir : Learning that Dr. Morton is in Washington, and 
 being much interested in the ether question, I take the liberty to 
 write to you. 
 
 " I believe most fully that Dr. Morton deserves any reward 
 Congress may grant to the discoverer, because, although many 
 people had thought that a man could be intoxicated beyond the 
 reach of pain, Morton alone proved this previous possibility to be a 
 certainty and safe. 
 
 "A diagram will make the matter plainer than words. 
 
 Before Oct., 1846. 
 
 Discoveries in Oct., 
 1846. 
 
 After Oct., 1846. 
 
 Who made the sug- 
 gestion ? Here is 
 the only ground of 
 dispute. 
 
 Consecutive experi- 
 ments by Morton. 
 
 Morton alone took the re- 
 sponsibility of danger, 
 and proved that ether 
 was, 
 
 1. Certain; 2. Safe. 
 
 "The two last points, viz. : the consecutive experiments, and 
 their confirmation, which nobody dilutes to Morto?i, make him in 
 my eyes the discoverer. 
 
 " The only doubt is, who made the suggestion ? To me this is of 
 no importance. 
 
 " Dr Jackson says, ' I did. I told Morton to try the experi- 
 ment ; and unless I had so told him, he would never have tried 
 it.' 
 
 " Dr. Jackson adds : ' I first tried ether when I was suffering 
 from chlorine, in 1842. I afterward recommended it to Mr. 
 Peabody. '
 
 292 DISCOVKRY OF KTIIEKIZATIOX. [CHAP. XVII' 
 
 " But Mr. Morton confutes even tliese positions. He says to 
 Dr. Jackson : 
 
 " * 1. I show, by the evidence or Dr. Gould, j\Ir. Wightman, 
 and Mr. Metcalfe, that I was experimenting with ether before 
 the interview in which you claim to have brought it to ray 
 notice. 
 
 '• ' 2. In 1842 you only rediscovered what was before clearly 
 in print in Pereira's Materia Medica. 
 
 " * 3. You claim to have told Mr. Peabody what you Jcnew of 
 ether. Now, you could not know it ! You have stated all your 
 grounds of deduction, and the widest inference you could draw 
 from them is a suspicion of the properties of ether ; and 
 a suspicion in science, an unconfirmed thcorij, amounts to 
 nothing. 
 
 "'Finally, what you claim to have discovered in 1842, you 
 kept to yourself during four yeai's. Do you expect the world to 
 believe you knew its value ? Do you expect it to reward you 
 for letting people suffer during that length of time V 
 
 " Besides, the suggestion of anaesthetic agencies occurred to 
 Davy ; especially was it followed out, though unsuccessfully, by 
 Horace Wells, who, disgusted with failure, abandoned his at- 
 tempts. These, and others, had hypotheses, as well as Dr. 
 Jackson. 
 
 " Morton alone proved the hypothesis. "Without Morton, 
 there is no evidence that the world would have known ether till 
 the present day. 
 
 " I believe this was the ground of important argument and 
 difference in the pamphlets. I beg you to allow for any inele- 
 gancies resulting from my attempt at brevity, and believe me, 
 ' ' Very truly and respectfully, 
 
 "Your obedient friend and servant, 
 
 "Henry J. Bigelow. 
 
 " Mr. WiNTHROP. " 
 
 " Boston, Jan. — , 1849 
 " Dear Sir: Dr. Morton, of this city, intends to present to Con- 
 greBs a petition for a grant as the discoverer of ether. The trustees
 
 CHAP. XTII.] FIRArSESS OF THE HOSPITAI. TRUSTEES. 298 
 
 of the hospital, after a very long and careful investigation, were 
 unanimously satisfied that, while he received most valuable in- 
 formation from Dr. Jackson, the discovery was nevertheless due 
 to his own fearless and earnest performance of the needful ex- 
 periments, at a time wheu the most scientific men (Dr. Jacob 
 Bigelow, Dr. Jas. Jackson) assure me that they should have 
 considered those experiments as involving imminent risk of life. 
 Dr. C. T. Jackson has thwarted all efforts of Dr. M. to obtain 
 remuneration. He has very recently sent to the trustees a me- 
 morial praying us to revise our erroneous judgment against him. 
 I am able to state, however, that the whole board still retain the 
 same views which were employed in the Hospital Report of last 
 year. 
 
 " If you can do anything to promote the success of his appli- 
 cation, I think it will be aiding the cause of right and justice. 
 If you should desire any particular information as to the merits 
 of the case, or access to the various published documents. Dr. 
 Morton will be in "Washington, and his counsel, JNIr. Fletcher 
 Webster, or himself, will be happy to give you such documents 
 and statements as you may wish. 
 
 " I remain yours, 
 
 Very respectfully, 
 
 "N. I. BOWDITCH." 
 
 "Boston, Jan\j 11, 1849. 
 *'HoN. Robert C. Winthrop : 
 
 " Dear Sir : Dr. Wm. T. G. Morton, the bearer of this 
 letter informs me that his object in visiting Washington, is for 
 the purpose of making an application to Congress for a reasona- 
 ble sum of money in consideration of his great and valuable 
 discovery of the effect of sulphuric ether upon the human sys- 
 tem during surgical operations. No doubt, my dear sir, you fully 
 understand the importance of this great discovery to the whole 
 world ; therefore I need not take up your valuable time upon 
 that part of the subject. Who made the discovery is, I think, 
 fully and clearly established by the complete examination and
 
 294 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. XTII. 
 
 report of the Board of Trustees of the ISIassachusetts General 
 Hospital, of January Gth, 1848. 
 
 *' After Dr. Morton had sntisfied himself of the effect of ether 
 upon the human system by many experiments, the last of which, 
 before making it public, was on the 80th of September, he 
 came to my son's office for the purpose of securing a patent, if 
 one could be obtained ; soon after he requested Drs. Warren and 
 Hayward to try the effect in capital operations, which was done 
 on or about the 17th of October, and were fully satisfactory to 
 those gentlemen. On the 23d of October, a gentleman now 
 claiming the discovery, and endeavoring to take the credit to 
 himself, spent an evening with me at my house, and during the 
 time I conversed with him fully upon the subject ; he declared 
 to me it was all a perfect humbug, and that Morton was a reck- 
 less fellow, and w^ould yet kill some one with his experiments. 
 I could not agree with him after hearing of the trials by Drs. 
 Warren and Hayward. 1 do fully believe that Dr. Morton was 
 the original discoverer, and ought to have the entire credit of it — 
 and further, as a public benefactor, ought to be rewarded by the 
 government for his persevering exertions to the present time ; to 
 my knowledge he has spent large sums of money, and I think 
 deserves some consideration in return. May I be permitted to 
 solicit your interest in his behalf. 
 
 ' ' Yours, with the highest consideration, 
 
 "Caleb Eddy." 
 
 "Boston, Jan. 30, 1849. 
 " Sir : I take the liberty of sending to you copies of the Hos- 
 pital Report, and of a subsequent vindication prepared by me, 
 and showing the relative claims of Dr. Morton and Dr. Jackson, 
 in the ether discovery. The vindication was in reply to a pub- 
 lication of Dr. Jackson's attorney, of June last, and disposes of 
 all the essential allegations which it contains, impeaching the 
 Hospital Report. Quite recently Dr. J. has pubHshed a me- 
 morial, addressed to the hospital trustees, which, in many par- 
 ticulars, is a new edition of his June publication. It contains 
 some new allegations, and in these new statements is much un-
 
 CHAP. XTII.] ANOTHER SURREPTITIOUS PUBLICATION. 295 
 
 true in itself, and leading to very false and injurious inferences 
 as respects Dr. Morton. The committee may be assured that 
 Dr. Gould was well aware of Dr. Morton's alleged early experi- 
 ments ; that Dr. M. strenuously urged him to insert an account 
 of them in the statement of his case, which Dr. G. drew up, 
 and that Dr. G. had much difficulty in persuading Morton to 
 consent to their omission, on the ground that these prior experi- 
 ments icet^e not important to the case. And that it was desirable 
 to omit everything which Dr. J. would object to, and make the 
 case as simple as possible. The alleged authority of Mr. Metcalfe 
 to make any statement from him, is entirely false. On the con- 
 trary, Dr. Jackson's attorneys promised him never to publish a/?7/- 
 thing without his previous consent. What they have published 
 is what, in many points, he does not, and never did, sanction ; 
 and his letter to the trustees (of which he has this day consented 
 to give Dr. Morton a copy) distinctly charges Dr. Jackson's at- 
 torneys with falsehood. I say thus much in regard to the two 
 matters of Gould's and Metcalfe's statements, because Dr. J.'s 
 recent memorial, if it stood uncontradicted, might well lead the 
 committee of Congress to doubt the accuracy of the positions 
 taken by the Hospital. These letters of Dr. G. and Mr. Met- 
 calfe were read at the two successive meetings of the hospital. 
 All the twelve members were not, indeed, present at those meet- 
 ings, but, with two or three exceptions, every member knows 
 their purport. xA.nd there is not the slightest doubt entertained 
 by any one of the Board, that the Hospital Report awards to Dr. 
 J. the share of credit to which he is really entitled ; and that 
 his exclusive pretensions are absurd in the highest degree. One 
 of our number told me a few days since, that he thought I had 
 made a fundamental mistake in namhuj Dr. Jackson in the Hos- 
 pital Report at all, as it v/as his sincere conviction that he had 
 nothing to do with the discovery, except that by a fortunate ac- 
 cident he was called on, rather than some other experienced 
 chemist, to give certain information to Morton. 
 
 " I have been for more than twenty years connected with the 
 hospital. The twelve trustees are as impartial, disinterested 
 men as could be called upon to act in such a case. Holding
 
 296 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XTII. 
 
 a high and responsible trust, they acted under a fiill sence of that 
 responsibility when they took the ground which they did in this 
 controversy. As honest men, they would, one and all, recede from 
 that ground, and make, cheerfully, any amends to Dr. Jackson, 
 if they felt that they had been mistaken. Their final vote, there- 
 fore, that any action on their part is unnecessary', is to be taken 
 (and was by them designed to be taken) as evidence tliat, not- 
 withstanding all that Dr. J. has said and done (including his 
 latest publications) they have seen no reason to believe themselves 
 mistaken in the essential conclusions set forth in the Hospital 
 Report. 
 
 " I remain, very respectfully, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 "N. I. BOAVDITCH. 
 
 " Dr. Edwards." 
 
 " Council Chajiber, 
 " Boston, 12th Jan'y, 1849. 
 * ' Dear CORAVIN : Allow me to introduce to your acquaint- 
 ance, Dr. Morton, of this city, whose name the world knows as 
 the discoverer of the application of ether, to alleviate pain. 
 
 " An application to Congress, for some compensation for the 
 discovery, Is to be made. May I ask }'0u, for the doctor, who 
 thus far, though he has reheved thousands of others from suffer- 
 ing, has had nothing but suffering himself as his reward, to look 
 at his case and if you find it has merits, give it your support. 
 *' Sincerely and truly yours, 
 
 *' Geo. N. Briggs. 
 "Hon. Thos. Corwin." 
 
 " Salem, Jan. 11th, 1849. 
 *' Dear Sir : I have just learned, that Dr. Morton, of Bos- 
 ton, has gone to Washington, to obtain from Congress some pe- 
 cuniary acknowledgment of the value of his discovery, of the ap- 
 plicability of ether, as a means of destroying pain in surgical 
 operations and diseases. I am but partially acquainted with 
 Dr. M. It is more than a year since I have had any communi- 
 cation with him, and it is from a sincere desire that justice should
 
 OHAP. XTII.] LETTER FEOM DR. PEIESON. 297 
 
 be rendered to a public benefactor, that I address you in his be- 
 half. 
 
 " It is now more than fourteen months, since I have applied 
 ether to procure a state of insensibility, in which I could perform 
 surgical operations without inflicting pain. In all my trials this 
 marvelous agent has perfectly succeeded, and without being fol- 
 lowed by any permanent bad consequence. Indeed, the passing 
 off of etherization has been like awaking from a pleasant dream. 
 Under the insensibility produced by ether, I have performed am- 
 putations, trepanning, extirpations of the female breast, removal 
 of large tumors ; operations for strangulated hernia ; instru- 
 mental deliveries ; reductions of fractures and dislocations ; with 
 perfect ratisfaction, and most delightful relief from all suffering. 
 I have also administered it in a gi-eat variety of diseases, and I 
 know of no form of human suffering, in which it does not hold 
 out a certain prospect of at least temporary relief. I have pro- 
 duced etherization in subjects, passed the meridian of life, and 
 in infants of less than two months. None but a surgeon who 
 has witnessed the agonizing tortures of those who have to under- 
 go the pain produced by the knife, or the actual cautery, can 
 appreciate the value of this noble discovery. Recovery is great- 
 ly promoted by lessening the shock which acute pain always in- 
 flicts upon the vital powers. Eveiy man who suffers a broken 
 limb, a lacerated joint, or a surgeon's knife, can avail himself of 
 this sure method of escaping pain, and owes a debt of gratitude 
 to him who first successfully experimented with this agent. I 
 hope he will be provided for, during life, at the public expense. 
 If Beaumont deserved a gratuity from Congress for observations 
 and experiments on digestion, remotely benefiting suffering hu- 
 manity, by enlarging physiological knowledge, surely it is no 
 more than justice, that the man who has directly extinguished 
 mortal agony, should receive the reward of successful labors. 
 
 " The inhalation of ether to produce unconsciousress, is no dis- 
 covery of the present age. But demonstrating the practical use 
 of it to annihilate pain, is the true discovery for which we are in- 
 debted to Dr. Morton. Fulton was not the first to discover the 
 motive power of steam as applied to navigation. Jenner was 
 
 13*
 
 298 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XVII. 
 
 not the first to discover the prophylactic efficacy of cow-pox. 
 But these men put mankind in the way of using these agents for 
 beneficial purposes. They were the discoverers of what the 
 world wanted to know. In like manner I trace to Dr. Morton, 
 the practical information which has given my patients the bene- 
 fits of this knowledge of the properties of ether. I am sorry to 
 learn that Dr. Morton has derived no personal advantage from 
 his discovery, but rather has suffered loss. Much of this has 
 arisen from his absurdly patenting his discovery and from his un- 
 fortunate controversy with that distinguished savan. Dr. Charles 
 T. Jackson, who was instrumental in leading his mind to the 
 trials which revealed the safety and utility of etherization. It 
 is not necessary for me to give an opinion on this controversy. 
 It is in print, and you are, at least, as competent as I could be, 
 to weigh the arguments on which each rests his claim to the dis- 
 covery. 
 
 '* I sincerely hope you will aid Dr. Morton in obtaining a re- 
 ward for his discovery. I am sure you will if you believe, as 
 I do, that it is to him the world owes the introduction of this 
 pain-destroying agent. 
 
 " I will offer yon no apology for striving to interest you in this 
 matter, trusting you will look upon it as a proof of my sincere 
 respect for your personal character, and legislative fidelity. 
 " I am very truly yours, 
 
 * * A. L. Peirson. 
 
 *«Hon. Daniel P. King." 
 
 " U. S. House of Representatives, 
 " Janvanj 30th, 184:9. 
 " Dear Sir : I have the honor to place in your hands, let- 
 ters addressed to me by Mr. N. I. Bowditch, and Dr. Jeffries, 
 of Boston. The latter is a distinguished member of the medical 
 profession, and both are gentlemen enjoying the highest confi- 
 dence and respect of their fellow-citizens. 
 
 " I have also a letter from which the following is an extract, 
 from Dr. Henry I. Bowditch, also a gentleman of high standing in
 
 CHAP. XVII.] THE HOSPITAL TRUSTEES STILL Fimi. 299 
 
 the profession ; one of the physicians, if I mistake not, of the 
 Massachusetts General Hospital. 
 
 " ' Dr. Morton, to whom I sincerely believe the world owes 
 the invaluable gift of the knowledge of the ana3sthetic properties 
 of ether, intends to apply to Congress for a remuneration for 
 losses, and a recompense for his invaluable discovery. Per- 
 mit me to urge upon you (which as a physician, I feel I have a 
 right to do) the propriety of the nation standing forth, and 
 generously rewarding the discoverer of this noble gift lo man- 
 kind. I have used it in midwifeiy, and I can truly say, that I 
 know of no one discovery in medicine which can compare with 
 this discovery, save perhaps vaccination by Jenner. The prac- 
 tice of midwifery has become a new thing, since I have begun 
 the. use of chloroform or ether. By it I lull pain, and yet con- 
 sciousness remains. It seems mysterious in its wonderful influ- 
 ence. Some one should be rewarded. I believe that Dr. Morton 
 is the real discoverer ; you may, however, receive pamphlets, 
 urging Dr. Jackson's claims. Among them will probably be one 
 from Dr. J,'s attorneys, asking the trustees of the hospital to 
 reverse their decision,* &c., &c. 
 
 " I am, dear Sir, with great respect, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 "John G. Palfrey. 
 " Hon. T. O. Edwards, 
 
 " Chairman, ^c, ^-c , ^c" 
 
 " Boston, January 17, 1849. 
 
 " At a quarterly meeting of the Trustees of the Massachusetts 
 General Hospital, held this day, the following preamble and vote 
 were unimously adopted : 
 
 " ' A printed memorial, by the attorneys of Dr. C. T. Jackson, 
 was, several days since, transmitted to each trustee of this insti- 
 tution, asking a revision of the views expressed, in the last an- 
 nual report, respecting the ether discovery, and a letter from Dr. 
 Jackson, with various accompanying documents, was, at the last 
 meeting, laid before the Board ; and letters upon the same sub-
 
 800 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XTIL 
 
 ject from Theodore Metcalfe, Esq., and Dr. A. A. Gould, having 
 also been received, it was 
 
 " ' Voted, That any further action of the Board in relation to 
 the ether controversy is wholly unnecessary. 
 
 " * Voted, also, That copies of the above vote be transmitted to 
 Dr. Jackson and to Dr. Morton respectively.' 
 " A true extract from the records. 
 
 " N. I. BOWDITCH, 
 
 *' SecretaTy pro tern.'* 
 
 "Boston, January Wtli, 1849. 
 " Mt Dear Sir : I understand that Dr. Morton, of this 
 city, intends to apply to Congress for a reward of his services, 
 as the discoverer of the ancesthetic power of ether. I regard 
 the discovery as the greatest, excepting perhaps that of vaccina- 
 tion, that has ever been made in our profession. On this account, 
 and on that of his agency in it, I sincerely hope he may succeed. 
 " His claims as the discoverer, are fully and fairly set forth in 
 the report of the Trustees of the Massachusetts General Hospi- 
 tal for the last year. As I can add nothing to what is there 
 stated, I beg leave to refer you to it. 
 
 " With much respect, I remain, 
 
 "Your friend, and humble servant, 
 
 " Geo. Hatward." 
 "Hon. E. C. Winthrop." 
 
 The Hon. Daniel AYebster, who was then in the United States 
 Senate, had ever taken a great interest in the personal success 
 of Dr. Morton, and was again of great service to him, as 
 was his senatorial colleague, the Hon. John Davis. The Hon. 
 Daniel P. King * (another distinguished son of Massachusetts, 
 who has since departed this life full of honors) was earnest in his 
 assistance; while the Hon. J. G. Palfrey, D. D., the Plon. Geo. 
 Ashmun, and others from the Old Bay State, seemed to take a 
 pride in the discovery and the discoverer. Nor was this dispo- 
 
 * Dr. "Warren requested the Hon. D. P. King, when on his way to "Wash- 
 ington, to mako every eflfort in Dr. Morton's behalf.
 
 CHAP. XVII. ] PETITION TO CONGRESS. 301 
 
 sition to reward just merit confined to those from the State in 
 •which the discovery was made, for gentlemen from all quarters 
 of the Union, appeared equally interested, ai^serLing that their 
 constituents had been equally benefited. Foremost among tho.se 
 who volunteered their aid was the Hon. John Wentworlh, of 
 Illinois (like Dr. Morton, a progressive amateur foi'mer), who, 
 on the 19th of January, presented the memorial to Congress, in 
 the House of Kepresentatives. 
 
 This memorial "was a brief, well-written statement by Dr. 
 Morton of the leading fiicts in the case. It represented that 
 while in the prosperous practice of the dental profession, " he 
 saw frequent instances of physical suffering ; and was (as many 
 others had been) induced to consider whether there might not 
 be some means of alleviating such suffering?, and rendering oper- 
 ations less painful to those obliged to submit to them." That, 
 in pursuance of this object, he had experimented upon himself, 
 afterward upon others, until success had crowned his efforts. 
 
 To this modest statement of his discovery. Dr. Morton added 
 a brief narrative of the outlays and losses to which it had sub- 
 jected him, besides impairing his health by mental anxiety and 
 over-exertion, and concluded by appealing to Congress in these 
 expressive, convincing, yet dignified words : " Considering the 
 nature of the discovery, the benefit which it confers, and must 
 continue to confer so long as nature lasts, upon humanity ; the 
 price at which your petitioner effected it, in the serious injury to 
 his business ; the detriment to his health ; the entire absence of 
 any remuneration from the privileges under his patent; and that 
 it is of direct benefit to the government, by its use in the army 
 and navy — you should grant him such relief as might seem to you 
 Fufiicient to restore him at least to that position in which he was 
 before he made known to the world a discovery which enables 
 man to undergo, without the sense of pain, the severest physical 
 trials to which human nature is subject." 
 
 Dr. Morton's memorial, on the day after its presentation, was 
 referred under the rules to a select committee, whicli had been 
 raised expressly for the consideration of medical questions, and 
 was entirely composed of physicians, viz. : Drs. T. O. Edwards
 
 302 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XVII. 
 
 and Fries, of Ohio ; W. A. Newell, of New- Jersey ; Lord, and 
 Jones. They considered the subject — it was unanimously admit- 
 ted — with more care and attention than had ever before been be- 
 stowed by a Congressional committee on a private memorial. Their 
 sessions were numerous and protracted, often extending late into 
 the night, and a large mass or oral and written testimony was 
 carefully analyzed. As was the case when Dr. Jenner's claim 
 was before a committee of the English Parliament, " efforts of 
 a very extraordinary kind were made to impugn the claim," and 
 several individuals officiously endeavored, by presenting what the 
 committee styled "irrelevant affidavits," to detract from Dr. 
 Morton's merits. 
 
 As soon as Dr. Morton's memorial was before the coir.mittee, 
 the chairman addressed a letter to the opponents of Dr. Morton, 
 requesting them to put in before the committee any documents 
 against his claim and in support of their own. The chairman 
 immediately received a letter from Dr. Jackson in which he ex- 
 pressed his great satisfaction, that the cause was to be tried by a 
 tribunal so competent to appreciate his claim ; that he should 
 soon send him the documents and a remonstrance from the phy- 
 sicians and surgeons of Boston. Dr. Jackson's attorney soon 
 appeared. He brought with him a remonstrance, but of a char- 
 acter totally unlike what had been promised. It is true, having 
 drafted such an instrument, he applied to Dr. AVarren, the 
 senior surgeon of the Massachusetts General Hospital to head it, 
 who declined, and subsequently headed a petition in favor of Dr. 
 Morton. Dr. Jackson's remonstrance was subscribed by no 
 surgeons of the hospital, and by no prominent members of the 
 medical profession. It was headed by no disinterested philan- 
 thropists wishing that justice should be done and the true 
 discoverer rewarded, but by his own feed attorney — who had 
 only the previous year demanded of Dr. Morton twenty-five per 
 cent, on the patent in behalf of his client, in consideration of 
 his surreptitious claim — followed by the names of a few of his 
 personal friends and rival dentists. At this period an event oc- 
 curred which was a providence so remarkable that it is proper to 
 relate it. Before Dr. Morton left Boston, his opponents had
 
 CHAP. XVII.] AGREEABLE TELEGRAPHIC DISPATCH. 803 
 
 filed their objections with the government of the Massachusetts 
 General Hospital against theii' report of the preceding year, in 
 which they had unanimously accorded him the honor of the dis- 
 covery ; but his opponent was now endeavoring to obtain 
 from them a reconsideration of the case and a counter-report in 
 his favor. Though Dr. Morton felt strong in the justice of his 
 cause, he knew that it was a newly-elected board, and that the 
 scientific attainments and position of his opponent had great 
 weight with many of them, and that Dr. Jackson was there per- 
 sonally to urge his claims, while Dr. Morton was in AVashing- 
 ton contending against the influence Dr. Jackson was causing 
 to be brought to bear upon the committee, through letters written 
 at his solicitation from his scientific friends throughout the United 
 States. Judge then of Dr. Morton's satisfaction and delight in the 
 recep tion of the following telegraphic dispatch from Boston : "The 
 trustees of the Massachusetts General Hospital have confirmed 
 their Report of 1848, in opposition to the memorial of your op- 
 ponent." Defeated before the trustees of the hospital. Dr. 
 Jackson instantly hurried to Washington, engaged suitable 
 apartments, and commenced calling upon members of the com- 
 mittee having the subject in charge. He was called upon by the 
 chairman and other members of the committee, who were aston- 
 ished at the contents of letters which he exhibited to them from 
 M. Elie Beaumont of Paris, asserting that the Academy would 
 decide in his (Dr. Jackson's) favor. 
 
 A powerful argument in Dr. Morton's favor was the ease and 
 the success with which he personally administered the ether 
 while the subject was before the committee. Some of these ex- 
 periments were successfully made in presence of di.<tinguished 
 members of Congress, and of medical officers in the array 
 and navy. Surgeon-General Lawson, of the army, and Dr. 
 Harris, chief of the Naval Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, 
 addressed official communications to the committee, stating that 
 ether was used in the army and the navy, and that it constituted 
 a portion of the regular supplies. Both officers were zealous in 
 supporting Dr. Morton's claim, and Dr. Harris spoke of him 
 as *'the acknowledged author of the anaesthetic discovery."
 
 804 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XVII. 
 
 Among the trials which were made at Washington, to show 
 the power and value of the ether, was one which attracted a 
 great deal of attention among the medical and scientific men col- 
 lected there, and afforded no little amusement among all classes 
 when it was reported. The experiment showed the utility of the 
 discovery for both branches of the public service in detecting 
 feigned diseases. 
 
 The consummate art often displayed by malingerers, as they 
 are called, is such as not unfrequently to baffle the skill of the 
 most experienced officers or medical men. The object to be gain- 
 ed by them is either to procure their discharge from the public 
 service, when by their injury in the cause of the public they 
 became entitled to a pension, or to escape some unpleasant duty ; 
 or from being ordered to a station to which there may be objec- 
 tions. The persistency of their attempts, the cunning and con- 
 trivance which are often made use of, and the calmness with 
 which they will often endure the severe tortures applied as re- 
 medial measures, or to discover if a deception exists, would enti- 
 tle them in a better cause, to a crown of laurels. It is not enough 
 in these cases, to suspect that a disease is feigned, humanity and 
 utility require that the fact of malingering be ^?ror^cZ before either 
 the kind offices of a physician are refused or punishment is in- 
 flicted. 
 
 Among the cases that were placed under the charge of Dr. 
 Morton for experiment, was a man named Charles Lanke, who 
 had been a private of artillery, but on account of alleged inca- 
 pacity from disease, was then off duty. The trouble consisted 
 of an anchylosis, or union between the bones composing the 
 knee-joint, for which he had applied for his discharge from the 
 service, and a pension. Circumstances had induced army medi- 
 cal officers to suspect the disease was feigned, and it was deter- 
 mined to put him to the proof. 
 
 In the presence of a large number of members of Congress and 
 medical men. Dr. Morton administered the ether to him. As 
 the somnolent effect of the ether stole gradually over him, and the 
 influence of his will over the muscles diminished, the leg which 
 before bad been kept rigidly stiff, began gradually to relax, and
 
 CHAP, xni ] ETHEB ADMINISTERED TO MALINGEEEES. 305 
 
 when fully under its influence, it was found that motion existed 
 in it as freely as in its mate. He was then allowed slowly to 
 emerge from the anaesthetic state, but when not fairly out of its 
 influence, and still quite intoxicated, two strong assistants seized 
 him by the arms and placed him upon his feet. Finding that he 
 kept the erect position, the assistants were or-lered to lead him 
 round the room. AVith the caution and stolid face of a drunken 
 person, the ci-devant patient began slowly to promenade the room. 
 Suddenly the mists which clouded his brain cleared away, and 
 awaking to the full consciousness of his position, he discovered 
 that he had " let the cat out of the bag," and all his hopes of a 
 penirion had vanished. Then rage took the place of his previous 
 quiet look of suflfering ; never before did such a torrent of invec- 
 tive and blasphemy pour from the lips of living man, but espe- 
 cially directed against Dr. Morton, as the author of his exposure- 
 If it had not been for the restraining presence of his superior of- 
 ficers, and the strong arms of the assistants, there is no doubt 
 but he would have done him some grievous harm, to such a state 
 had his fury, combined with the intoxicating 'effects of the ether, 
 carried him. 
 
 When he was somewhat recovered from the eflfects of the ether, 
 another, but an exceedingly impulsive, warm-hearted man, took 
 the sponge and commenced inhaling. He had breathed it but 
 a few times, when he suddenly threw himself in an attitude, as 
 if he were on the floor of Congress, and began an impromptu 
 speech. With his arms stretched out to the right and left, he 
 spouted away for a few moments, until he became so much ex- 
 cited, and his gestures so violent, as to cause some of the gentle- 
 men to beat a quick retreat from the room to the hall, where 
 they stood protected by the door to witness the curious scene. 
 The others by jumping behind the bed or interposing a chair be- 
 tween themselves and the impassioned orator were making the 
 walls echo with their shouts of laughter. 
 
 On another occasion when Dr. Morton had administered ether, 
 there being some left in the sponge, a calm, gentleman y man, 
 always dignified and graceful in manner, placed it to his mouth 
 and commenced inhaling. " Why, gentlemen !" he called out in
 
 306 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. XVII. 
 
 an animated tone, " this is certainly very pleasant," then starting 
 from his seat, and stepping about the room on tiptoe, he contin- 
 ued, " really gentlemen it is delicious," again and again applying 
 the sponge, while his eyes sparkled with delight, " this sensation 
 is exquisite! it is dehghtful !" 
 
 His manner was so full of excitement, and at the same time 
 so exactly in accordance with his general character, that all pres- 
 ent were convulsed with laughter. But to return. 
 
 Meanwhile, the close of the session approached, and with it 
 the close of Mr. Polk's administration, which was to be followed 
 by that of Gen. Taylor, involving a sweeping change in every 
 important office. Much business before Congress remained un- 
 finished ; and there was no chance of bringing up any question 
 on which the invariable discussion attending every appropriation 
 of money must ensue. The committee therefore deemed it ad- 
 visable not to recommend any pecuniary remuneration — but they 
 submitted a most decisive report. 
 
 This document, (Report No. 114) is a careful review of Dr. 
 Morton's claim to the practical discovery of the anaesthetic prop- 
 erties of ether. " Your committee are satisfied," it says, " that 
 Dr. Morton is entitled to the merit of the discovery. The great 
 thought teas of p7^oducing insensihilitij to pain ; and the discovery con- 
 sisted in that thought, and in verifying it practically by experiment. 
 For this the world is indebted to Dr. Morton ; and even if the 
 same thought, in all its distinctness and extent, arose also in the 
 mind of Dr. Jackson, at or prior to that time, yet he did not 
 carry it out by experiment, and thus give it to the world ; and, 
 on that supposition, it was the case of an important thought occu- 
 pying two minds at the same time — only one of whom brought 
 it out by experiment, and is therefore the discoverer. It was 
 clear that the discovery was destined soon to be given to the 
 world. Science had almost reached it — but a single step, and it 
 was compassed ; and it happened in this case, as in many others, 
 that the necessities of the profession, and a want deeply felt in 
 the daily business of life, rather than scientific induction, at last 
 produced the consummation." 
 
 Although the committee deduced their conclusion from evi-
 
 CHAP, rm.] CONGRESSIONAL REPORT. 307 
 
 dence, without resting on individual opinion or authority, they 
 were greatly strengthened by the report of the trustees of the 
 Massachusetts General Hospital. This was confirmed by a state- 
 ment, sent by authority of Dr. James Jackson, the head of the 
 medical profession in Boston, that " Dr. Morton is more entitled 
 to a grant from Congress, for the ether discovery, than any and 
 all other persons in the world." 
 
 Resolutions were appended to the report, one of which, unani- 
 mously endorsed by the professional and scientific gentlemen who 
 had interested themselves in the question, read thus : 
 
 " Resolved, That to Dr. W. T. G. ^Morton is due the credit of 
 having made the first practical application of sulphuric ether as 
 an ancESthetic agent, and demonstrated to the world its power 
 to destroy nervous sensibility to such an extent as to enable sur- 
 geons to perform all the various surgical operations upon the 
 human body without pain." 
 
 The amount of correspondence which Dr. Morton was for 
 many years engaged in has been before referred to ; the answers 
 and communications received by him he has now filed away in 
 volumes in chronological order, and the collection constitutes a 
 most formidable array of manuscript. No correspondence seems 
 too trivial, and no bit of paper, or note, bearing in any way upon 
 the great business of his life, seems too worthless to be kept in 
 some proper receptacle, where there is a place for everything, 
 and everything in its place. 
 
 On more than one occasion this methodical exactness and strict 
 attention paid to apparent trifles has brought its reward. Often, 
 in the various severe ordeals through which his claim has passed, 
 would his statements have been doubted, or some important as- 
 sertion of his adversaries passed uncontroverted, if he had not 
 from its proper nook produced some note, reference, or written 
 proof, which triumphantly established his correctness. 
 
 A most remarkable instance of this occurred during the recep- 
 tion of testimony before this committee. Among other affidavits 
 and items of testimony received, was one from a well-known den-
 
 308 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XVII. 
 
 tist of Boston,* who certified, among other events in relation to 
 a business copartnership between himself and Morton, that at the 
 time of their first advertising the copartnership, the credit 
 of the discovery in the advertisement to be inserted into the daily 
 papers was to be fully awarded to Dr. Jackson ; but that, to his 
 surprise, when the advertisement appeared, he found that all men- 
 tion of Jackson's name was omitted ; that, surprised at this, " he 
 called the attention of Dr. Morton to the fact, and asked him 
 why he struck out those words. He hesitated, and seemed not to 
 know what to say, when I said to him : ' Morton, why do you 
 quarrel with Jackson ? You injure yourself, and injure your busi- 
 ness.' His reply was : * I wouldn't if he would behave himself. 
 The credit of the discover}'- belongs to Dr. Jackson, and he shall 
 have the credit of it ; I want to make money out of it.' " 
 
 This was astounding testimony to come from the friend and old 
 partner of Morton, and went, as it was said to have happened in 
 November, 1846, a few days after Morton's alleged discovery, far 
 to establish a belief in the minds of the committee in opposition 
 to his claim. The testimony of the dentist went into minute de- 
 tail ; he said that the form of advertisement was written by Dr. 
 Gould at their request ; that it was hastily prepared upon the 
 back of a letter which he pulled from his pocket, &c., &c. This 
 deposition would have done a grievous injury to Dr. Morton if he 
 had not been fully equal to the emergency, and met it at once by 
 his carefully-kept books of proofs. 
 
 I give the rest of the incident in the words of the committee : 
 " When this deposition was received, the chairman showed it to 
 Dr. Morton, who in a few minutes brought to him a bound book, 
 entitled ' Miscellaneous Notes.' On the 91st page was a manu- 
 script in the handwriting of Dr. A. A. Gould, written evidently 
 on the outside sheet of a letter addressed to Dr. A. A. G., and 
 post-marked ' Washington City, D. C, July 9,' from all which it 
 Avas most manifest that this was the original draft of the advertise- 
 ment testified to. This paper contrasted with the evidence, as the 
 contents of an original draft fixes in the minds of your committee 
 the just value of this species of evidence. Your committee also 
 
 * Dr. N. C. Keep.
 
 CHAP. XTII.] THE SAVING PIECE OF PAPER. 309 
 
 examined this original paper, M'hich is the subject of the deposi- 
 tion, and are satisfied that it has never been altered bj erasure or 
 interlineation since it came from the hands of Dr. Gould. The 
 entire narrative, therefore, that the paper originally conceded the 
 whole merit of the discovery to Dr. Jackson, the conversation re- 
 lating to that, the alteration by Dr. Morton before publication, 
 the reproof given him by the witness, and Dr. Morton's reply, 
 still insisting that the credit was due to Dr. Jackson, and that he 
 should have it, is all shown to be false from beginning to end, the 
 mere creation of an excited imagination ; not an error in regard 
 to the force of terms, but a statement which, by a fortunate refer- 
 ence made in it to a written paper, is proved to have no founda- 
 tion whatever in truth." 
 
 This saving piece of paper is still carefully preserved ; it is 
 merely a small bit about three or four inches square, of the back 
 of a letter, with part of a direction and post-mark upon it. It 
 is so small and irregular in shape, that in order to keep it from 
 being lost, is was necessary to paste it to the back of another. 
 Who would have thought of preserving for several years a small 
 slip of paper which had been used to frame a newspaper adver- 
 tisement upon, unless a really careful, methodical, thinking man? 
 
 Returning to the North immediately after the presentation of 
 the report made by the Congressional committee, Dr. Morton 
 made a brief stay in Baltimore, where he had first devoted him- 
 self to professional study ten years previous, and where he now 
 unexpectedly received the regular degree of Doctor of Medicine 
 from Washington University. Dr. J. C. S. Monkur was at that 
 time president of this well-kno^vn -4Zma J/a^^r, and among the 
 professors were Doctor Stokes, McCook, Roberts, Bond, Wright, 
 and Cook. Invited to dine with these gentlemen. Dr. Morton 
 found the following note under his plate — an agreeable way of 
 conferring the honor : 
 
 " Dear Sir : It affords me much pleasure to inform yoil, that at a meeting 
 of the faculty of the "U^ashington University at Baltimore, you were unani- 
 mously admitted to the Degree of Doctor of Medicine. 
 
 " Thomas E. Bond, Dc^in of Faculty. 
 
 " Dr. W. T. G. Morton."
 
 310 DISCOVERY OP ETHEEIZATION. [chap. XVIII. 
 
 CHAPTER XYIII 
 
 THIRD APPIJCATION TO CONGRESS. 
 
 " In a free government, almost all the other rights would become utterly worthless, If 
 the government possessed an uncontrollable power over the private fortune of every 
 citizen. One of the fundamental objects of every good government umst be the due ad- 
 ministration of justice; and how vain it would be t^peak of such an administration, 
 when all property is subject to the will or caprice of the legislature and the rulers."— 
 Judge Story. 
 
 In the autumn of 1851, Dr. Morton received a letter from the 
 Secretary of State, enclosing an extract from a dispatch received 
 from the American minister at Berlin, which stated that Baron 
 Humboldt wished the name of the original administrator of ether 
 for surgical purposes. "Your name has been connected with the 
 subject," wrote Mr. Crittenden, " and therefore any information 
 you may see fit to forward hither for the purpose will be trans- 
 mitted with pleasure for Baron von Humboldt's use." 
 
 Ere this reached Boston, Dr. Morton had determined to revisit 
 Washington, and again submit his claim to the investigation of 
 a Congressional committee. Supposing that this would not oc- 
 cupy many weeks, he delayed his reply. 
 
 But the same obstacles existed at this time that had so nearly 
 irustrated his wish two years before. His pecuniary prospects 
 were no brighter that at that dismal period. But the friends who 
 had extricated him on the last occasion again stepped forward, 
 with several new ones, on learning his position, and some of them 
 became especially active in endeavoring to provide the means. As 
 a result, by the latter part of November his arrangements were 
 so far satisfactorily completed, and such an amount had been rais- 
 ed or promised, as to justify him in making decided preparations 
 for departure. Just before leaving, however, a change in plan 
 took place which seemed much more favorable for his cause. One
 
 CHAP. XTIII.] MATERIAL AID. 311 
 
 of the gentlemen who had been called upon to furnish some as- 
 sistance, a man of wealth, position, and reputation, happened to 
 call at the house of Dr. Morton. The conversation was relative 
 to the proposed apphcation to Congress. Dr. Morton went, for 
 his information, fully into the particulars, and explained the great 
 difficulty which he labored under in accomplishing his design, 
 owing to the want of money, and explained the steps which had 
 been taken for the acquisition of some portion of the amount 
 needed. On learning that this sum was to come from such divi- 
 ded sources, the visiter expressed his regret, as he said a much 
 longer time for its collection would be required than Dr. ]Morton 
 could afford, and a great risk of failure in procuring a sufficient 
 amount incurred. He stated that he thought it far preferable 
 that some one should advance the whole sum needed, receiving 
 as compensation for it some per-centage of what should be award- 
 ed by Congress. 
 
 A short time after, in company with his father, this gentleman 
 called upon Mr. Bowditch, and made particular inquiries about 
 the claim, its probable success, and the manner in which it was 
 to be urged. Eendered satisfied by the investigations instituted, 
 he finally made a proposition, which was at once accepted. The 
 other gentlemen who had interested themselves in endeavoring to 
 raise a satisfactory amount, or had pledged themselves to advance 
 sums, were then notified of the new arrangement. Without ex- 
 ception they expressed themselves as perfectly satisfied, and con- 
 gratulated Dr. Morton on the more certain and satisfactory plan 
 which had been adopted. 
 
 The mere announcement of his intention to have his claims 
 again presented before Congress was received by his friends with 
 enthusiasm, and we copy some of the letters of encouragement 
 and of introduction which reached him on every hand. They 
 show that the great and the gifted of our land bore him nobly in 
 their memories, and did not hesitate to volunteer their opinion of 
 his individual worth, his intrepid defiance of professional opposi- 
 tion, his triumphant introduction of his discovery, and the value 
 of that discovery itself.
 
 S12 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XTIII. 
 
 " Boston, November 28, 1851. 
 *' My Dear Morse : Here is our tovrnsman. Dr. Morton, anxioud to give 
 bis high-minded compatriots one more chance to do him justice. He ex- 
 presses himself greatly indebted to you for your assistance two years ago, 
 and I know you for a stanch friend and supporter when you have once 
 Bet down your foot. What can you do for him now ? Will you do it ? 
 
 " Yours, most tmly, 
 
 " O. W. Holmes. 
 '*Hon. Isaac Edward Morse." 
 
 "Boston, Nov. 2Sth, 1851. 
 " My Dear Sir : At Dr. Morton's request I write this note of introduc- 
 tion to you, to confirm all that Dr. Holmes says of his neglected claims. 
 If you can be of any service to him in bringing them before Congress, I 
 should be very glad. In any event believe me very truly yours, 
 
 *' George A. Bethunk. 
 'Hon. G. T. Davis." 
 
 " Boston, Nov. 28, 1851. 
 " My Dear Sir : This will be handed to you by Dr. Morton, who is en- 
 titled, I think, to the name of the discoverer of the ansesthetic powers of 
 ether. You are fully aware what a blessing this has been already to the 
 human race, and I trust that Congress sufficiently appreciate it to grant 
 him some reward. 
 
 " It is for this purpose he visits "Washington, and I hope that he will re- 
 ceive some compensation for the labor he has incurred, and the sacrifice he 
 has made, though it would be hardly possible to make him one that would 
 be at all in proportion to the benefit mankind will receive from his dis- 
 covery. 
 
 *' I remain very truly, 
 
 " Your friend and humble servant, 
 
 " Geo. Hayward, M. D. 
 " Hon. Chas. Sumner." 
 
 " Boston, Nov. 29, 1851. 
 " Sir : Although, personally, I have not the honor of being acquainted 
 with you, I feel that my profession will allow me to address you upon a 
 subject which will be brought before Congress during the ensuing session. I 
 refer to a petition which will be presented by Dr. Morton for a recompense 
 from government for the discovery of the anesthetic qualities of sul- 
 phuric ether. If there be a human being in America to which the United 
 States Government can give a reward for great and lasting benefits conferred
 
 CHAP. XTIII.] LETTERS FROM DR. BO^VDITCH AND OTHERS. 813 
 
 upon the whole race, I think Dr. Morton is the individual ; for to him alone 
 I believe we owe the complete knowledge of tlie fact of those peculiar 
 properties of ether, to which I have alluded. He has already been the 
 means of relieving more human woe than any other man of his age. He 
 deserves, therefore, the noblest reward a nation can bestow ; but there is a 
 second reason why Dr. Morton should receive some compensation from 
 government. 
 
 " I think it is a fact that this government, throughout its army and navy, 
 is encroaching upon the patent-rights granted originally to Dr. Morton. I 
 trust, however, that no such low reasons will be sincerely urged. Dr. 
 Morton will hereafter stand by the side of Jenner, as one of the benefac- 
 tors of the race, and it does seem to me that if the French National Insti- 
 tute can reward him, his own government should not neglect him. 
 " I remain, very respectfullj^, yours. 
 
 " Henry I. Bowditch. 
 " Hon. Charles Allex M. C." 
 
 " Washington, Jan. 16, 1852. 
 "My Dear Sir: I take pleasure in presenting my friend, Dr. Morton, of 
 Boston, the discoverer of etherization. His object in visiting the arsenal 
 is to inquire, to what extent this discovery has been introduced in the sur- 
 gical and medical practice at that station, and also to learn, if he can, from 
 the surgeon, whether or not it has been generally used in the army. Dr. 
 Morton is a gentleman of high standing in his profession, and in every 
 sense a gentleman. 
 
 "• I have the honor to be, most respectfully, 
 
 " Your friend and obedient servant, 
 
 " Albert Smith. 
 " Maj. A. MoRDECAi." 
 
 " "Washington, Jan. 16, 1852. 
 " Dear Sir : My friend, Dr. Morton of Boston, the discoverer of etheri- 
 zation, is anxious to consult you upon the subject of his discovery, as the 
 head of the army. Dr. M. is a gentleman of high scientific attainments, and 
 of most respectable standing in his profession, and having made known to 
 me his desire, I have presumed, upon my acquaintance with you, to intro- 
 duce him to you. 
 
 ""With the highest respect, 
 
 *' Your obedient servant, 
 
 " B. B. French. 
 " Gen. "WiNFiELD Scott." 
 
 " XoRFOLK, Va., Feb. 4th, 1852. 
 " My Dear Sir : You do not overrate the deep interest I take in the 
 successful prosecution of your matters before the Committee of Congress. 
 The claim is based on the fact of your being the discoverer of the anses- 
 
 14
 
 314 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XVIII. 
 
 thetic power of ether. All reliable testimony convinces me that, beyond 
 question, you are entitled to that honor. 
 
 " That fact being admitted — a consideration second only to the discovery 
 itself, is the liberal, disinterested, philanthropic use made by you of what 
 you had discovered : when, too, your pecuniary interests would have been 
 incalculably promoted by an opposite course. Many years' experience in 
 all quarters of the globe has established the truth, that surgery has known 
 no such discovery, in modern, or, perhaps, in any times, to relieve pain 
 and perhaps to preserve life, under surgical mutilation, as the ethereal 
 vapor is. 
 
 " !N"ow, dear sir, what friend to man can fail to recognize the obligation 
 of society to bestow a suitable reward upon the discoverer of the ether 
 power? The testimonials of approbation and gratitude from individuals 
 and associations of individuals of the highest name and authority in the 
 country, so freely bestowed on you, can never repay you for the time, la- 
 bor, expense, and anxiety, incurred by you in making, in prosecuting, and 
 in bringing to perfection, the wonderful discovery. It is then of right and 
 in justice that your pretensions to be considered a national benefactor, are 
 submitted to Congress ; nor can it be donbted for a moment, that the na- 
 tional legislature will hesitate to award to the discoverer of the anjBsthetic 
 power of ether such a compensation as becomes alike the great discovery, 
 and the Congress of the United States. 
 
 " I am, my dear sir, very truly, 
 
 " Your friend and servant, 
 " W. T. G. Morton, M. D." " S. W. HexXderson. 
 
 " Boston, Nov. 29, 1851. 
 •* Sir : May I be allowed to commend to your favorable notice the peti- 
 tion which Doct. Morton intends to present to Congress relative to a rec- 
 ompense for the discovery of the peculiar properties of ether. I believe 
 that to him alone we owe the complete proof of these properties ; and that 
 had it not been for the boldness and determined character of Doct. Mor- 
 ton, we should now be wholly ignorant of that which relieves so much of 
 human misery. Believing this, I think he deserves most richly a national 
 
 reward. 
 
 *' I remain, very respectfully yours, 
 
 " Henry I. Bowditch, M. D. 
 " Hon. Robert Rantoul." 
 
 " Boston, Nov. 28, 1851. 
 
 " Dear Sir : Doctor Morton visits Washington this winter to present 
 
 his claims for the discovery of etherization to the notice of Congress. I 
 
 take a particular interest in his claim which I think a just one, and worthy 
 
 of being acknowledged by such a tribunal. If anything can be done for
 
 CHAP. XTin.] CALL UPON SECRETARY OF STATE OP U. S. 315 
 
 him through your assistance, it ynU. be fully appreciated by your friend 
 and servant, 
 
 " R. W. Hooper, M. D. 
 " Hon. George T. Datis." 
 
 " "Washingtox, 19 Jan'*i/, 1852. 
 '' Dear Sir : I have read, with interest, the enclosed letters, and shall 
 take occasion to name the subject to my friends in Congress, as I may have 
 opportunity. I trust that you will receive from Congress that considera- 
 tion which your important discovery entitles you to. 
 
 " Very respectfully, yours, 
 
 "John McLean. 
 •' Dr. Morton." 
 
 On his arrival in "Washington, in December, Dr. Morton was 
 greeted with that cordiality ever manifested toward liim by those 
 whose minds have not been warped by prejudice ; prominent 
 among these, who were well acquainted with him and with the 
 merits of his discovery, was the Honorable Daniel Webster, then 
 Secretary of State, who now again took a deep interest in the 
 just claim brought before Congress. He also introduced Dr. 
 Morton to many distinguished individuals, among them the cele- 
 brated Kossuth. The attendance of Dr. Morton at the Congres- 
 sional banquet given to this distinguished Hungarian, is the only 
 occasion in which we find any record of his appearance in pub- 
 lic, excepting at professional or at agricultural meetings. Con- 
 scious of his position, and of his merits as a world benefactor, 
 he has never sought to parade himself before large assemblages, 
 but rather preferred the quiet enjoyment of home and friends. 
 It is this exemplary domestic life which has gained for Dr. Mor- 
 ton that personal popularity which ever attaches itself to an un- 
 obtrusive man, pointing him out as worthy of esteem and confi- 
 dence. 
 
 At the earliest opportunity, Dr. Morton called upon Mr. Web- 
 ster, in order to confer with him on the necessary moves to be 
 made, and the proper manner to bring his memorial to the atten- 
 tion of Congress. He found ]VIr. Webster had received several 
 letters from gentlemen in Boston and its vicinity, who desired 
 to secure his friendly interest for Dr. Morton. He stated that
 
 31C DISOOVEllY or ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XTIII. 
 
 his opinion exactly coincided with theirs, and showed no hesita- 
 tion in avowing, hoAV completely his mind was made up. He 
 closed by saying, " I am glad that Boston is now going to right 
 herself upon this subject, by aiding to assert the claim of one of 
 her citizens upon the national treasury." 
 
 The advice given by Mr. Webster was, that the claim should 
 be presented to a select committee, and that the first step taken 
 should be the request for the appointment of such a committee 
 to examine it. He added, that great care should be taken in the 
 selection of this committee, as it was all-important to have it 
 composed of members from diiFerent states, more especially with 
 reference to latitude and longitude than of party politics. That 
 it should consist of both whigs and democrats, but that the most 
 important consideration of all should be, that the members should 
 be sufficiently at leisure to give it their most careful attention. 
 
 On the same day Dr. Morton called upon tlie Hon. Charles 
 Sumner, from whom he received the most encouraging welcome. 
 He said that he also had received several letters on the same sub- 
 ject, but that they were entirely unnecessaiy, for, he added, " I 
 have known your cause from its commencement, and so convinced 
 am I of its justice, that when application was made to me, 
 while a member of the Suffolk bar, to wield the pen in your op- 
 ponent's behalf, I declined to do so, for any fee, on the ground 
 that I could not do it in conscience." 
 
 In company with Mr. Sumner, Dr. Morton went to the capi- 
 tol to meet Gov. Davis, one of the members from Massachusetts, 
 and a native of the same county as Dr. Morton. He was found 
 full of enthusiasm concerning the legitimacy and justice of the 
 claim, and expressed his opinion very plainly as regards its merits. 
 He agreed entirely with Mr. Webster as to the formation of the 
 committee, but thought, in addition, that it should be composed 
 of military as well as medical men, as those best qualified to 
 judge on statistical points, and whose opinion would carry the 
 most weight. 
 
 The plan of operations was further matured in the evening by 
 the additional advice of the Hon. Robert Kantoul, another of the 
 members from Massachusetts, who called with Gov. Davis.
 
 CHAP. XVIII. J CONSTITUTION OF CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE. 317 
 
 Their recommendation, wliich was adopted, was that the petition 
 should be presented by Col. Bissell, of Illinois, who was not only 
 an old member and leading democrat, but also formerly of the 
 medical profession, and a great favorite in Congress. 
 
 Dr. Morton's memorial, presented in the House of Repre- 
 sentatives early in the session, was referred on the 10 Lh of the 
 month to a select committee, consisting of Hon. W. H. Bissell, 
 M. D ,* of Illinois ; Hon. Jos. Sutherland,! of New- York ; 
 Hon. Robert Rantoul, of Mass. ; Hon. Graham N. Fitch, { 
 M. D., of Indiana, and Hon. E. Stanly, of North Carolina. 
 Dr. Fitch had been a professor in Rush Medical College, and 
 was at that time a regent of the Smithsonian Institution ; the 
 other gentleinen Vere also of high scientific character and re- 
 search. 
 
 The first meeting of the committee appointed was held on the 
 20th of December, in the room devoted to the committees on mili- 
 tary affairs. At the hour named, Dr. Morton was punctually 
 present, but not so his opponents, who had been duly notified 
 of the formation of the committee, and of the hour and place 
 of its meeting. After dancing attendance for two hours, a note 
 was brought to the chairman from the attorney of Dr. Jackson, 
 stating that it would be impossible for his client to appear. 
 This was the first intimation received by Dr. Morton that his 
 rival intended to employ counsel. His doing so necessitated the 
 same measure on his own part. This would have been con- 
 sidered an easier task in Boston, where a counsel conversant 
 with the points at issue could have been secured with but little 
 diflnculty. But in "Washington the troubles and expenses were 
 greatly increased, as there was no person there who had given 
 the subject the least consideration, and was in any way pre- 
 pared to undertake so important a case. Dr. Morton, however, 
 chose and finally succeeded in securing the services of J. M. Car- 
 lisle, Esq., the principal attorney of the district. All the time 
 of this gentleman, from the adjournment to the next meeting 
 
 * Governor of Illinois. 
 
 t Judge of the Supreme Court, N. Y. 
 
 t Now in the Senate of the United States.
 
 318 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CBAP. XVIII. 
 
 was fully employed in reading over the documents, and in pre- 
 paring himself even in the most cursory manner for a proper 
 representation of the cause of his client. 
 
 At the next meeting the attorney of Dr. Jackson was no more 
 punctual than at the previous one, and kept the members wait- 
 ing until their patience was nearly exhausted. When at lengtli 
 he appeared, it was only to request a postponement for two 
 hours, as he said he wished then to convince the committee the 
 Congresss had no right to examine the subject at all, and a Itttle 
 more time was needed for preparation. Wishing to give the 
 widest latitude to the investigation, the committee decided to 
 comply with this request, and accordingly again adjourned. 
 
 At the hour of re-assembling the attorney was prompt, and 
 at once proceeded to state his principal points and objections to 
 any examination. First, he said his client was too poor to come 
 to Washington. Secondly, he was unwilling to spend his valu- 
 able time in waiting upon committees of Congress. Thirdly, 
 that if any decision was arrived at, it would have no practical 
 effect upon the world. Fourthly, that posterity was the proper 
 tribunal for the adjudication of the vexed question. Fifthly, 
 that as his client, a man of profound science and high standing 
 in the community, had made a positive assertion, had claimed 
 the discovery, and entered his protest against Dr. Morton, that 
 the subject ought to be at once and forever dropped. Lastly, 
 if it must be examined at all, it could be done better in Europe 
 than here. Upon closing, he insisted that the committee should 
 take a vote whether to proceed or not. 
 
 By request all present except the members retired, in order 
 not to interfere with their deliberations. But for this a few 
 moments only were required. On being recalled, the chairman 
 stated that it was their unanimous opinion that they were com- 
 petent to go on with the investigation, and directed all the evi- 
 dence to be laid on the table. 
 
 The report of the four tirst-named gentlemen of the commit- 
 tee subsequently issued thus refers to this occasion. It com- 
 mences with a history of its examination of the evidence, from 
 which it appears, " that, upon the suggestion of the memorial-
 
 CHAP. XTIII.] PRELIMINAKIES 10 EXAMINATION. 319 
 
 ist, that his claim to the discovery was contested by Dr. Charles 
 T. Jackson, of Boston, the chairman addressed to him a letter, 
 notifying him of the proceedings, and of the day when the com- 
 mittee would begin the investigation ; advising him, that if he 
 desired to do so, he was at liberty to contest Dr. ^lorton's ap- 
 plication. The chaii-man received a statement from Dr. Jack- 
 son, in reply. Afterward a memorial from Dr. Jackson was 
 presented to the House and referred to your committee." And 
 on the 20th day of Dec, 1851, at a meeting held pursuant to 
 notice, for the purpose of arranging the preliminaries to the ex- 
 amination, both parties appeared before the committee by 
 counsel. In his paper. Dr. Jackson presented objections to 
 the inquiry, combining in effect a plea that the matter was 
 res judicata, and a plea to the jurisdiction of Congress, which 
 were discussed, and considered as preliminary to a general 
 investigation. 
 
 " The committee, being unable to perceive the force of these 
 objections, overruled them, and, in the discharge of the duty 
 imposed on them by the House, proceeded with the investiga- 
 tion." 
 
 The committee then adjourned, but, before his departure, the 
 attorney of Dr. Jackson collected the evidence which he had 
 handed in, and in order to prevent an inspection of it by IMor- 
 ton's attorney carried it away with him. It was the intention of 
 the committee to have examined all the evidence during the ad- 
 journment, but as owing to this manoeuvre, the material was with- 
 held from one side, no opportunity was afforded. In order to 
 prevent any recurrence of this measure at the next meeting, a 
 resolution was passed that all evidence should be debarred not 
 handed in to the committee before a certain fixed date. This pro- 
 duced the desired effect, and all the testimony needed was after- 
 ward furnished. 
 
 But although, to a certain extent, the committee were unoc- 
 cupied, Dr. Morton had no opportunity to sit with his hands be- 
 fore him. To quote his own words in a letter to a friend: *'I 
 used to think I knew what it was to be busy, but as I find my- 
 self now, I must confess I know nothing about it. It is trying to
 
 320 
 
 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. 
 
 [chap. ITIII- 
 
 keep strained up as I am every moment, and I do hope the day 
 may come when I can sit down quietly, and really have a little 
 rational enjoyment." 
 
 In addition to preparing his evidence, conferring with his 
 lawyer, and answering the multifarious questions put to him 
 by those interested in the controversy, he, of his own accord, 
 shouldered much of the labor of the committee itself, by endeav- 
 oring to collect matter to assist the members in their investiga- 
 tions. He prepared a circular,* which was addressed to various 
 scientific men and surgeons, and also to every medical school, 
 civil, naval, and military hospital, throughout the country, 
 and requesting statistics of the generality of the use of ether, 
 and the value attached to it. In order that each circular 
 should carry as much weight as possible, he took the pains 
 
 * " Washington, D. C, February 1, 1852. 
 " Gentlemen : In order to ascertain, as far as possible, whether the mor- 
 tahtv of surgical operations has been lessened or not by the use of ances- 
 thetic agents, I desire to obtain information of tlie results of the larger 
 amputations in America. To determine this point, amputations have been 
 selected in preference to other operations, because of their uniformity under 
 ordinary circumstances. You will, therefore, oblige me by filling up the 
 following table with any results of the amputations in your practice. I par- 
 ticularly wish to know all the deaths, as well as recoveries, in these opera- 
 tions. By thus collecting in the whole a large body of statistical data, I 
 hope to be able to arrive at some satisfactory numerical results. The in- 
 formation sought is to be laid before a committee of Congress, upon whose 
 immediate report to this session legislative action will probably be based. 
 " I am, very respectfully, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 " W. T. G. Morton, M. D.'» 
 Results of amputations performed : 
 
 Seats of amputation. 
 
 Recovered. 
 
 Etherized. 
 
 IVot 
 Etherized. 
 
 Died. 
 
 Etherized. 
 
 Not 
 Etherized. 
 
 Amputation of thigh.... 
 
 Do. leg 
 
 Do. arrn 
 
 Do. fore arm . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Total 
 
 
 
 
 ! 

 
 CHAP. XVlll.] THE SNAKE SHOWS ITS HEAD. 321 
 
 to procure the endorsement of a membei of Congress for each 
 district to which the circulars were to be sent. In addition, lie 
 busied himself in an examination of all the statistics procurable, 
 as regards the relative increase or decrease of mortality since the 
 introduction of the use of ether. 
 
 It was by no means an easy matter to find the addresses of 
 all these persons, as there was no central point to which he could 
 refer. To complete the list, and have as few omissions as possi- 
 ble, he was obliged to procure a directory from each different 
 city, and, whenever possible, some state records. 
 
 One fact was discovered by this investigation, showing the ex- 
 tent to which it was used, that previous to the discovery the al- 
 lowance in the army was eight ounces of ether to every hundred 
 men. But after the discover}' the amount was increased to eight 
 pounds. 
 
 The following quaint bit of encouragement was forwarded to 
 Dr. Morton at this time, by a gentleman in Boston, who had re- 
 ceived it from Dr. Boot, of London — the first administrator of 
 ether in England : " I was much interested in your discussions of 
 the ether question, and entirely agree with you in your conclu- 
 sion, and should say, as in the case of the yacht race, ' Morton is 
 first, and Jackson is nowhere.'' I am glad that you are making a 
 gallery of portraits of your benefactors and distinguished medical 
 men, and Morton's should be among them. I still hope Con- 
 gress will reward him." 
 
 It was at the last meeting that the endeavor was made to place, 
 with the evidence, the infamous charges against the private char- 
 acter of Dr. Morton, which have been before spoken of As the 
 attorney of Dr. Jackson was about to leave the room, he turn- 
 ed back, and with some embarrassment, remarked : " In pursu- 
 ance of my instructions, I very reluctantly lay before the com- 
 mittee these papers pertaining to the character of Morton," at 
 the same time drawing from his pocket a large packet. Mr. Car- 
 lisle instantly rose and said: "Dr. Morton is the last man to 
 shun investigation. In my opinion you have done him the great- 
 est favor, that of giving form and definiteness to charges which 
 have been so long set afloat in the community, but which he has
 
 322 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XVIII. 
 
 heretofore been unable to procure in such a form as to admit of 
 a refutation." Although for a short time the parcel at the re- 
 quest of the chairman was placed in possession of Mr. Rantoul, 
 no official examination was allowed or use made of it, or of the 
 opposing testimony handed in by Dr. Morton. 
 
 Opposition to the use and worth of his discovery, Dr. Morton 
 had become accustomed to, and he had, as before narrated, suf- 
 fered from the effects of inuendoes carefully thrown out against 
 his reputation — the pretenses for foundations upon which was 
 based the fabric of falsehood which he now so earnestly endeav- 
 oerd to overthrow. His letter of September, 1847, to Dr. 
 Gardner, of London, showed his desire that his detractors should 
 put their insinuations "in print," that he might prove their 
 falsehood and their malevolence. But, as he states in the same 
 letter, he had been induced to believe that the personal warfare 
 was at an end, and the matter in controversy placed upon scien- 
 tific grounds. It would have been well for his opponents had 
 this been the case, for they would then have been spared the 
 mortification of seeing their cunningly collected mass of defama- 
 tion rejected without any further examination than to ascertain 
 its nature. And although Dr. Morton might have exclaimed, 
 as did Lord Staff"ord in his memorable defence ; *' Where has this 
 fire lain hid, without smoke to discover it, until it bursts forth to 
 consume me and my children ?" he did not even seek to avoid 
 it; and his eagerness to meet the issue had an effect on the com- 
 mittee directly opposite to that which had been intended by the 
 authors of the slanders. 
 
 The committee, unwilhng to entertain any personal slanders, 
 invented for the purpose of diverting their minds, commenced an 
 investigation of the subject of anesthesia which even eclipsed 
 that submitted to the preceding Congress. Their report shows, 
 that after making an historical examination into the attempts to 
 produce anaesthesia in ancient and modern times, they were " sat- 
 isfied, upon a full and careful examination of all the e\-idence be- 
 fore them, that until the 30th of September, 1846, it was not 
 known that sulphuric ether might safely be inhaled in sufficient 
 quantity to produce total insensibility to pain under the severest
 
 CHAP.XTIIl] SECOND AWARD OF CONGKESS TO DR. MORTON. 323 
 
 surgical operations. The safety of this agent," say the commit- 
 tee, *'its certainty, its efficiency, are now established beyond 
 question, and acknowledged by the whole scientific world. This 
 gi-eat discovery, by far the noblest contribution which medical 
 science has made to humanity within the present century, and 
 with which, looking through all ages, no other except that ot 
 Jenner can take rank, sprung to light in the year 184C, in the 
 State of Massachusetts ; and the memorialist, Dr. William T. 
 G. Morton, claims it as his own. 
 
 " Certain it is," the report goes on to say, " he was the first 
 who exhibited it to the world, and the only one who publicly used 
 or claimed it, until after its reality and efficacy had been fully 
 established. The honor of the discovery, therefore, must be 
 awarded to him, unless some one can show, by satisfactory evi- 
 dence, an older and a better title. From the 30th of Septem- 
 ber, 1846, until the 2d day of January, 1847, during which 
 time this discovery passed successfully the eocperimentum crua's. 
 Dr. Morton was in full, and sole, and undisputed possession. 
 For a time, he held the operative agent as a secret, but at last 
 disclosed it, by letter, to the faculty of the Medical Hospital at 
 Boston, with a view to its trial, in what is called in surgery a 
 capital case. It was not until some time after this trial had been 
 made, and proved successful, that a claim was publicly set up 
 by any one to the honor or a share in the honor of the discovery." 
 This position the committee sustained by the publication in 
 their report of Dr. Morten's " 3Iemoir to the French Academy," 
 which they justly say is " simple, natural, and in every step cor- 
 roborated by some marked circumstance, proved by testimony of 
 one or more disinterested witnesses. A narrative such as his, so 
 supported, goes far to sustain the title which possession, undispu- 
 ted for a time, would have given him." 
 
 After this " Memoir " in the report, is a record of the elabor- 
 ate investigation of all the evidence on the subject, wliich is ana- 
 lyzed and criticised with great ability, and the summing up of 
 which is a glorious triumph of Dr. Morton's claim to the dis- 
 covery. 
 
 Having established the question that a discovery of great im-
 
 324 DISCOVERY OF ETHER1ZA.TI0N. LCHAP. XTIII. 
 
 portance to mankind had been made — and that it had been made 
 by Dr. Morton — the committee then took into consideration the 
 question of national recognition and reward. In fixing the im- 
 portance and value of the discovery (though fully satisfied 
 themselves), " the committee thought it not proper to act upon 
 their own unaided opinions." Dr. Morton's carefully continued 
 record of the rise and progress of etherization supplied them with 
 many important facts, and much valuable information of later date, 
 was collected from his circular, addressed to physicians, and solicit- 
 ing information " of the results of the larger amputations " per- 
 formed by them. By his efforts he had provided a large array 
 of statistical data, showing, by the most satisfactory numerical 
 results, that the mortality of surgical operations has been greatly 
 lessened by the use of anaesthesia. 
 
 So conclusive was this evidence, that the chairman of the Com- 
 mittee determined to amplify it by addressing a second series of 
 circulars,* in his official capacity, to the different hospitals, to 
 medical institutions, to many of the most eminent physicians and 
 surgeons in the United States, and to the surgeons of the army 
 
 * " Washington, Jan. 20, 1852. 
 " Gentlemen : — The undersigned. Chairman of a Select Committee of 
 the House of Representatives to inquire into and report upon the claims of 
 "Wm. T. G. Morton, of Boston, to the merit of the discovery of sulphuric 
 ether as an anesthetic agent, and to compensation for the use of sucli dis- 
 covery in the army and navy of the United States, in the hospitals, and b}' 
 the public generally, is desirous of obtaining such information as you can 
 conveniently furnish in answer to the following inquiries : 
 
 " 1st. Is ether or chloroform used as an anaesthetic agent to your know- 
 ledge in the army or navy ? 
 
 " 2d. If used, to what extent, in what classes of diseases or of operations, 
 and with what effect ? 
 
 " 3d. "What, in your opinion, is their effect in diminishing mortahty ? 
 
 " 4th. To what extent, in what classes of cases, and with what result, are 
 they used in private practice in your vicinity? 
 
 "5th. In wliat appreciation are they held by the medical faculty within 
 your knowledge ? 
 
 "You will confer a favor by communicating the information requested, aa 
 
 Boon as convenient. 
 
 "Very respectfully, yours, 
 
 "W. II. BiSSEI.L."
 
 CHAP. XVIII.] LETTER FROM SURGEON-GENERAL OF ARMT. 325 
 
 and navy. The answers to these were very numerous ; too 
 much so, and too lengthy for publication, but were carefully pe- 
 rused, and their contents carefully noticed by the committee. 
 Only two of this mass of letters spoke disparagingly cf the dis- 
 covery, and one of them did not profess to speak from the wi'i- 
 ter's own observation. 
 
 The committee annexed extracts from some of tliese answers 
 to their report, and a few entire letters, exhibiting the general 
 opinion of the value of the discovery. By these its value was 
 found indisputable, and almost universally acknowledged ; it was, 
 therefore, not deemed necessary to multiply extracts in its proof. 
 They exhibited, likewise, the general use of the discovery in the 
 army and navy. 
 
 Prominent among the professional documentary evidence were 
 the following letters from the Surgeon-General of the Army, and 
 the chi^f of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery of the Navy, 
 addressed to Dr. Morton, and laid by him before the committee : 
 
 " Surgeon-Gexeral's Office, March 1, 1852. 
 
 " Sir : In compliance with your verbal request to be furnished with 
 information in regard to the employment of ansesthetic agents in the army 
 of the United States, and also for an expression of opinion as to the value 
 and importance of this class of remedial agents, I have to state : 
 
 "That sulphuric ether and chloroform were used to some extent in the 
 mihtary hospitals established at the theatre of war in Mexico, but the use 
 of those articles was not so general as at present, for the reason that the 
 apparatus at that time believed to be essential to their proper and safe 
 administration was not adapted to service in the field. 
 
 '• At the present moment it is believed that no surgical operation of im- 
 portance is performed by the medical officers of the army without the aid 
 of some ancesthetic agent. 
 
 " Previous to the discovery of this new apphcation of sulphuric ether, 
 the annual supply of that medicine was one pound for every hundred men. 
 On a revision of the standard supply table by a board of medical officers 
 in 1849, the pure washed sulphuric ether was substituted for the ordinary 
 Eulphuric ether, and the quantity allowed was increased one hundred per 
 cent. At the same time another anesthetic agent, the tincture of chloro- 
 form, commonly called chloric ether, was added to the supply table, and 
 is now regularly furnished to the medical officers in such quantities as, in 
 connection with the sulphuric ether, will suffice to meet all the demands 
 of the service in this particular.
 
 32G DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XVIII. 
 
 " Although the discovery of this new therapeutic eflfect of sulphuric 
 ether has led to the introduction and employment of other anaesthetic 
 a£;ents, this does not in any way militate against the merits of the original 
 discovery, which I regard as one of the most important and valuable con- 
 tributions to medical science, and to the relief of suffering humanity, which 
 has ever been made ; the only discovery to be compared therewith being 
 that of vaccination, which has rendered the name of Jenner immortal. 
 
 " Through the influence of these remedial agents, the surgeon is not only 
 enabled to perform the most extensive and difficult operations, undistur)>ed 
 by the cries and struggles of the patient, but what is of far greater import- 
 ance, the patient, being rendered insensible, escapes that shock to the 
 nervous system, which in itself is not unfrequently fatal. For this reason 
 operations can now be performed with much more safety than heretofore, 
 and that too in cases in which the attempt to perform them would have 
 been forbidden by the general condition of the patient. 
 
 " To the physician this class of remedial agents promises to be of the 
 greatest utility, though their application in the treatment of disease ha3 
 yet to be more fully developed. 
 
 "It will suffice at this time to allude to their employment for the relief 
 of, suffering woman in the hour of her greatest trial, and at the moment 
 she claims our warmest sympathies. That these agents can be eafely used 
 in parturition, so as to afford full and entire exemption from pain to the 
 mother, and with safety both to her and to the child, has been amply 
 demonstrated. 
 
 " In conclusion, permit me to congratulate you upon the fluttering testi- 
 monial you have received from the JS^ational Institute of France for this 
 discovery, and to express the hope that, inasmuch as it is impossible for 
 you to derive any pecuniary benefit therefrom in ordinary course by letters 
 patent, you may receive from your country that acknowledgment of your 
 merit which is due to one who has conferred so great a boon upon mankind. 
 " I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 "Th. Lawson, Surgeon-General. 
 " TV. T. G. Morton, M. D. 
 
 " Brown's Hotel, Washington, D. C." 
 
 " N"avy Depart.mext, 
 " Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, 
 " February 20, 1852. 
 " Sir : As the views of this bureau are desired in regard to the import- 
 ance attached to the different ansesthetic agents by the medical officers of 
 the navy, it gives me pleasure to express the high sense entertained 
 by them of their great utility, not only in surgical practice, but as powerful 
 agents in many painful affections, which have resisted the ordinary reme- 
 dies. This opinion is strengthened by the concurrent teslimony of the 
 ablest civil practitioners of our own country, with the emphatic endorse-
 
 CHAP. XTIII.] LETTER FKOM SURGICAL BUREAU OF NAVY. 327 
 
 ment of their value by the best British and Continental surgeons. In the 
 absence of statistical information, accurately made up, it is somewhat 
 difficult to estimate the relative value of these ethereal preparations ; but 
 if the recorded opinions of professional men, as expressed in the various 
 medical journals of this country and Europe, are deemed of any weight, 
 the discovery of etherization as a means of avoiding pain m severe surgical 
 operations may be considered the most important, in a philanthropic view, 
 which this century has produced. 
 
 " The observation that exhilarating effects resulted from the inhalation 
 of ether is no recent acquisition to medical science ; but the novelty and 
 gist of this discovery consist in finding that nervous perception is suspended 
 under the influence of the ethereal inhalation, and while so suspended, the 
 patient is unconscious of pain while under the operation of the knife. 
 
 " In addition to the great benefit derived from its use in alleviating pain, 
 it has a decided effect in diminishing mortality. Its advantages in this 
 respect appears to be in saving the system from the severe shock and 
 nervous exhaustion which attend most of the graver surgical operations, 
 and which of themselves often prove fatal. 
 
 "It dispels the fear of pain, which formerly prevented many from sub- 
 mitting to an operation, or induced them to defer it until too late. 
 
 " It enables the surgeon, also, to operate more coolly and effectually, 
 undistui-bed by the cries and struggles of the patient, which sometimes 
 unnerve the steadiest hand, and render abortive the best-directed efforts. 
 
 " The medal of the first class, awarded to you by the ' Medical Institute' 
 of Paris, evinces the high estimation rntcrtained, in that centre of medical 
 science and intelligence, of the services you have rendered to humanity. 
 
 " It is earnestly hoped that our Government, with a similar appreciation 
 of this great acquisition to medical science, will stamp their sense of 
 importance, by a substantial acknowledgment which, while it encourages 
 the philanthropist in his efforts to meliorate the condition of his fellow- 
 men, will remunerate you in some measure for the toil and vexation attend- 
 ant on your struggle for success. 
 
 " Respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 "Thomas Harris, 
 ^^ Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. 
 
 " "Wm. T. G. Mortox, M. D., Washington,:' 
 
 Tliese opinions, strengthened by the concurrent testimony of 
 the ablest practitioners of both Europe and America, convinced 
 the committee that Br. Morton's discovery was an invaluable ac- 
 quisition to medical science, and a real boon to the human race. 
 The only remaining question then to be decided was, what would 
 be a proper compensation to Dr. Morton, both as a reward for
 
 828 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP XTIII. 
 
 the contribution which he had made to the public good, and a 
 fair equivalent for the immense advantage resulting to the pub- 
 lic service of the country from the discovery. To use the words 
 of the committee : *' Great Britain, France, and all other en- 
 lightened nations, have, from time immemorial, rewarded munifi- 
 cently such services to humanity. The British Parliament, by 
 two successive statutes, bestowed upon Jenner the sums of ten 
 thousand and twenty thousand pounds for the discovery of vac- 
 cination. The world has as yet produced but one great improve- 
 ment in the healing art deserving to be ranked with that of Jen- 
 ner. America, by annihilating pain, has done as much for the 
 benefit of the race, as England did when she furnished the instru- 
 ment by which the smallpox may be finally exterminated. It 
 would be unworthy of our greatness, and our destiny, as the na- 
 tion soon to be the most powerful on the globe, to undervalue a 
 benefaction to mankind, which is to the peculiar glory of science, 
 of our age, and of our country." 
 
 The committee therefore recommended : " That an appropria- 
 tion be made for the benefit of Dr. W. T. G. Morton, to be paid to 
 him in consideration of his discovery of the anaesthetic properties 
 of the vapor of sulphuric ether, and of his public and successful 
 application of the said pain-destroying agent in surgical opera- 
 tions, and of its use in the army and navy of the United States, 
 and conditioned that he surrender to the United States his patent 
 for the discovery. The majority of the committee, in view of its 
 use as above mentioned, and of the incalculable value of the dis- 
 covery to the whole world, are of the opinion that one hundred 
 thousand dollars would not be an unreasonable appropriation for 
 that purpose." 
 
 And about the middle of April, they reported a bill to that 
 effect. 
 
 This glad tidings was carried forth by the telegraph with light- 
 ning speed, awakening joyous hopes in the hearts of thousands — 
 in every section of the republic — that this republic was not un- 
 grateful, and that one of her sons, who was a world's benefactor, 
 would he rewarded. 
 
 A short time previous to this, Dr. Jackson had made his ap-
 
 CHAP. XVIII.] JACKSON'S ARREST FOR IJBELTN'G MORTON. 329 
 
 pearance in "Washington to superintend the management of his 
 case, and was there when this gratifying intelligence was brought 
 to his ears. Finding by previous investigations that affairs were 
 not going so pleasantly as he wished for his interests, by some 
 means the slanders which had been before diffused were piib- 
 lished, and his arrest for libel, as before stated, ensued. At that 
 moment his position was a disagreeable one, and the prospects for 
 his future far from bright. 
 
 The political excitement which prevailed at Washington at the 
 time when the elaborate and conclusive report of the select com- 
 mittee was prepared, rendered it impossible to get it before the 
 House. Entirely engrossed with the important nominating con- 
 ventions which met at Baltimore in June, 1852, a majority of 
 the Representatives refused to abandon " president-making" for 
 any business whatever, and the bill recommended was not, there- 
 fore, acted upon, although warmly endorsed by the Secretaries 
 of the Treasur}', of the War and of the Navy Departments, and 
 urged by many members of Congress. 
 
 It was then that Dr. Morton lost a stanch and tried friend, 
 the Hon. Robert Rantoul, of Massachusetts, who had thoroughly 
 investigated the question of anagsthesia, and who had taken a 
 great interest in rewarding the discoverer. Dr. Morton was with 
 Mr. Rantoul during his last illness, and sent the sad tidings of 
 his death to the Boston newspapers. It was sad thus to lose a 
 champion in the hour of trial, especially one so worthy and well 
 qualified as Mr. Rantoul was. But Dr. Morton had the satisfac- 
 tion of seeing his friend and adviser — 
 
 " Sustained and soothed 
 
 By an unfaltering trust," and sink to death 
 " Like one that draws the drapery of his couch 
 About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams." 
 
 But though thus deprived by death of one old friend, Dr. Mor- 
 ton gained a host of new ones the moment his case was made 
 known by the publication of the report. The following selec- 
 tions from an entire volume of letters in Dr. Morton's possession, 
 shows how the report was received and regarded :
 
 330 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XVIII. 
 
 "Senate Chamber, 
 " W xsmsGTOs, 'A^tgust 16, 1852. 
 " Dear Sir : I have had the pleasure to receive the report of the Select 
 Committee on the subject of your memorial to Congress, and though I 
 have not had the pleasure to give it a thorough reading, yet I have read 
 enough of it to satisfy me that you alone are entitled to the credit of the 
 discovery. I draw my conclusions from the statements of Dr. Jackson 
 mainly, in his facts as quoted by the committee and set forth in the report. 
 " I am, very rcspectfull}-, your most obedient, 
 
 " Sam Houston. 
 « W. T. G. Morton, M. D." 
 
 " House op Representatives, Aug. 13, 1852. 
 " Dear Sir : At the instance of Dr. Edvrards, late a member of Con- 
 gress from Ohio, I made some examination (two or three years back) into 
 your claims to be the discoverer of anaesthetic ether, and more recently I 
 have read, with greater care, a very thorough and searching report on the 
 same subject by a committee of the House of Representatives. I am per- 
 fectly satisfied that the credit of the discovery belongs to you, and I am 
 so much impressed with its importance to the nation at large, and es- 
 pecially to the army and navy, and the marines of the United States, as to 
 entertain a lively hope that Congress will adequately and liberally remu- 
 nerate you for the use the government has made of it in these departments. 
 You are entitled, justly, to the sum reported by the committee, $100,000, 
 and I shall, without hesitation, vote for that sum myself. 
 
 " Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 "A. G. Brown."* 
 «' W. T. G. Morton, M. D." 
 
 " Senate Chamber, 
 " "Washington, August 15, 1852. 
 
 " Dear Sir : A few days since I received from you a copy of the report 
 of the Select Committee of the House of Representatives on your memo- 
 rial, in regard to your discovery of the ansesthetic properties of sulphuric 
 ether. I did not, at first, reflect upon the subject, and neglected to read 
 the report. In a day or two, however, I happened, more by accident than 
 otherwise, to take it up, and after commencing it, I became so much inter- 
 ested in it that I did not leave it until I had finished it. 
 
 " I now frankly say to you, that it is a matter of astonishment that any 
 man should hesitate to acknowledge your right to the discovery, or to a 
 munificent reward from the government for the inestimable blessing you 
 have conferred upon our country and mankind. 
 
 ♦ Now in U". S. Senate.
 
 CHAP. XVIII.] SPEAKER OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 331 
 
 ♦' The amount of this reward I feel myself incapable to determine, but 
 certain I am that the sum recommended by the House is, by no means, too 
 great. My reason for this conviction is this : You have done more for 
 humanity than any other man of the present age ; you hare done that for 
 mankind -vrhich is. in fact, priceless, and which entitles yon, at least, to 
 exemption from future pecuniary cares for life. 
 
 " I feel this acknowledgment due from me, as at first I neglected your 
 claims, and the evidence upon which they were based. 
 
 "Yours very truly and respectfully, 
 
 " I. P. "Walker." 
 " Dr. "Wm. T. G. Morton." 
 
 " Senate Chamber, August 1, 1852. 
 
 " Dear Sir : I have read, with great interest and pleasure, the report 
 of a committee of the House of Eepresentatives in reference to your claim 
 to the discovery of the ansesthetic properties of sulphuric ether, which you 
 did me the honor to send me. This report most triumphantly vindicates 
 your rights in the premises, and in view of the important results that be- 
 long to your discovery, I have no hesitation in saying that you are richly 
 entitled to the thanks of suffering humanity throughout the world. 
 
 " With the sincere hope that you may reap the full reward of your ex- 
 ertions, I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 " W. Brooke. 
 "Dr. W. T. G. Morton." 
 
 " House of Representatives, August 28, 1852. 
 '*SiR : I have carefully read the reports of Dr. Edwards and Col. Bissell, 
 on your application for remuneration as the discoverer of sulphuric ether, 
 as an anesthetic agent. The facts therein elicited, together with others, 
 that have come to my knowledge in an authentic shape, leave no doubt on 
 my mind that you were the first person on this continent to use sulphuric 
 ether as a pain-destroyer in the human system, and are entitled to all the 
 honor incident thereto from the civilized world, for your signal service to 
 Buffering humanity. 
 
 " I have the honor to be, very respectfully, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 "James L. Orr."* 
 "Dr. W. T. G. Morton." 
 
 " House op Representatives, August IQth, 1852. 
 -' Dear Sir : I have read with pleasure the report of the Select Com- 
 mittee, ou the anaesthetic properties of sulphuric ether. There cannot be 
 
 ♦ Now Speaker of the House of Representatives
 
 332 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XVIII. 
 
 a doubt, from all the evidence, that you are the ' bonafide' discoverer of 
 the valuable properties of sulphuric ether, that has, and will do so much, 
 to alleviate human suffering, particularly in the army and navy, and will 
 aid much in facilitating difficult surgical operations. 
 
 " The government is great!}' indebted to you as a public benefactor for 
 this valuable discovery, and I hope will not fail to remunerate you. 
 
 " Yours, very truly, 
 
 " Alfred Gilmore. 
 " Dr. Wm. T. G Morton." 
 
 '• "Washingon, Aug. 7, 1852. 
 
 " Dear Sir : I have read the report of the committee on your memorial. 
 I have also read the report of Dr. Bowditch, which is an argument of great 
 ability, and force. 
 
 "On the strength of the above arguments, I am disposed to vote forgiv- 
 ing you the amount specified in the committee's report — $100,000, and so 
 far as I have conversed with members of the House, I find they have come 
 to the same conclusion. 
 
 •'With best wishes for your success, I remain very truly, 
 
 " Yours, (fee, &c. 
 
 " Horace Mann. 
 "Dr. W. T. G. Morton." 
 
 " House of Representatives, 
 Washington City, Aug. 20, 1852. 
 
 " My Dear Sir : I am indebted to you for a copy of the report of the 
 Select Committee of the House of Representatives, to whom was referred 
 your memorial asking remuneration from Congress for the discovery of the 
 anffisthetic properties of sulphuric ether, which you were kind enough to 
 furnish me by iny request. My attention was called to your invaluable 
 discovery by several intimate scientific friends, and by gentlemen who 
 had witnessed its pain-relieving effects, by its general use during the recent 
 war with Mexico. Curiosity thus impelled has been intensely gratified by 
 reading the report. It strikes me forcibly that no pecuniary recompense, 
 however large, can compensate you for the service you have rendered hu- 
 manity, by your industry in pursuing your experiments to a successful 
 termination. You may, however, be consoled with the reflection, that 
 millions of unborn people will hail your name in time to come, as a great 
 public benefactor. It is idle to contest your right to the discovery, I am 
 well convinced, and so will any one be, I think, who chooses to devote time 
 to reading the mass of irrefragible testimony given in support of that fact. 
 I earnestly hope you may be, in some measure, compensated ; hence I will 
 cheerfully, from a sense of duty, vote for the resolution submitted by the 
 Select Committee. 
 
 *' Truly your friend, 
 
 " TnoMAS B. Florence. 
 " Dr. W. T. G. Morton."
 
 CHAP. XVIII.] LETTERS FROM EMANUEL B. HART AND OTHERS. 333 
 
 •'HorsE OF Represen-tatiyes. 
 '♦ Washington, Aug. 6, 1852. 
 " Dear Sir : In reply to your favor I beg leave to state that I liave reod 
 with attention the report of the Select Committee in your case, and taL:o 
 great pleasure in saying that I approve entirely of the conclusion -w-hich it 
 adopts. I do not think that any candid man can deny that the evidence 
 clearly establishes your right to the discovery of etherization. 
 
 " Very truly yours, 
 
 " Emanuel B. Hart. 
 " Dr. W. T. G. Morton." 
 
 " House of Eepresentatives, 
 ** Washington, 18 Aug., 1852. 
 '• Dear Sir : I have carefully read your memorial, and the report of the 
 Select Committee thereon. 
 
 " I shall vote for their resolution. 
 
 " Very respectfully, yours, &c., 
 
 '' Henry M. Fuller. 
 "Dr. Morton." 
 
 '• House of Representatives, August 6, 1852. 
 
 "Dear Sir : I have read the report of the committee on your memorial 
 
 before Congress for compensation for the discovery of the combination 
 
 and application of chloroform to the relief of the human system from pain. 
 
 I think it valuable to the country, and am in favor of the bill now before 
 
 the House, and trust it will be passed. 
 
 " Yours, truly, 
 
 " W. W. Snow. 
 " Dr. W. T. G. Morton." 
 
 *' House of Representatives, March 8, 1852. 
 "Dear Sir: I have read with great pleasure the report submitted by 
 you to me on the discovery of etherization. I trust that Congress may at 
 its present session, take measures adequately to reward you for conferring 
 so great a benefit upon mankind. 
 
 " Tours, <fec., 
 
 " Gilbert Dean. 
 " Dr. Wm. T. G. Morton." 
 
 Finding that, in the pressure of business and of politics, the 
 bill in favor of Dr. Morton would not be reached during the ses- 
 sion, it was determined by the Select Committee to procure, if pos- 
 sible, its adoption as an amendment to the Naval appropriation 
 bill by the Committee on Naval Affairs. This consisted of the
 
 334: DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XTIII. 
 
 Hon. Messrs. Stanton, of Tennessee ; Florence, of Pennsylvania ; 
 Goodenow, of Maine ; Harris, of Alabama ; and Cabell, of 
 Florida. 
 
 The following extract comprises all the material points con- 
 tained in the letter of the Hon. Mr. Bissell, chairman of the other 
 committee in furtherance of this object : 
 
 "House of Representatites, 
 "Mai/Zlst, 1852. 
 
 " Sir : — I have the honor to inform you that the Select Committee of the 
 House of Representatives, to whom was referred the memorial of Dr. "Wil- 
 ham T. G.Morton, asking remuneration from Congress for the discovery of the 
 anaesthetic properties of sulphuric ether, have agreed upon a report (a copy 
 of which is enclosed), which they are awaiting an opportunity to present 
 to the House. You will observe that in this report the committee fully rec- 
 ognize the inestimable benefits conferred upon the human race by this dis- 
 covery, and believing that the example of the enlightened nations of the old 
 world, in rewarding munificently those who have rendered important ser- 
 vices to humanit}^, is particularly worthy of imitation in the present in- 
 stance, have determined to report a bill appropriating the sum of one hun- 
 dred thousand dollars to Dr. Morton, as a compensation for his discovery, 
 and in consideration of the surrender to the United States of all right and 
 interest which he now holds in that discovery, in virtue of letters patent 
 granted to him by this government. * * * 
 
 " The object of this communication,therefore, is to urge upon your con- 
 sideration, the practicability and propriety of attaching the bill above re- 
 ferred to to the ' Naval Appropriation bill ' for the ensuing fiscal year. 
 " Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 "W. H. Bissell. 
 "Hon. Fred. P. Stantox, Chairman Committee 
 
 on Naval Affairs, House of Representatives" 
 
 Upon the receipt of this communication, Mr. Stanton at once 
 addressed a letter to the Secretaries of War, of the Navy, and the 
 Treasury. As he wrote in order to comply with Col. Bissell's sug- 
 gestion by submitting the matter to the Committee on Naval Af- 
 fairs of the House of Representatives, he deemed it appropriate 
 and necessary to procure the views of the department in an offi- 
 cial form. " Supposing that you will concur in the views express- 
 ed by the chiefs of the medical corps of the army and navy, in the 
 concluding paragraphs of their communications on the subject, I
 
 CHAP. XVIII.] SECRETARIES OF WAR AND TREASURY. 335 
 
 do not doubt that you will give the proposition of the Hon. Mr. 
 Bissell a fair and liberal consideration." 
 
 The following extracts are the concluding paragraphs of the 
 answers received : 
 
 "I concur entirely with Col. Bissell and yourself as to the propriety and 
 justice of liberally compensating the patentee, who has not at any time re- 
 ceived pecuniary advantage from his discovery, and who now appeals to 
 the legislature of his country, on condition of the surrender of his patent 
 for the benefit of mankind, for proper remuneration in lieu of the gains 
 that he would have derived had he been protected in the use of the rights 
 conferred upon him by letters patent of the government. I therefore rec- 
 ommend that such reasonable and liberal sum, as the committee of which 
 you are chairman may in their discretion determine upon, be reported as a 
 national compensation to Dr. Morton, and that the same be attached, as pro- 
 posed by Col. Bissell, to the ' Naval Appropriation bill ' for the ensuing 
 fiscal year. 
 
 * I have the honor to be, veiy respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 Tno. CoRwiN, 
 
 Secretary of the Treasury. 
 
 " I do not know what the practice of the government has been in regard 
 to rewarding in<hviduals for inventions or discoveries made by them, or at 
 least compensating them for the use of them in the public service ; but I do 
 not hesitate to say that if it has been the practice of Congress to grant such 
 rewards or compensation, Dr. Morton's claim is fairly entitled to the most 
 liberal consideration. 
 
 "Yery respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 CM. Conrad, 
 
 Secretary of War. 
 
 " In regard to the grounds on which Dr. Morton bases his claim to pecu 
 niary remuneration from the Government, I would state, that from the 
 peculiar nature of the discovery, it is impossible to protect the inventor in 
 the exclusive advantage of it by letters patent. The novelty of the discov- 
 ery consists in the new apphcation of an old remedial agent, and the privi- 
 lege of using it, on the part of the profession at large, cannot be practically 
 curtailed by statutory enactment. The inventor is thus deprived of the 
 pecuniary advantages of his discovery, and is justified in appealing to the 
 Government, which also largely avails itself of the benefits derived from it, 
 for relief 
 
 " It will be difficult to estimate the amount which the inventor may 
 reasonably ask of the Government, in consideration of the advantages at- 
 tending its use in the two services. For the reasons above mentioned, the
 
 336 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [chap, xvill. 
 
 cost of the ether itself cannot enter as an element into the calculation, and 
 the fairest estimate, I conceive, might be more nearly approximated by the 
 amount one ■would be willing to give to be rescued iVom impending death, 
 or to be relieved from urgent and intolerable pain. 
 
 " I would express the opinion, however, that the sura of one hundred 
 thousand dollars, proposed by the Select Committee of the House of Rep- 
 resentatives as a compensation to the inventor, is nothing more than a fair 
 equivalent for the immense advantage resulting to the Government and 
 country from this important discovery. 
 
 " I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 " Thomas Harris, 
 " Navy Department, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery ^ 
 
 But a new obstacle presented itself, in a recent ruling of the 
 House, which made it out of order to append amendments to 
 the regular appropriation bills, which were not made to " carry 
 out previously existing laws." This barrier could not be over- 
 come, and the late period of the session precluded the hope that 
 it could be reached as an independent bill before the House ad- 
 journed. Two months of doubt and hesitation followed, as to 
 the next course to be pursued at this juncture. At length, as 
 the only resource left, the committee concluded to proffer a simi- 
 lai* request to the Senatorial committee appointed for the consid- 
 eration of the same subject, and who had a bill then ready for 
 presentation. To the chairman, Mr. Bissell, accordingly address- 
 ed the following communication : 
 
 "House of Represextatives, 
 ''August, 9, 1852. 
 
 " Sir : I have the honor to transmit, for your perusal, a printed copy of 
 a report agreed upon by the Select Committee of the House of Represent- 
 atives, to whom was referred the memorial of Dr. "William T. G. Morton, 
 asking remuneration from Congress for the discovery of the anaesthetic 
 properties of sulphuric ether, from which you will perceive that the Com- 
 mittee have determined to report a bill appropriating the sum of $100,000 
 to Doctor Morton, as a compensation for his discovery, and in consideration 
 of the surrender to the United States of all right and interest which he now 
 holds in that discovery, in virtue of letters patent, granted to him by this 
 government. 
 
 " There is every disposition on the part of the House to favor this biU 
 and its many friends are sanguine of its passing by a large Tote if it can be 
 reached. It is feared, however, from the recent ruling of the Honse, which
 
 CHAP XTin.] FOURTH AAVARD OF CONGRESS TO MORTON. 337 
 
 mates it out of order to append amendments to the regular appropriation 
 bills, which are not made to carry out previously existing laws, will pre- 
 sent an effectual barrier to its being brought up in that manner, and the 
 late period of the session precludes the hope that it can be reached in the 
 ordinary course af business. 
 
 " The object of this communication, therefore, is, to urge upon your con- 
 sideration, the practicability and propriety of attaching the bill above 
 referred to, to the '■ army appropriation bill " for the present fiscal year, 
 when the same shall come under consideration in the Committee on Mili- 
 tary Affairs of the Senate. 
 
 " Very respectfully, your obedient servtjnt, 
 
 " William H. Bissell. 
 " Hon. James Shields, 
 
 " Chairman of Committee on 3IiUtary Affairs, U. S. Senate.^' 
 
 Upon the receipt of the above letter, the subject was thoroughly 
 investigated by the ^Military Committee, and they came to the 
 following conclusion : 
 
 " Resolution of the Militarij Committee. 
 
 ^^ Resolved, That the Committee on INElitary Affairs of the Sen- 
 ate, report an amendment to the anny appropriation bill for the 
 current year, appropriating the sum of one hundred thousand 
 dollars to enable the President of the United States to procure 
 the surrender of the patent issued to Dr. William T. G. Morton, 
 for his discovery of the anaesthetic properties of sulphuric ether." 
 
 The subject being then taken under consideration by the Com- 
 mittee on Naval Affairs, the following resolution was adopted by 
 that Committee : 
 
 '' Resolution of tJie Xaval Committee. 
 
 " Resolved hy the Senate Committee on Naval Affairs, That the said 
 Committee fully concur with the Committee on Military Affairs 
 in reporting an amendment to the army appropriation bill, appro, 
 priating one hundred thousand dollars, to enable the President 
 to procure the surrender of the patent issued to Dr. William T- 
 G. Morton, for his discovery of the anaesthetic properties of sul- 
 phuric ether." 
 
 In pursuance of the above resolutions, Hon. S. Borland, M. D., 
 Senator from Arkansas, and a member of the Committee on Mili- 
 tary Affairs, when the army appropriation bill was under consid- 
 
 15
 
 338 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XTIII. 
 
 oration, on the 28tli day of August, 1852, moved the following 
 amendment to it : 
 
 " Amendment to the Army Aj^tpropriaiion Bill. 
 " To enable the President of the United States, to procure the 
 surrender of the patent issued to William T. G. ^lorton, on the 
 12th day of November, 1846, for his discovery of the anaesthetic 
 properties of sulphuric ether, one hundred thousand dollars.''^ 
 
 Senator Borland's argument v^-as effective and conclusive, giving 
 (as a member of the medical profession) his opinion of the value of 
 the discovery ; (as a citizen) his opinion of Dr. Morton as the 
 discoverer ; and (as a Senator) his conviction that Dr. Morton 
 should receive a national reward. " I will not," he said, in con- 
 clusion, " detain the Senate by saying more on the subject. I 
 will briefly sum up. This discovery is a most valuable one to 
 the human family at large. The two branches of our public 
 service, the army and navy, have availed themselves extensively 
 of it. It is one of the most valuable remedial agents that the 
 world has ever known. It is in constant and growing use. This 
 idea which we are thus using, not only prolongs human life, and 
 protects our soldiers and our sailors, and all in our public service 
 from immense suffering, but it is saving, in that mode of treat- 
 ing diseases, thousands upon thousands of dollars every year and 
 every month. This individual cannot enforce his legal rights 
 against anybody, owing to the very nature of the case. We are 
 making use of his property to our great benefit, and he is receiv- 
 ing no compensation whatever for it. Then the papers before 
 me, as I have read them, show that he is the individual who is 
 entitled to compensation, if any one, for the use of this property. 
 We find that the practice of the Government — a very enlight- 
 ened and useful practice, in ray opinion — has been in favor of 
 appropriations of this sort. Then, sir, I ask if this is not a 
 proper occasion for the continuance of this practice ? When 
 was there ever before us a more meritorious case ? The medical 
 profession throughout the country sustain me in the assertion that 
 this is the most valuable remedial agent that ever has been known. 
 How can we, then, in justice to ourselves, in common justice to
 
 CHAP, xviii] REMARKS OF MRS- WELLS* ATTORNEY, 339 
 
 the individual who has furnished us this valuable, or rather in- 
 valuable remedy, refuse to pay him for it f ' 
 
 Senator Smith, of Connecticut, took a position as unexpected 
 as it was violent in reply. It afterward appeared (from remarks 
 made by Senator Badger, of North Carolina), that the gentle- 
 man from Connecticut was the attorney of the heirs of Dr. Wells, 
 and he used language in his " plea " that would not have been 
 tolerated in the court of many a country justice, so outrageous 
 was its tone. 
 
 " I have got," he stated, *' at my quarters, a petition from the 
 widow of Dr. Horace Wells, of Hartford, Connecticut, which 
 has been transmitted to me within the last few months, and which 
 is addressed to the Senate of the United States. I have been 
 requested to lay it before the Senate, and present the claims of 
 Dr. Horace Wells, deceased, as being the actual discoverer of 
 the anaesthetic effects of sulphuric ether. Why have I not pre- 
 sented it to the Senate ? Because it was so late in the session 
 that I did not suppose the subject could be investigated. I did 
 not dream that there was any inquiry going on in regard to it 
 before any of the standing committees of this body. 
 
 " I assert here now, that in the city of Hartford, all the phy- 
 sicians and surgeons living there, all the eminent members of the 
 legal profession — the whole community in fact — believe that Dr. 
 Horace Wells, deceased, was the real discoverer of this import- 
 ant effect of sulphuric ether, or nitrous oxide gas, or whatever 
 may be used to produce this effect. I have the most abundant 
 testimony to prove this. I have in my possession sworn deposi- 
 tions ; I have certificates of physicians ; I have a vast mass of 
 testimony w^hich I can bring before the Senate on this subject. 
 Yet, sir, here has been an exparte hearing without the knowl- 
 edge of parties interested, and before a committee of the Senate 
 without the subject ever having been referred to them. And 
 now, without the knowledge of Mrs. Wells, without the knowl- 
 edge of any of her friends, and without any opportunity for her 
 to be heard, it is proposed to take a snap judgment and an ex- 
 parte judgment upon her. 
 
 ** I denounce this attempt to filch money from the Treasury^
 
 340 DISCOVEKY OF ETHERIZATION. [OHAP. XVIII. 
 
 as an outrage upon the right a of others, and a most abominable 
 imposition on this Government. I believe, that this Morton is a 
 rank impostor — that there is no justice or truth in his pretended 
 claim. I demand in tlie name of justice and right, to have an 
 opportunity to come before the Senate, and tell the story of the 
 wrongs of the poor widow and defenceless children of Dr. Horace 
 Wells ; wrongs which they have suffered at the hands of this 
 man, Morton, who has attempted to rob their husband and father 
 who has descended to the gi-ave, of a discover}', which is one of 
 the most extraordinary made in modern times. Sir, there is that 
 family in destitute circumstances ; and I assert, that the real dis- 
 coverer is now in his grave. Will the Senate act upon this 
 matter in this eocparte manner ? AVill they proceed to render 
 judgment against the widow and the orphans, without hearing 
 what they have to say for themselves ? I shall ask for an oppor- 
 tunity to be heard in defense of them." 
 
 The singular ground was taken by ]\Ir. Smith against the 
 claim of Dr. Morton, that he had never undertaken legally to 
 enforce his rights owing to enfringements of his patent, and that 
 if there was any justice in his demand for indemnity, he should 
 procure his compensation by damages from the parties infringing. 
 "This individual," he said, "never sold a patent right, and 
 never pretended to sell a patent right ; and I repeat again, that 
 the mere idea of ascertaining the effect of an old and known 
 article is the subject of contempt and ridicule all over the north- 
 ern country. Why does not this patentee assert his rights ? If 
 he has got any rights under his patent, why does he not sue 
 somebody for their violation ? He has never instituted a suit. 
 He has never pretended to enforce the patent in any shape or 
 form. The physicians, surgeons, and dentists, all over this con- 
 tinent and all over Europe, are using sulphuric ether as an 
 anaesthetic agent, and he has never demanded a penny from 
 them. He knows well enough, that he could not recover a 
 penny of damages, if he were to sue them for a violation of his 
 patent rights ; I do not care who makes any assertion to the con- 
 trary. In my own State, in every State of this Union, it has 
 been administered. I have seen it administered to patients in
 
 CHAP. XTIII.] BETWEEN TWO FIRES. 341 
 
 this city. Why does he not institute a suit against some 
 body?" 
 
 Here tiie information was given by Mr. Jones of Iowa, that 
 "the United States cannot be sued," when Mr. Smith continued: 
 "I know the United States cannot be sued ; but can a surgeon 
 in the army of the United States use a patented article with im- 
 punity? If this individual has a right to the exclusive use, un- 
 der his patent, why does he not get Mr. Webster, or somebody 
 else, to sue some surgeon for using the article thus patented ? " 
 
 Was there ever a better illustration of the old adage " be- 
 tween two stools one falls to the gi'ound?" One of the strong- 
 est grounds of complaint which had been and still is urged by a 
 certain class in the community against Dr. Morton, arose from 
 a patent ever having been taken out. So loud had these mur- 
 murs been, that no attempts had ever been made to enforce it, 
 indeed all hope of ever doing so had been renounced by its gra- 
 tuitous bestowal by Dr. Morton to all private individuals who 
 might choose to employ it. And yet here at this late date, nearly 
 six years after the gift, and when its constant employment had 
 rendered all attempts at restitution perfectly powerless, the plea 
 was raised that because he had never seen fit to take legal reme- 
 dies, and in compliance with general sentiment had been induced 
 to make this generous gift, he was precluded from expecting or 
 receiving any reward. Verily the distance is short from the fry- 
 ing-pan into the^rc* 
 
 In order to prevent any action during this session, and to 
 procure a postponement which for his cause was the next best 
 thing to an entire defeat of the amendment, Mr. Smith conclud- 
 ed by offering to substitute another amendment, the exact 
 equivalent to dismissing the whole subject. " I will," he said, 
 "save the Senate all trouble on this subject. I will offer an 
 amendment having for its object the organization of a disinter- 
 ested tribunal to decide this question. I move to amend the 
 amendment by making it read as follows : 
 
 Be it enacted, ^-c, That the sum of 8100,000 be appropriated 
 as a national reward for the discovery of the anaesthetic proper- 
 * "Incidit in Scyllam cupicns vitare Charybdim."
 
 842 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XVIII. 
 
 ties and effects of sulphuric ether and its application in surgical 
 and medical practice ; and that the President of the United 
 States be authorized to appoint three distinguished scientific men 
 as commissioners, who shall examine the claim which may be 
 set up by any person or persons to the discovery of the anaesthet- 
 ic effects of sulphuric ether, and its application in surgical and 
 medical practice, and that the said commissioners shall award 
 the sum hereby appropriated, after deducting the expenses of 
 their commission, to such person or persons, or the heirs of such 
 person or persons, as they shall determine to be entitled to the 
 credit of said discovery and application, in such proportion as 
 they shall judge to be due to -the merits of the parties who have 
 made said discovery and application."* 
 
 Finding, however, that in case the amendment then proposed 
 did not pass, no proposition would be more compatible with the 
 wishes of Dr. Morton, than just such a substitution, and that 
 so far from wishing to shun investigation, judicial or otherwise, 
 he rather courted it, Mr. Smith w^ithdrew his amendment, and 
 adopted the tactics with which he had commenced, by discredit- 
 ing the statements of Dr. Morton, and leaving it for the Senate 
 to suppose that there were great doubts as to who was really 
 the discoverer, knowing that by thus observing the case he would 
 be more sure of securing the postponement. 
 
 Senator Shields, of Ilhnois, said : " It has been stated that 
 this is one of the greatest discoveries of modem times. I believe 
 it is. Of that, however, I only know this — that if this remedial 
 
 * The accompanjnng extract from another poriion of the speech of Mr. 
 Smith, shows the chemical attainments of the honorable gentleman, and 
 his competency to judge on scientific questions : " I desire to know what 
 Dr, Morton pretends to have discovered ? Has he discovered sulphuric 
 ether? IS'obody pretends that he has. Has he discovered that sulphuric 
 ether can be taken into the lungs with impunity? Why, when I was a 
 boy in collee:e, I saw it administered over and over again. I believe we 
 Tised to denominate it ' laughing gas,' and we were greatly amused with 
 the antics wliich would be performed by young gentlemen when they had 
 taken it into their lungs." This singular statement might have passed as 
 plausible, had not General Shields at once risen and made a flat contradic- 
 tion and correction.
 
 CHAP. XVIII.] REMARKS OF GENERAL SHIELDS. 343 
 
 agent had been knowTi when the honorable Senator from Con- 
 necticut says he understood it was, it was unpardonable that its 
 use was not applied to the American army in the late war with 
 Mexico. It was criminal that it was not applied, if it was 
 known, and it was wicked in that gentleman to withhold his in- 
 formation from the country on such an occasion as that ; for, sir, 
 I believe it would have saved thousands and thousands of lives. 
 
 "Any man," continued Gen. Shields, "who witnessed the 
 scenes which some of us were there called upon to witness, well 
 knows that such an agent would have saved thousands of lives. 
 Sir, thousands of our bravest and best men fell under the pains 
 and afflictions that followed surgical operations. I have seen so 
 much of that, that I was rejoiced to have an opportunity, when 
 I found there was such an agent discovered, to give it my sup- 
 port in any way ; and although I was not acquainted with the 
 subject, I was happy to have it in my power to turn it over to 
 the honorable Senator from Arkansas, who was acquainted with 
 it. I venture to say that there is not a professional man in 
 America, or in Europe, who will not consider this the most ben- 
 eficial discover^^ since the discovery of vaccination. 
 
 *' I cannot tell whether Dr. Morton is the discoverer or not ; I 
 know that those who have examined the subject thoroughly say 
 that he is the discoverer. I have seen in addition, for he has 
 shown it to me, the medal of one of the first medical institutions in 
 the world — that of Paris — acknowledging, and in the name of 
 France, pronouncing him the discoverer of this agent, and that 
 he had been able — for it was a good fortune on his part — to make 
 a discover}' which has been more beneficial to humanity, than any 
 discovery made in the medical profession since the time of vacci- 
 nation." 
 
 Senator Hale, of New-Hampshire, said : " I am not one of 
 those who object to the proposition on account of the amount of 
 money. If this discovery really belongs to Dr. Morton, it is no 
 more than right that we should pay for it ; because, whatever 
 may be the value of the patent-right, it is such a discovery that 
 he cannot enforce his pateat-right. It seems to me that the 
 government of the United States, having granted a patent by
 
 344 DISCOVEBY OP ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. XTIII. 
 
 their own officers, are estopped from denying its validity ; and as 
 the government arc making use of it in the army and navy so 
 extensively, it seems to mc but fair to compensate this gentleman. 
 " 1 have been through the Massachusetts General Hospital, 
 where this remedial agent was first introduced, and where it was 
 tested. I went through all the wards and rooms of that hos- 
 pital, and I saw every form of disease and suiFering. I went into 
 the dissecting room, and I confess my blood almost ran cold as I 
 looked at the instruments of torture, as they appeared to me, 
 which were about the room ; but 1 was assured by the physi- 
 cians attending upon that hospital, that, by the use of this reme- 
 dial agent, patients were insensible to the operation of these in- 
 struments of torture — that the effect of it was to make them go 
 quietly to sleep ; and that the most difficult and dangerous oper- 
 ations were performed there every day, without those on whom 
 they were performed. being sensible of them. That great hos- 
 pital is one of the finest charities on the face of the earth, and 
 by the operation of this agent the most revolting surgical opera- 
 tions are performed every day, v/hile the patients are, as it were, 
 in a deep sleep. 
 
 " I do not believe there has been a greater contribution 
 made to the cause of humanity anywhere. I do not put this 
 discovery second to vaccination, or anything else ; and if the 
 Senate are determined to vote upon it to-day, I hope they will 
 make this appropriation ; and with my present convictions, al- 
 though I should be glad to postpone the subject until the next 
 session, in order to avoid all danger of injustice, I must vote for 
 this appropriation." 
 
 Senator Douglass, of Illinois, after exhibiting evidence which 
 put a complete extinguisher on the case of the " clients " of Sen- 
 ator Smith, and produced an ebullition of anger from that gen- 
 tleman, went on to say : " I shall not enter into this controversy, 
 or allow my feelings to be excited at all. I thought it my duty 
 to call the attention of the Senate to that testimony, because I 
 saw that an impression was about to be produced on the minds 
 of the Senate which seemed to be contradicted by the testimony 
 in the case. I know nothing of Dr. Morton. I believe I have
 
 CHAP. XTIIL] SPEECH OF SENATOR DOUGLASS. 345 
 
 seen him once or twice this winter, and that is all I know of 
 him. I confess that before I examined the matter, my preju- 
 dices were against his claim, until my colleague in the other 
 House (Mr. Bissell), who is a regularly-educated physician, a 
 man of great intelligence, and has had practice as a physician, 
 took it up, and as chairman of that select committee gave it a 
 thorough investigation. This report produced entire conviction 
 upon my mind that Dr. Morton was entitled to the credit of this 
 discovery. 
 
 " I do not mean, nor does that report mean, that he discov- 
 ered sulphuric ether, or that he was the first man that ever ad- 
 ministered sulphuric ether, but simply that he discovered the 
 application of sulphuric ether with reference to destroying pain 
 in surgical operations, and that he discovered it to a degree and 
 extent in which it had not before been administered, and in 
 which it was supposed was not safe to administer it. He risked 
 his own life by experiments upon his own person ; and then he 
 administered it to other persons, and ran the risk of a prosecu- 
 tion for malpractice in the event that it should fail. I became 
 satisfied from the testimony that he alone made the experiments, 
 and he alone introduced it to the public ; that he introduced it 
 first into the General Hospital of Massachusetts, and from there 
 to the world ; that he took the entire, sole, and exclusive respon- 
 sibility of the use and introduction of this agent, until its entire 
 success had been established. 
 
 " I also find from the report, that while these experiments 
 were going on — while it was doubtful whether they would prove 
 successful — Dr. Jackson was ridiculing and denouncing Dr. 
 Morton as a reckless man, who was hazarding the life of his 
 patients by administering this agent to them ; and that he never 
 set up his claim, though experiments were being made in the 
 immediate vicinity of his own house, until after those experi- 
 ments had proven successful, and the judgment of the world was 
 about to be pronounced in favor of Dr. Morton, and of this 
 invention that had been made by him. 
 
 " I find this in the report of tlie committee of the House of 
 Representatives, and I understand tliat both parties were repre- 
 
 15*
 
 346 DISCOVERT OP ETHEillZATlOK. [CHAP. XTIII. 
 
 sented before that committee. Taking, then, the report of that 
 committee, before whom both parties were represented in person, 
 and by their counsel, where testimony was adduced, and taking 
 that report in connection with the judgment of the General Hos- 
 pital of IMassachusetts, where the first experiments were made, 
 and taking all the testimony together, I cannot doubt that the 
 credit is solely due to Dr. Morton.'* 
 
 Senator Walker, of Iowa, after going into a detailed investi- 
 gation of all efforts made, from the days of Hippocrates down, 
 to obtain anaesthetic agents, showed that Dr. Morton had. dis- 
 covered it, and was entitled to awards in his favor, from high 
 sources. " Again," said he, in conclusion, " as another testimo- 
 nial, I may state that the subject was brought up in the thirtieth 
 Congress, before a select committee of the House of Representa- 
 tives, and with all the testimony before them, they decided that 
 Dr. Morton was the discoverer. Here, again, in this Congress, 
 after another review of all the testimony. Dr. Morton appearing 
 before them in person, and Dr. Jackson both in person and by 
 counsel, a select committee of the House of Representatives 
 decided Dr Morton to be the discoverer. 
 
 " All that there is now to answer against his claim, is the 
 remonstrance to which the Senator from Maine has alluded ; and 
 what is that remonstrance? It is a remonstance said to be 
 signed by one hundred and forty-four physicians. The register 
 of physicians of Massachusetts shows that there are about fifteen 
 hundred in that State. Not one of these remonstrators was in 
 the General Hospital of Massachusetts at the time this discovery 
 was brought out ; but on the contrary, a great many of them 
 are dentists, who are personal enemies and personal rivals of Dr. 
 Morton, and they are to this day his personal rivals. At the time 
 he was risking his life to bring out this discovery, they were 
 denouncing him, and endeavoring to put him down. They were 
 getting up prosecutions against him, to drive him, if possible, 
 from respectable society. Yet these are the men who come for- 
 ward and remonstrate ! But, is it true, as the remonstrance 
 states, that it is from "Boston and its vicinity" ? I have here 
 the State record of Masschusetts, and I find that the names on,
 
 CHAP. XTIir.] JUDGE BADGER SHOWS UP TRUMAN SMITH. 347 
 
 that remonstrance are scattered all over the State. There are 
 three hundred medical men in Boston alone, and here are one 
 hundred and forty-four remonstrants from the whole State of 
 3Iassachusetts, and these are Dr. Morton's rivals — men who had 
 first given him notes, and then refused to pay them, and became 
 his enemies, and tried to make out that he had made no discov- 
 ery ! The remonstrance is dated February last, and they have 
 been ransacking the State of Massachusetts from that time to 
 this, to get up remonstrators against Dr. Morton, and they have 
 succeeded in getting one hundred and forty-four out fifteen hun- 
 dred in that State. 
 
 " We have two reports of the hospital of Massachusetts; we 
 have the prize awarded by the Academy of Arts and Sciences of 
 Paris ; we have the award of a casket and $1,000, by the trus- 
 tees of the Massachusetts hospital ; we have the reports of two 
 select committees of the House of Representatives ; we have the 
 concurrent voice of two committees — the Committee on Military 
 Affairs and the Committee on Naval Affairs — of this body ; and 
 there is nothing to ansv/cr it but this simple remonstrance of 
 which we have heard to-day." 
 
 The debate was protracted by the factious opposition of Sena- 
 tor Smith, who was pointedly rebuked for his conduct by Sena- 
 tor Weller, of California, and by Senator Badger, of North 
 Carolina. " I know not, Mr. President," said he, "what pri- 
 vate griefs the honorable Senator from Connecticut [Mr. Smith] 
 has ; but, certainly something or other seems to have stimulated 
 him into a very undue excitement on this occasion, one not usual 
 upon questions of this kind and one which certainly that Sena- 
 tor is not in the habit of exhibiting in the Senate. The honora- 
 ble Senator demands an opportunity of making out a case — for 
 whom ? For clients of his. Does he demand that we shall post- 
 pone this inquiry, in order that we may have another investiga- 
 tion at the next session ? If so, that is one strong reason -with 
 me why we should promptly decide it now. I do not want to 
 occupy two months out of three of the ensuing session with the 
 investigation of these contradictory claims, which the honorable 
 Senator desires to set up on this subject.
 
 348 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XVIII. 
 
 " I do not undertake to decide on this question, from informa- 
 tion which I have derived from Dr. Morton. I never had any 
 conversation with him upon the subject of invention ; I refused 
 to have any conversation with him. I have refused to read any- 
 thing which he has written upon the subject, but I rely upon in- 
 formation which I have received from impartial sources, and the 
 unanimous report of the Committee on Militaiy Affairs. Upon 
 that I am willing to vote. We are taking no snap judgment upon 
 any person — the clients of the Senator from Connecticut, or 
 otherwise. We merely propose to purchase for the use of the 
 public service, what we think is a valuable, or rather, I should 
 say, an invaluable remedial agent." 
 
 Senator Mallory, of Florida, closed the debate. " I am pleas- 
 ed," said he, " to have this opportunity to manifest, by a vote 
 upon this proposition, my appreciation of the importance of the 
 subject to which it refers ; and, sir, if no voice in its behalf had 
 been hitherto raised — if no advocate had ever before appeared 
 to press the claims of liim whose successful devotion, whose 
 self-sacrificing labors, have secured for him throughout the earth 
 this heaven-born gift — I would have considered it one of the high 
 privileges of the place I occupy, to stand forth in that attitude. 
 But, sir, such fortunately is not its position ; for the earnest ap- 
 peals of men, women, and children, the united and consistent tes- 
 timony of the learned and the unlettered throughout this broad 
 land, have raised up for it here unwavering friends. 
 
 " This amendment, Mr. President, proposes to pay to the dis- 
 coverer of the anaesthetic properties of sulphuric ether inhaled, 
 and of their extraordinary advantages to medicine and surgery, 
 $100,000, upon the condition that he shall relinquish it to the 
 free enjoyment of mankind, and abandon all the rights of a dis- 
 coverer and patentee. If the question be asked, what is the 
 character of the service rendered, what is the utility of the dis- 
 covery *? The response comes from thousands of our own fellow- 
 citizens, in every walk of life, whom gratitude has made eloquent. 
 It comes from the lowly couch of the poorhouse patient, and 
 from the aristocratic mansion of the millionaire ; from feeble 
 woman in the agonies entailed upon her first disobedience, and
 
 CHAP. XVlll] DECISIONS IN MORTON's FAVOR. 349 
 
 from the stern, strong man writhing in pain. It comes from 
 your battlefields, from your military, naval, and civil hospitals, 
 from your gallant soldiers and sailors tortured by wounds and 
 amputations. It comes to you from the practitioner in every 
 department of medicine, and with our consent the surgeons of 
 the Old and New World hail it as the great discovery of the 
 age. 
 
 " Its claims have been examined by select committees of Con- 
 gress, aided by able counsel, with an industry and accuracy 
 equally honorable to them and to the subject. The trustees of 
 the Massachusetts General Hospital presented the discoverer with 
 $1,000 and an appropriate letter. The chiefs of our own De- 
 partments, our Surgeon-General, and the head of our Kaval 
 Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, give it their unqualified ap- 
 proval ; and the Academy of Sciences of Paris, after a thorough 
 investigation of its character, conferred upon its discoverer the 
 * Montyon golden medal ' as an extraordinary mark of its ap- 
 probation. 
 
 " Such are a few of the thousand evidences of the various 
 characters from Europe and America in its favor. And well, 
 sir, does it merit this praise. Hitherto the surgeon's skill, though 
 advancing with gigantic strides, has been circumscribed and con- 
 trolled by the power of endurance of his patient ; and many 
 operations which comparative anatomy justifies and demands for 
 the salvation of life, have been rendered impracticable by their 
 tortures upon an enfeebled or disorganized frame, or by their vio- 
 lent shock to the whole nervous system ; and thousands have an- 
 nually perished whom this discovery might have saved. Men of 
 undoubted courage, wounded at last, after facing death in many 
 forms, shrunk with undefined terror from the prospect which the 
 cold-blooded torture of the surgeon's knife, holds before their 
 eyes ; and timid women, sinking beneath disease, not unfre- 
 quently prefers the pains of death to the untold horrors of the 
 operator's table. But all this is now passed. The knife has 
 lost its terrors, the tourniquet and saw are regarded without a 
 shudder, and the appearance of the surgeon by the pallet of the 
 untimely sufferer is liailed with joy, for he not only banishes
 
 350 DISCOVERY OF ETUEEIZATION. [CHAP. xviii. 
 
 pain, but substitutes for an anguished frame the happy dreams of 
 a joyous spirit. 
 
 " If I felt justified, Mr. President, in view of the pressing 
 legislation yet before us, I would embrace this occasion to give 
 the conclusive testimony of the principal practitioners of Europe 
 and America in its behalf; but I do not feel authorized to con- 
 sume a moment beyond a mere reference to them." 
 
 He then read a few brief extracts from Doctors Warren and 
 Holmes, already given in this work, and then concluded : 
 
 " And now, Mr. President, if it be diificult to establish a 
 standard by which merit generally is to be rewarded, how utterly 
 impossible must it be to determine its proper bounds in a case 
 like the present, in which an humble individual is the donor, and 
 the whole human family the recipient. His most enduring and 
 valuable reward will be in the undying gratitude of a posterity 
 whose lot is suffering and pain, and a supreme happiness flowing 
 from gi'atitude to God for being made the medium of such a boon 
 to his creatures. But, sii', let us fulfill our duty. We cannot 
 PAY Dr. Morton. His services are beyond price; but we can 
 place his future life beyond the reach of poverty, and in this 
 manner do justice to ourselves ; for, Mr. President, to the living 
 searchers after Truth, as well as to those children of genius who are 
 yet to struggle in her paths, and in the eyes of all honorable men, 
 the course of the American Senate upon this question will be a 
 beacon of warning or of hope. 
 
 " I believe not the wornout apothegm, that republics are 
 ungrateful. Ingratitude is the crime of men, not of political or- 
 ganization — and the sons of Adam possess in common the same 
 virtues and vices. But yet, sir, there is much upon history's 
 page to justify the proposition, even within our own short polit- 
 ical existence. The graves of our revolutionary sages are un- 
 known to their free and happy descendants. No Old Mortality 
 renews their fleeting letters ; and the monument of its father and 
 hero struggles lingeringly. upward, stone by stone, in spite of their 
 seeming indifference. 
 
 " Fulton's merits were disregarded, and he was suffered to die 
 owing more dollars than would have covered him in his grave.
 
 CHAP. XVIll.J AN INVENTION OF THE ENEMY. SSl 
 
 In pleasing contrast to this, sir, is the grant of the British Par- 
 liament of S150,000 to Dr. Jenner for his discovery of vaccina- 
 tion ; and its liberal reward of discoverers in various walks of 
 science. I am persuaded that the objection based upon a consti- 
 tutional prohibition, made by the honorable Senator from New 
 York, is not seriously urged ; and certainly, upon one of the al- 
 ternatives suggested by him, we can reward this applicant. I 
 never saw him till ^vithin a day or two, and I know personally 
 nothing of him, but entertain no doubt of the justice of his claim, 
 and hope the amendment will pass." 
 
 Irresistible as these arguments appear, the desire for a more 
 prolonged and extended consideration of the subject prevailed. 
 This was in great measure occasioned by a statement made by the 
 Hon. Mr. Hale, who rose, just before the close of the discussion, 
 and said : 
 
 " I desire to state a fact which has come to my knowledge 
 since this discussion commenced. I do not know whether it will 
 have any influence upon the votes of Senators to-night ; but there 
 is a gentleman in this chamber now who has informed me, and 
 he is ready to pledge his honor and reputation to it, that neither 
 Dr. Morton, nor Dr. Jackson, r^or Dr. Wells, has anything to 
 do with the original discovery of this principle ; that it was dis- 
 covered and applied to practice in the city of New York by a 
 young physician who is now in his grave ; that if there is any 
 merit belonging to it at all, it belongs to him, and if there is any 
 meritorious reward due to anybody, it is to his orphan sister. The 
 gentleman is ready to pledge his honor and reputation that if the 
 subject is postponed until December, he can by irrefutable prooi 
 establish that fact to the satisfaction of any tribunal to which it 
 may be submitted. Upon this I express no opinion, but as the 
 statement was made by a gentleman of reputation, I thought it 
 my duty to communicate it to the Senate before the vote is 
 taken." 
 
 As this claim has never been presented, nor anything heard of 
 the individual since, and as no one has been found who had ever 
 heard of the " young physician," it is to be presumed that this 
 was simply an "invention of the enemy," and that some friend
 
 852 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XViii. 
 
 of the other two claimants imposed upon Mr. Hale. "Whatever 
 it was, it produced its effect, for it created a feeling in many pres- 
 ent that there might be others to come forward and claim, and 
 a de«ire for more deliberate action. 
 
 The personal influence of the Senator from Connecticut was no 
 less powerful in procuring a postponement. Professing to plead 
 in behalf of the widow and orphan, he occupied an excellent po- 
 sition for display of affecting eloquence, and consequent effect 
 upon the minds of his hearers ; and when he closed by saying : 
 *'I pledge whatever reputation I may have, that if the Senate 
 will allow me, at the next session of Congress, an opportunity to 
 be heard on this subject, I will make out a case for the family of 
 Dr. Horace Wells, deceased. If the subject shall then be refer- 
 red to the judgment of a committee of this body, I will be pre- 
 pared to make out a case worthy the most grave and serious con- 
 sideration." 
 
 No reasonable grounds could be urged for opposing the appeal. 
 On taking the yeas and nays, seventeen Senators voted in favor 
 of the amendment; twenty-eight against it ; fifteen either did not 
 vote or were absent, and among them were some who had advo- 
 cated the bill, and had felt sure that its passage was secured. 
 
 Dispirited and crushed by this disappointment, sick in body 
 and mind from the reaction from the intense excitement of the 
 previous nine months. Dr. Morton remained but a few days long- 
 er in AYashington, and then left for his home. "With what a dif- 
 ferent feeling was the return journey accomplished, as compared 
 with the elated, sanguine spirits when he had before passed over 
 the same road. How many events had transpired in this time, 
 comparatively so short, and yet so interminably long when the 
 mind is kept in agonizing suspense. How fair had the field open- 
 ed to him. How great had been liis first success. To what a 
 pinnacle of liope had expectation raised him. And then as a se- 
 quel, how great and sudden had been the fall. Few could bear 
 it with equanimity. This he did as well if not better than others 
 of his temperament. But though not entirely broken in spirits 
 and hopes for the ultimate result, the case was physically more 
 adverse. A severe attack of illness followed, which nearly put
 
 CHAP, xvni.j CRITICAL CONDITION OF DR. MORTON. 
 
 35S 
 
 an end to any furtlier action on his part, by cutting his thread of 
 existence. For thirty days it required every care and attention 
 from friends and physicians before his recovery was assured, and 
 he was again in a position to hope for that strength and health 
 so necessary to pursue the object for which he still is working.
 
 354 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. fCHAP. XIZ- 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 THIRD APPLICATION TO CONGRESS CONTINUED. 
 
 " Stick to your aim ; the mongrel's hold will slip, 
 But only crowbars loose the bulldog's grip ; 
 Small as he looks, the jaw that never yields. 
 Drags down the bellowing monarch of the fields." 
 
 —0. W. Holmes. 
 
 The position of Dr. Morton at this period of his life would 
 have been regarded by most men similarly situated as a hopeless 
 one, so far as a national recognition of his merit as a discoverer 
 was concerned. He had successfully combated professional 
 jealousy — he had lived down personal malice — he had received 
 the endorsement of those competent to decide the question of the 
 discovery of anassthesia. Yet, when his country was about to 
 crown his labors, one of the national Senators, in his seat, had 
 interposed a veto — disregarding the eloquent appeals of his col- 
 leagues in the upper house of Congress, he had placed his indi- 
 vidual reputation at stake against Dr. Morton's credit to the 
 discovery. Most men, we repeat, would have abandoned the 
 case in despair, not thinking it possible to contest it with a na- 
 tional Senator who sought to " make a case for a client." But 
 Dr. Morton supported himself gallantly at this dark moment. 
 Despair might have flitted with dark wings across his mind, and 
 urged him to forsake this unprofitable appeal to the gratitude of 
 his countrymen — but a sense of right seized his spirit, asserted 
 his duty to himself and his family, and inspired liim for fresh con- 
 tests, for decisive victory ! 
 
 Mr. Smith's unexpected course in the Senate had forced Dr. 
 Morton to relinquish, for the present, a visit to Europe, which 
 he had intended, and set himself to work to overthrow this new 
 obstacle to his just rights. The claim in behalf of the heirs of
 
 CHAP, six] MORTON CARRIES THE WAR INTO AFRICA. 355 
 
 Dr. TVells had received a prominent support from the citizens of 
 Hartford, who were, doubtless, stimulated by a local pride to 
 secure the honor of their discovery for their city, and many of 
 them had signed a petition in his behalf. The Legislature of 
 Connecticut had passed a vote tacitly awarding to him the merit 
 of the discovery. The Common Council of the city had done 
 the same. Several physicians had sent affidavits and communi- 
 cations which required examination, and interfered with the 
 statements of Morton. The sympathy of the community was 
 becoming warmly interested by the touching appeals of the widow 
 for aid for herself and her fatherless children. And lastly, the 
 Governor in his message had recommended that Dr. Wells be 
 recognized and rewarded as the discoverer of Etherization. 
 
 From these facts. Dr. Morton, conscious of his position, deter- 
 mined to " carry the war into Africa." 
 
 He accordingly, by advice of Mr. Choate, went on to Hart- 
 ford, employed the Hon. Horace Cornwall and Mr. Perkins as 
 counsel, and commenced taking testimony himself, before Erastus 
 Smith, Esq., a United States commissioner. At the same time 
 he had notices legally served upon Mrs. Elizabeth W. "Wells and 
 upon Mr. Truman Smith, her counsel, notifying them to be 
 present at the taking of testimony, and to put interrogatories if 
 they thought fit. Mr. Smith immediately came to Hartford and 
 superintended the cross-examinations, which were made by H. 
 K. W. Welch, as counsel for IVIrs. Dr. ATelis. 
 
 Most of the witnesses required to be summoned, as but a few 
 responded readily to the call without this form. Those only 
 were troubled who had made affidavits on behalf of Dr. Wells, 
 and which had been published in early pamphlets. It was found 
 that some of these persons had since died, while others had 
 removed to distant parts of the country, making it impossible to 
 obtain their testimony. In addition, to increase his perplexity, 
 many of the witnesses were informed by the lawyer on tlie oppo- 
 site side, that they were not bound to appear before the commis- 
 sioner and testify, and thus Dr. Morton was deprived of valuable 
 testimony, showing the groundlessness of Dr. Wells' pretensions, 
 while others were induced to make depositions secretly before a
 
 356 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [chaP. XIX. 
 
 magistrate, locked up in a room, to which the counsel of Dr. 
 Morton was refused admittance. 
 
 Yet, in the face of this legal chicanery, this local feeling, this 
 sympathy. Dr. INIorton obtained a mass of testimony which took 
 all the foundation from the legal edifice erected by Mr. Smith — 
 a mass of testimony was secured which is on record as a Con- 
 gressional document, and which has never been contradicted or 
 denied. 
 
 But it was not in Hartford alone that Dr. Morton busied him- 
 self in taking testimony. About the same time another commis- 
 sion was opened, at his instigation, at Boston, under the statutes 
 of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, in order to sift the testi- 
 mony of his other rival, Dr. Jackson, before which Dr. Morton, 
 assisted by R. H. Dana, jr., Esq., proceeded to cite and exam- 
 ine such witnesses, in perpetuam rei memoriam, as were conversant 
 with the discovery. He thus obtained the evidence of Drs. 
 John C. Warren, Henry J. Bigelow, S. D. Townsend, J. Mason 
 Warren, A. L. Peirson, A. A. Gould, and other gentlemen, 
 which made his position as the discoverer of anaesthesia impregna- 
 ble — having the testimony taken in the presence of Dr. Jackson's 
 counsel, and with ample opportunity to him to detect error, or 
 to expose misstatements. 
 
 This double duty, with its varying and shifting perplexities, 
 caused by the professional attempts of opposing counsel to throw 
 embarrassments in this search of Dr. Morton after truth, must 
 have been arduous in the extreme. But, as has been shown 
 throughout this work. Dr. Morton never takes heed of toil, 
 mental anxiety, or expense, when the question of anaesthesia is 
 involved. Probably no other man living would thus have gone 
 into the enemy's camp, and proved, by the unerring standard of 
 judicial testimony, that the weapons there were worthless. 
 "This has been my course," said he, on submitting his con- 
 vincing testimony to Congress, "open, bold, courting investiga- 
 tion, defying controversy." 
 
 But this testimony, the fruits of the commissions at Hartford 
 and Boston, was not all that Dr. Morton had to carry back to 
 Washington in support of his claim. The speech of Senator
 
 CHAP. IIX] BOSTON PHYSICIANS COME OUT FOR MORTON. 357 
 
 Walker (quoted in the last chapter) showed that a remonstrance 
 against his claim had been presented to Congress, signed by a 
 small fraction of the physicians of Massachusetts. " Not one of 
 these remonstrators was in the General Hospital of Massachusetts 
 at the time this discovery was brought out ; but, on the contrary, 
 a great many of them were dentists, who were personal enemies 
 and personal rivals of Dr. Morton. " 
 
 To quota from a paper laid before Congress — "This failure to 
 get only one hundred and forty-four names from fifteen hundred, 
 after the contestant had canvassed the State for months, only 
 confirmed what was always conceded as a fixed fact, that the 
 great body of medical men are in favor of Dr. Morton." 
 
 To rebut this ''remonstrance," and to triumphantly sustain 
 his claims. Dr. Morton received the following " memorial " and 
 " petition " to Congress. Never before, we venture to assert, 
 did such a brilliant galaxy of medical and surgical talent unite 
 on any one measure : 
 
 ]\IEMORIAL. 
 
 To the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
 United States in Congress assembled : 
 
 The undersigned hereby testify to your honorable body, that, 
 in their opinion, Dr. William T. G. Morton, first proved to the 
 world that ether would produce insensibility to the pain of sur- 
 gical operations, and that it could be used with safety. In their 
 opinion, his fellow-men owe a debt to him for this knowledge. 
 Wherefore, they respectfully ask a recognition by Congress of his 
 services to his country and mankind. 
 
 JOHN C. WARREX, M. D., Senior Surgeon Massachusetts General Hospital, and 
 
 late President American Medical Society, and Emeritus Professor of Anatomy of 
 
 Harvard University. 
 GEORGE HAYWARD, M. D., President Massachusetts Medical Society, and 
 
 Surgeon Massachusetts General Hospital. 
 S. D. TOWXSEXD, M. D., Surgeon Mass. Gen. Hospital, 
 J. MASON WARREN, M. D., " 
 S. PARKMAN, M. D., 
 HEXRY J. BIGELOW, M. D., Surgeon Massachusetts General Hospital, and Pro 
 
 fessor of Surgery Harvard University. 
 HENRY S. CLARK, M. D., Surgeon Massachusetts General Hospital, and City 
 
 Physician.
 
 358 piscovEijy of etuerization. [chap. xix. 
 
 JACOB BIGELOW, M. D., Professor Materia Medica, Harvard University, and 
 President of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Physician to Mas 
 sachusetts Geyieral Hospital. 
 
 OLIVER W. HOLMES, M. D., Professor of Anatomy, Harvard University. 
 
 HENRY I. BOWDITCH, M. D., Physician to Mass. Gen. Hospital. 
 
 D. HUMPHREY STORER, M. D., " " " " 
 M. S. PERRY, M. D., " " " «' 
 JAMES JACKSON, M. D., ^ 
 
 GEORGE C. SHATTUCK, M. D., f Consulting Physicians and Surgeon, 
 
 JOHN JEFFRIES, M. D., f Mass. General Hospital. 
 
 EDWARD REYNOLDS, M. D., J 
 
 WALTER CHANNING, M. D., Professor of Midwifery, Harvard University. 
 
 JOHN WARE, M. D., Professor Theory and Practice, Harvard University. 
 
 JOHN HOMANS, M. D., President Suffolk District Medical Society. 
 
 WM. J. DALE, M. D., one of the Trustees Massachusetts General Hospital. 
 
 JOHN L. FOX, M. D., Surgeon Naval Hospital, Chelsea. 
 
 WM. INGALLS, Physician and Surgeon, U. S. Marine Hospital, Chelsea, Mass. 
 
 S. L. ABBOTT, M. D., Admitting Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. 
 
 HENRY W. WILLIAMS, M. D., Secretary Suffolk District Medical Society. 
 
 M. H. CHILDS, President Berkshire Medical College. 
 
 R. W. HOOPER, ) 
 
 GEORGE A. BETHUNE, )■ Massachitsetts Charitable Eye and Ear Infirmary. 
 
 EDWARD REYNOLDS. ) 
 
 Members of Massachusetts Medical Society. 
 Walter Channing, John Homans (President Suffolk District Medical Society), 
 Z. B. Adams, John C. Hayden, John Ware, EphraimBush, George Bartlelt, Jonas 
 H. Lane, Anson Hooker, Henry Dyer, Augustus A. Gould, Charles Gordon, Joseph 
 L. Jones, Samuel Kneeland, sr., T. Fletcher Oakes, George Hubbard, Charles W. 
 Moore, Richard H. Salter, Fytche Edward Olwein, Wm. J. Dale, Wm. Ed. Coale, 
 James W. Stone, B. W. Newell, Francis A. Willard, Wm. Hawes, Charles Mifflin, 
 J. Wippasne, Abrm. A. Watson, Aaron P. Richardson, Henry A. Ward, Wm. Bow- 
 en Morris, James B. Gregerson, M. Mattson, David Thayer, Samuel Morrill, Silas 
 Durkee, Geo. Stevens Jones, Jesse Chickering, J. A. Tarbell, Geo. H. Symane, 
 Henry W. Williams, J. Randolph Lincoln, George Derby, Warren J. Whitney, 
 Francis Minot, D. D. Slade, W. E. Townsend, John B. Alley, Geo. H. Gay, Luther 
 Parks, jr., Wm. G. Wheeler, F. H. Gray, James F. Harlowe, George Russell, Chas. 
 
 E. Ware, E. W. Blake, Edw. H. Clarke, Samuel Gregg, E. D. Miller, C. G. Putnam, 
 Chas. A. Phelps, John Oden, jr., Joseph Reynolds, George Hayward, jr., Henry 
 Osgood Stine, Wm. W. Morland, M. C. Greene, Horace Stacj--, Franklin F. Patch, 
 Samuel L. Abbott, John H. Dix, James Ayer, Jos. J. Fales, P. Wibrand, Ezra 
 Bartlett, S. F. Parcher, James Hyndman, Henry S. Lee, E. D. Cleaveland, John 
 Stevens, Ira W. Tobie, J. Everette Herrick, N. C Stevens, Enoch C. Rolfe, Henry 
 Willard, A. Alexander, D. McGowan, Alex. S. Butler. Benj. B. Appleton, G. New- 
 ton Thomson, J. M. Phipps, Abner Phelps, Josiah Curtis, E. B. G. Palmer, Daniel 
 V. Folts, R. L. Hinckley, J. W. Hinckley, M. B. Souard, P. E. Molloy, Henry Br>'- 
 ant, Chas. E. Buckingham, J. W.Warren, jr., D. D. Smith, George Power, Wm. 
 Read, J. F. W. Lane, Constantine B. O'Donnell, M. R. C. S. E., John S. H. Fogg, 
 Edmund T. Eastman, J. C. Sanbome, E. A. Kittredge.
 
 CHAP. XIX.] MASSACHCSEITS MEDICAL SOCIETY. 359 
 
 Charlestown. — E. E. Braun, A. J. Bellows, Benj. Seabury, George W. Otis, jr., 
 Charles H. Allen, A. C. Webber, J. P. Alden, W. W. Wellington, H. L. Chase, 
 Chas. F.Foster, A. J. Cummings, Thomas J. Stevens, Hutchinson Germaine, Alex. 
 Poole, James B. Forsyth, John Toomy. 
 
 Salem, 3Iass. — A. L. Pierson, William Mack, George Choate, Wm. Henry Prince, 
 J. G. Wood, James Stone, jr., E. B. Pierson, Geo. C. S. Choate, Geo. A. Perkins, 
 H. Wheatland, Samuel Johnson, Edward A. Holyoke. 
 
 Newburyport, Mass. — E. Cross, S. M. Gale. 
 
 Lynn, Mass. — A. S. Adams, J. T. Galloupe, Danl. Perley, James M. Nye, John 
 Rentnn, Nathaniel Euggles, D. E. Johnson, E. Porter Eastman, Chas. M. Weeks, 
 Edw. Xewhall. 
 
 Worcester, Mass.— Renry Clark, Saml. Flagg, Geo. A. Bates, Chas. W. Whit- 
 comb, Joseph Sargent, Oramel Martin, William Workman, Rufus Woodward, Henrj' 
 Sargent, A. Goulet, P. B. Mignoult, Benj. Heywood, John E. Hathaway, 
 
 Springfield, 3Tass. — Jas. M. Smith, Edwin Seeger, X. Adams, A. S. McClean, Al- 
 fred Lambert, C. C. Chaffee, H. A. Hamilton, Henry B. B. Taille, D. C. Perkins. 
 
 Pittsfield, Mass.—R. H. Childs, President of Birkhead Med. Institution, N. S. 
 Barnes, 0. S. Root, Frank A. Cady, O. E. Brewster, Xath'lFoote, Avery Williams, 
 
 A. N. Allen, L. F. Humeston, Willard Clough, M. D., Clark F. Hall, M. D., X. J. 
 Wilson. 
 
 Taunton. — Alfred Bayliss, H. B. Hubbard, Horace Bowen, Ebenezer Dawes, 
 William Dickinson, Dan. King, Geo. Leonard. 
 
 New-Bedford. — T. S. Mayhew, Johnson Clark, Jno. H. Jennings, Wm. A. Gor- 
 don, Elijah Colby, C. D. Stickney, John Howell Mackie, Panl Spocner. 
 
 Fall River. — James W. Hartley, P. A. Smyth, Jerome Dwelly, Foster Hooper, 
 E. T. Learned. 
 
 Lowell— 3 o\iXi O. Green, Henry Whiting, J. P. Jewett, J. D. Pillsbury, Elisha 
 Huntington, John W. Graves, Benjamin Skelton, H. Pillsbury, P. P. Campbell, L. 
 
 B. Morse, Charles A. Davis, Ployer G. Kittredge, Chas. A. Savory, Joel Spalding, 
 David Wells, Daniel Holt, Daniel Mowe, J. W. Scribner. 
 
 Lawrence. — Geo. W. Sanborn, Wm. D. Lamb, David Dana, J. H. Morse. 
 
 South Andover. — James Howarth, W. H. Kimball. 
 
 Fitchburg.—Thos. R. Boutelle, Levi Pillsbury, T. W. Wadsworth, W. M. Barrett, 
 Henry M. Linrab. 
 
 Plymouth. — Jas. L. Hunt, Winslow Warren, Benjamin Hubbard, Timothy Gor- 
 don. 
 
 Dedham.— Jeremy Stimson, D. P. Wight, H. F. Spear. 
 
 Hingham.—Eziai Stevenson, Robt. T. P. Fiske. 
 
 Quincy. — Ebenezer Woodward, William G. Pattee, W. Goddard. 
 
 Danvers. — Andrew Xichols, Joseph Osgood, David A. Grosvenor, George 0» 
 good. 
 
 Marblehead. — James C. Briggs, Chandler Flagg, Daniel Gill. 
 
 Beverly. — W. C. Boy den, Charles Haddock, Ingalls Kittredge, 
 
 Gloucester.— lsza.c P. Smith, C. H. Hildreth, George W. Smith. 
 
 Rockport. — Benjamin Haskell, Lemuel Gott, Osgar D. Abbott. 
 
 Newton. — Henry Bigelow, Cyrus R. Bartlett. 
 
 Framingham. — Simon Whitney, Allston W. Whitney. 
 
 Milford. — Francis Gilaland, Theodore C. Cornish.
 
 360 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. LCHAP. XIX. 
 
 PETITION 
 
 OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL. 
 
 To the honorable the Senate and House of Repres'entatives in Con- 
 gress assembled : 
 The subscribers respectfully represent, that they are members 
 of the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts General Hospital ; 
 that the power of the inhalation of sulphuric ether to produce 
 insensibility to pain during surgical operations, was discovered 
 by experiments instituted in the hospital by Dr. William T. G. 
 Morton, and that in their opinion he is entitled to a liberal na- 
 tional reward for the service thus rendered to the country and 
 to mankind. 
 
 N. I. Bowditch, John P. Bigelow, W. S. BuUard, Francis C Lowell, Thomas 
 Lamb, Amos A. Lawrence, William J. Dale, Ed. Wigglesworth, Charles H. Mills, 
 J. Thos. Stevenson, G. A. Shaw. 
 
 Boston, November 22, 1851. 
 
 The very first petitions presented to the Senate, at the com- 
 mencement of the second session of the thirty-second Congress, 
 were those in favor of a national recognition of Dr. Morton's 
 claims- as the discoverer of anaesthesia. They were offered by 
 the Hon. John Davis, and consisted of these memorials from the 
 Physicians and Surgeons and the Trustees of the Massachusetts 
 General Hospital — the Massachusetts Charitable Eye and Ear 
 Infirmary — and members of the Massachusetts Medical Society. 
 They, with the evidence collected by Dr. Morton to sut^tain them 
 were referred to the committee on Military Affairs. 
 
 This rendered it imperatively necessary for Dr. Morton to at 
 once return to Washington. Notwithstanding his still feeble 
 health, which had compelled him to employ a physician during 
 the whole of the interim, and the excessive fatigue which the two 
 commissions, and the constant journeying between Hartford 
 and Boston had occasioned, he felt that this was no period for 
 rest, or considerations of mere personal comfort. Girding on his 
 armor again, and leaving full directions as to the management of 
 the questions in the two cities, he immediately hurried his prep- 
 arations, and left for the Capitol, to see what the next six
 
 CHAP IIX] -A. SERIOUS DILEilJIA OVERCOME. 361 
 
 months would bring forth, and what would be the action of his 
 opponents in reply to the presentation of these petitions. 
 
 On his arrival at Washington Dr. Morton, to his consterna- 
 tion, learned that in order to bring up his claims during that ses- 
 sion (which unfortunately for him was the short one), he needed 
 at once all the evidence which had been obtained by means ot 
 the two commissions. The difficulty lay in a law, which required 
 that all depositions should be duly recorded among the Suffolk 
 deeds, and the commissioner very properly declined giving copies 
 of them before being thus recorded. This was a very serious 
 dilemma, for there was every prospect that all this evidence, for 
 the acquisition of which he had been to such an expense and 
 trouble, would be of no value, as there seemed small chance 
 fhat the commission could close its labors before the close of the 
 session. At the request of Dr. Morton, the chairman of the 
 Congressional committee wrote to the commissioner, stating the 
 importance of receiving the evidence already attained, and soli- 
 citing that copies might be taken at Dr. Morton's own expense, 
 and forwarded at once. 
 
 This arrangement was happily successful, and a large amount 
 was sent on, but it was late in its arrival, and coming in large 
 quantity at one moment, it required much time and labor for its 
 examination. 
 
 Mr. Smith was still a member of the Senate, before which he 
 had pledged himself to " make out a case " for his clients, and 
 the professional advisers of Dr. Jackson were also there. But 
 neither made any manifestation of bringing forward their respect- 
 ive pretensions, and at length Dr. Morton's patience became ex- 
 hausted. It appeared to him — as he stated officially — that the 
 strategy of his opponents was directed to wearing out his life, 
 and exhausting his means, that they might be '* in at the dcdth.^^ 
 This stimulated him to prompt action, that complete and impar- 
 tial justice should be done him, if Heaven spared his life, and if 
 not, that his wife and children might enjoy the vindication of his 
 name and memory ! 
 
 Dr. Morton, therefore, after having waited nearly a month, 
 gave proper notice to the counsel for Dr. Jackson, and 
 
 16
 
 362 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CH^. XIX. 
 
 Mr. Smith (counsel for the Wells' heirs) to present their evi- 
 dence, respectively, unci have it referred to the committee to 
 which his own documents had been referred. 
 
 But Mr. Smith was too old a practitioner to take such a 
 straightforward course. Taking a day (the 3d of January, 
 1853) when General Cass had announced his intention of speaking 
 on "Liberty of Conscience Abroad," and had attracted crowds 
 of spectators, and Dr. Morton was himself absent, engaged in the 
 perusal of the evidence just sent on, Mr. Smith offered his 
 " "Wells' petition," and moved that the subject of anaesthesia be 
 taken from the military committee who had been employed in the 
 investigation nearly a month, and its reference to the Committee 
 on Patents, of which he was a member. 
 
 As Dr. Wells had never had any connection with a patent- 
 right in the experiments upon which his claim was based, and as 
 no question of a patent was involved in it, this step appeared 
 singular — the more so, perhaps, because Mr. Smith, in an offen- 
 sive speech, undertook to say that the Committee on Militaiy Af- 
 fairs had " prejudged " the question. That committee (which 
 consisted of Messrs. Shields, of Illinois, Clemens, of Alabama, 
 Borland, of Ai'kansas, Dawson, of Georgia, and Jones, of Ten- 
 nessee) was naturally somewhat indignant, and a debate ensued 
 on the question of reference. This was probably exactly what 
 Mr. Smith wished, and, as he must have foreseen, General Cass 
 grew restive. His speech had been announced — his audience 
 was dispersing — and he therefore prevailed upon the Senate to 
 lay Mr. Smith's petition upon the table. 
 
 The next day, the Senatorial lawyer brought it up again, and 
 changing his motion of the day before, moved its reference to the 
 Committee on Military Affairs. But his remarks of the day 
 previous had made a consideration of the subject, upon which 
 they were said to be "prejudged," extremely unpleasant. "It 
 ou.s^ht," said the high-minded General Shields, " to be investiga- 
 ted in some other way. We had no hesitation in the world, be- 
 lieving that Dr. !Morton was the discoverer — and it is my opinion 
 still, after the investigation I have bestowed upon the subject, 
 that he is the discoverer — in proposing that he should be reward-
 
 CHAP. XIX.] RUSE TO PREVENT INVESTIGATION. 363 
 
 ed, for it is one of the most beneficent discoveries ever made." 
 But he now, as did the other members, expressed no wish to in- 
 vestigate the new question forced upon the committee, and there- 
 fore requested the Senate to excuse them, and appoint another 
 committee. 
 
 This was objected to by several Senators, who did not like to 
 see gentlemen thus driven from the consideration of a subject 
 already referred to them. But the members of the committee 
 were firm. "I,'* said Governor Jones, of Tennesse, "am a 
 member of the Committee on Military Affairs, and I should re- 
 gret exceedingly, under the circumstances that surround us, to 
 be required to take chai'ge of the question again. No matter 
 what report we might make, it could not and would not be 
 satisfactory to all the claimants — and it seems to me that, under 
 the circumstances, we would expose ourselves to imputations 
 which no honorable gentleman ought to be willing to bear. It 
 is on that ground that I am opposed to the reference of the me- 
 morial to the Committee on Military Affairs. I hope it will be 
 sent to a special committee, and that we may be relieved from a 
 further investigation of it." This, and similar protests made by 
 other gentlemen on the committee, can-ied the day. A select 
 committee was ordered, to consider the subject of the discovery 
 of anaesthetic agents, and the next day the President of the 
 Senate, pro tempore, announced that he appointed Messrs. 
 Walker, Smith, Davis, Butler, and Dixon. Subsequently, Mr. 
 Hamlin was substituted for I\Ir. Dixon, who was shortly after- 
 ward obliged to leave Washington on account of ill health. 
 
 The relief experienced by Dr. Morton by this favorable solu- 
 tion of the new trouble was of but short duration ; for on the 
 very first meeting of this new committee, which took place on 
 the ensuing day, it was decided by them that there was no time 
 to read the evidence which had been collected and laid before 
 the first committee, and by them handed over to their succes- 
 sors. A second time it seemed as if all that his painful labor 
 had accomplished would prove of no avail. It was all- import- 
 ant that this should be examined by each member, and it was 
 suggested by his friends that the only way this could be done,
 
 3C4 DISCOVERY OF KTIIKIJIZATION. [CHAP. XlX. 
 
 would be by getting the whole into print as soon as possible. 
 This Governor Davis and the chairman of the committee 
 strongly urged if he ever expected to get any committee to act 
 upon it. But the great difficulty lay in the great bulk of the 
 testimony, its want of arrangement, and the ]ate period in the 
 session, which would make it highly improbable that it could 
 ever be printed so as to be brought to the notice of this Con- 
 gress, and a delay or postponement might insure a failure. 
 
 On making inquiries about the city as to the possibility of the 
 attempt Dr. Morton found additional obstacles. The want of a 
 large enough force in any printing-office to do it in the required 
 time. That no one had sufficient type to put it all into print at 
 one time, which was necessary in order to admit ihe annota- 
 tions and references which would be needed. For upon these 
 he saw at once great stress must be laid, for he was to point 
 out the contradictory statements in the evidence of both his op- 
 ponents. That the expense would be very great, very probably 
 greater than he could then afford. Lastly, that his whole time, 
 and that of his lawyers would be required in arranging and an- 
 notating so as to allow him no leisure for any other affairs, or 
 any emergencies which might arise in his case. 
 
 "While pondering upon what course to take under the circum- 
 stances, Dr. Morton incidently heard a member of the House 
 of Representatives say to a friend in the lobby that Mr. Hamilton's 
 printing establishment with twenty hands was unemployed in 
 consequence of a broken contract of the government. 
 
 On inquiry, he found that this had formerly been the govern- 
 ment printing-house, and that a large supply of type was on 
 hand. Hastening over with his manuscript. Dr. Morton soon 
 made an arrangement, and by the afternoon, the whole estab- 
 lishment was working day and night in his employ. With such 
 celerity was this done, and the proofreading and corrections made, 
 that on January 21st, Governor Davis presented nearly a 
 thousand pages of printed testimony, and moved its reference to 
 the committee. But this was not done without great expense. 
 
 At this time it seems as if a coalition must have taken place 
 between the Jackson and Wells claims, so that united they could
 
 CHAP. XIX.] Morton's pl.\n to defeat opponents. 365 
 
 better crush out Morton's, for the Hon. Mr. Smith, the very 
 person who had so strenuously supported the claim of Dr. "Wells, 
 presented to the Senate a bundle of " documents in support of the 
 claim of Dr. Charles T. Jackson to be the discoverer of the use 
 of anaesthetic agents in surgical operations." Procrastination 
 was all that was desired. 
 
 Alarmed by the near approach of the close of the session, there 
 being only about thirty working days remaining, the committee de- 
 ciding that it would be impossible for them to examine such a mass 
 of controversial testimony, Dr. Morton determined to pro- 
 pose to submit his claim to the most severe judicial investiga- 
 tion, with a view of defeating the opposition of his opponents ; 
 hoping — on that basis — Congress would appropriate what it 
 should determine might be due to the discoverer, whoever he 
 might prove to be. Therefore, he presented each of them with 
 the following projet of a bill : 
 
 " An act to reicard, hy a national testimonial, the discovery of the means of pro- 
 ducing insensibility to pain in surgical operations and other cases of suf- 
 faring. 
 
 " Whereas a discovery has been made of the exist^noe of anaestlietic quali- 
 ties capable of being applied safely and certainly, and ■w'ith great utility, 
 to produce entire insensibility to pain, and thus enabling surgical and ob- 
 stetrical operations to be performed safely and without suffering, and of 
 the application thereof ; an-', whereas the Government of the United States 
 has had the benefit thereof in li^ilitary and naval service, and the free and 
 common use by the public generally ; and whereas a judicial inquiry seems 
 to be necessary to ascertain which of the three claimants hereinafter named 
 is justly entitled to be rewarded for the discovery aforesaid, be it therefore 
 enacted, <tc., as follows : 
 
 " Sec. 1. That the sum of or?c hundred thousand dollars is appropriated in 
 the hands of the Secretary of the Treasury, out of any moneys in the Treas- 
 ury not otherwise appropriated, as a remuneration for the use of the dis- 
 covery aforesaid, to be paid by the Secretary of the Treasury to one of the 
 claimants hereinafter mentioned, who shall, by legal and competent evi- 
 dence in the proceedings hereinafter provided, establish his claim thereto, 
 for and on account of the discovery aforesaid : Provided, That if W. T. G. 
 Morton, hereinafter mentioned, shall be declared by final judgment in the 
 proceedings hereinafter mentioned to be entitled to receive the fund hereby 
 granted, he shall, before receiving the same, execute and deliver to the Com 
 missioner of Patents a surrender of the letters-patent granted to him on the 
 twelfth day of November, in the year eighteen hundred and forty-eix.
 
 866 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. XIX. 
 
 "Sec. 2. That the district attorney for the United States for the district of 
 Massachusetts shall forthwith file in the Circuit Court of the United State s 
 for the district of Massachusetts, sitting in equity, in the name and in behalf 
 of the Secretar}' of the Treasury, a bill of interpleader, therein reciting this 
 act as the substance thereof ; the Secretary' of the Treasury', as stakeholder 
 of the fund hereby granted, shall be made complainant, and William T. G. 
 Morton, of Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, Charles T. Jackson, of 
 Boston, aforesaid, and the legal representative or representatives of Horace 
 "Wells, late of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, deceased, shall respect- 
 ively be made respondents ; in which suit the said Morton and Jackson and 
 the legal representative or representatives of said Wells shall litigate their 
 respective claims to receive the remuneration hereby granted for and on 
 account of the discovery aforesaid. And the said Circuit Court is hereby 
 authorized to take jurisdiction in the said cause, and determine the question 
 to Tvhom the reward shall be paid, by reference to the principles and anal- 
 ogies in which courts of equity having jurisdiction of patent-rights and 
 other equitable jurisdiction proceed, for which said court is authorized to 
 make all necessar}' orders therein, and to make a final decree, declaring 
 which of the said claimants is entitled to receive the said reward for and 
 on account of the discovery aforesaid. And for the final decree of the 
 eaid Circuit Court made in the premises, either of the other respondents 
 may appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States, which appeal shall 
 be taken, entered, prosecuted, and disposed of like other appeals from the 
 Circuit Court in equity cases. 
 
 •'Sec. 3. Ifeither of the said respondents, after due notice and summons, 
 shall fail to appear and put in an answer to said bill at the time that may 
 be prescribed by the court, the court shall proceed and adjudicate upon the 
 claim or claims of the other respondent or respondents who may have ap- 
 peared and answered as aforesaid." 
 
 This liberal proposition of Dr. Morton to invite judicial in- 
 vestigation would, it will be imagined, have met with a cordial 
 reception by those interested. But they well knew the weak- 
 ness of their respective positions. ]Mr. Smith declined, on the 
 ground that Mrs. Wells was unable to sustain the expense of liti- 
 gation, whereupon Dr. Morton offered (through the Hon. 
 Charles Chapman, Hon. Geo. T. Davis, and C. March, Esq.) 
 to either advance her in cash the means for such litigation, or to 
 defray the expense himself. This doubly liberal oflfer was de- 
 clined ! Dr. Jackson's attorney, in his behalf, also declined ! 
 They each sought darkness rather than light ! 
 
 This was all the more singular on the part of Mr. Smith, be-
 
 CHAP. IIX.] ANESTHESIA BENEFITS ALL BUT SIOETON. 367 
 
 cause this bill embodied in a much more satisfactory manner, the 
 substance of the very amendment which he had offered during 
 the previous session, and had afterward withdrawn. It shows 
 how false was his appai'ent wish to have his cause investigated, 
 and how true the supposition had been that in offermg it, he 
 merely desired to confuse the minds of the Senate by the con- 
 flicting character of the claims. If he had really and truly de- 
 signed to have the case of Mrs. "Wells examined fully by compe- 
 tent persona as his amendment proposed, what reason could he 
 suggest for opposing the same proposition as made in this in- 
 stance ? 
 
 " It is now more than six years," said the introduction of Dr. 
 IMorton to his chain of evidence which he had published, " since 
 the world received, at my hands, what I may not scruple to call 
 one of the greatest of physical blessings. Whatever attempts 
 may be made to throw doubt upon other points in the case, no 
 one has been reckless enough to deny that I alone have been, in 
 fact, the humble instrument through whom a beneficent Provi- 
 dence has conferred this boon upon mankind. Whatever floating 
 notions may have crossed men's minds from the earliest ages, 
 tending to the same end, it must be conceded that the world was 
 no whit richer for them until it fell to my lot to devote all my 
 energies and sacrifice all my means to its attainment. Now it is 
 fully attained. What was the dream of the philanthropist and 
 the half-formed conjecture of the scientific speculator, has be- 
 come a household fact. 
 
 " To me alone, of all the world, this result has been fraught 
 with suftering instead of comfort. Of pecuniary sacrifices I will 
 not speak ; but surely it was not to have been anticipated that 
 this discovery should have made me the target for the most ma- 
 licious and envenomed assaults. There are wounds which are 
 sharper than those of the surgeon's knife, and which, 
 
 ' Xot poppy, nor mandragora, 
 
 Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world,' 
 
 can make us feel less keenly. These have been my portion. I 
 trust that the reward is at hand. I look to you for justice :
 
 368 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XI.T. 
 
 While the question was under investigation by the select com- 
 mittee of the Senate, a pamphlet entitled, " An Examination ot 
 the Question of Anaesthesia," was printed and circulated among 
 members of either branch of Congress. " It was written," said 
 tlie Hon. Mr. Walker, chairman of the committee, *' by the Hon. 
 Truman Smith, a member of the committee, and had thus a 
 quasi-olficial character. And as, in my opinion, that paper pre- 
 sents a one-sided and partial view of the question, such as might 
 be expected of an advocate of easy faith in his client's cause, and 
 strong indignation against all who oppose it, and consequently 
 comes to a conclusion widely diiferent from that which a calm 
 and impartial consideration of the whole case would warrant, I 
 deem it an act of mere justice to the person who I believe has 
 the right, to present also the opinion which I have formed upon 
 the same points after a careful examination. 
 
 " The writer of that paper gives the whole merit of the dis- 
 covery of practical anaesthesia to the late Dr. Horace Wells, of 
 Hartford, Connecticut, and he denounces, in no measured terms, 
 as pirates and impostors, both the other claimants to that distin- 
 guished honor. He is especially bitter and abusive of Dr. Mor- 
 ton, whose character is above all reproach, and whose claim to 
 the contested prize is supported by very strong evidence, while 
 he shows some little forbearance toward Dr. Jackson, who has 
 failed in making out his claim. The strength of his denuncia- 
 tions against the respective parties, and the degree of villainy, 
 which he imputes to them, are in direct proportion to the strength 
 of their proofs. 
 
 ' ' I feel no interest or wish in this matter, except that the truth 
 may be arrived at, and right and justice done ; and that I may 
 discharge faithfully the duty which the Senate has imposed on 
 me by the reference, by endeavoring to obtain it, and present it. 
 And it is but fair to say, in the outset, that, after a careful exam- 
 ination of all the allegations and proofs to which 1 have had ac- 
 cess, my mind is made up — my opinion formed on the question — 
 aiid that I concur with the Board of Trustees of the Massachu- 
 setts Medicai Hospital in the opinion expressed in their report of 
 January 26th, 1848, and with the two committees of the House
 
 CHAP. XII. 3 THE COMMITTEE ADOPT MORTON's SUGGESTION. 369 
 
 of Representatives of 1849 and 1852, that Dr. W. T. G. Mor- 
 ton first discovered and brought into general use a safe, certain, 
 and efficient anesthetic agent, applicable generally to all dentri- 
 cal, surgical, and obste trical cases, and, that he is entitled to 
 whatever honor and reward are due to the discovery, and the 
 free and general use of it, by the army and navy of the United 
 States, by the country, and by the civilized world." 
 
 The able opinion of Mr. Walker was afterward incorporated 
 into the report of the committee to the Senate. It gave a review 
 of the whole question, and refuted clearly the calumnious state- 
 ments advanced by Mr. Smith. "Arguments like these," it says, 
 *' which have no foundation save in the positive imagination of 
 their coiner, show the real weakness of the cause they are intend- 
 ed to sustain, backed by gross libels and defamatory charges." 
 
 The committee made their report on the 19 th of February, 
 and it was ordered to be printed. Taking the suggestion of Dr. 
 Morton, as given in the projet of the bill handed to the other con- 
 testants, and his determination to take them at their word, and 
 secure a complete investigation whether they wished it or not, it 
 stated : " That in the opinion of the committee such a discovery 
 has been made, and that the credit and honor of the discovery 
 belong to one of the following persons, all citizens of the United 
 States, to wit : "William T. G. Morton, Horace Wells, deceased, 
 or Charles T. Jackson ; but to which of these persons in particu- 
 lar the discovery should be awarded, the committee is not unani- 
 mous, and consequently the committee is of opinion that this point 
 should not be settled by Congress without a judicial inquiry. 
 
 " But the committee has no hesitancy in saying, that to the 
 man who has bestowed this boon upon mankind, when he shall 
 be certainly made known, the highest honor and reward are due 
 which it is compatible with the institutions of our country to be- 
 stow. 
 
 "The means of safely producing insensibility to pain in surgi- 
 cal and kindred operations have been the great desideratum in the 
 curative art from the earliest period of medical science, and have 
 been zealously sought for during a period of more than a thou- 
 sand years. At various periods, and in various ages, hope has 
 
 IG*
 
 870 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XIX- 
 
 been excited in the luimrin breast that this great agent had been 
 found ; but all proved delusive, and hope as often died away, un- 
 til the discovery now under consideration burst upon the world 
 from our own country, and in our own day. Then, and not un- 
 til then, was the time-cherished hope realized that the knife would 
 lose its sting, and that blood might follow its edge without pain. 
 
 ''But for the committee to dilate upon the importance of this 
 discovery were futile indeed. The father or mother who has 
 seen a child, or a child who has seen a father or mother, upon 
 the surgeon's table, writhing and shrieking from pain and agony ; 
 the husband who has seen his wife suffering, perhaps dying, un- 
 der the undurable pangs of parturition, the extirpation of abreast 
 or cancer, or the amputation of a limb, while she appealed and 
 implored for help and ease wdiich he could not otherwise render ; 
 the commander who has seen his soldiers, and the soldier who has 
 seen his companion, sink, nervously shocked, to death from pain, 
 in the absence of this alleviation ; and the surgeon who is forced 
 to torture, while, perhaps, he weeps, can all more readily feel the 
 magnitude and blessing of this discovery than the committee can 
 describe it. Indeed, while the heart of man shall remain human, 
 or possess the power to pulsate in sympathy with human suffer- 
 ing, it would seem that none would deny it the meed of pre-emi- 
 nence among the discoveries of any age." 
 
 The report was accompanied by the elaborate opinion of Mr. 
 Walker, referred to above. 
 
 On the 25th of February the matter came up for discussion, 
 and at the request of the Select Committee, the Committee on 
 ]\Jilitary Affairs offered as an amendment to the Appropriation 
 bill, the proposed measure, by which $100,000 was to be paid to 
 the discoverer of this great boon for the alleviation of human 
 Buffering, and the saving of human life. The debate w^as a warm 
 one, many Senators participating, yet it is gratifying to record 
 the absence of all abuse of Dr. Morton, or defamation of his 
 peculiar claim. Most especially effective was the eloquent man- 
 ner in wliich Mr. Walker closed his remarks : 
 
 " If I could allude," said Mr. Walker, " to what brought me 
 immediately to know the value of this discovery, I might express
 
 CHA.P. XIX.] "let MaRTON ENFORCE HIS PATENT." S71 
 
 myself with more direct feeling than any other member of tho 
 Senate, for I know not whether any other member has had the 
 misfortune of having this great alleviation introduced into his 
 family circle. I have. I have seen a member of my family, 
 now dead, suifering under the surgeons knife, lying in a calm 
 and peaceful sleep, and yet undergoing one of the most torturing 
 surgical operations in the world. I felt at that day, rising in 
 my heart, the feeling that if God should ever give me the op- 
 portunity of manifesting my gratitude to the person who has 
 made this great discover}', I should do so- Tlie opportunity is 
 now offered. Whether the Senate will sympathize with me or 
 not, I know not ; but it is now for them to speak, and to decide 
 by their vote." 
 
 The objection on this occasion appeared to be one which had 
 been brought up against Dr. Morton, in an opposite direction, 
 previously. He had been denounced because he had patented 
 his discovery in order to restrain it from being used by improper 
 persons ; but he was now told that he should enforce his patent. 
 *' Let him," said Senator Norris, of New Hampshire, " enforce his 
 patent as other patentees do." 
 
 " As to this objection," said Senator Borland, " that Dr. Morton 
 has a patent and he should enforce his paten trright, I need 
 hardly remind the Senate that this is one of those cases where, 
 from the very nature of the circumstances, the rights of the 
 patentee cannot be enforced. You cannot go into the sick cham- 
 ber and arrest the surgeon in the performance of his professional 
 duty, and deprive a patient, who is on the verge of the grave, ot 
 a benefit from the application of a remedy, because it may in- 
 fringe the right of a patentee. And if you could, it is one of 
 those cases at which the feelings of every man would revolt. It 
 is one of those cases where you cannot enforce a patentee's rights. 
 You would have to go to the bedside of almost every sick man in 
 the country. Yon would have to follow your army and navy 
 surgeons throughout their whole course, upon the land and upon 
 the sea, and examine into every case where they have occasion, 
 in the alleviation of human suffering and the saving of human 
 life, to use this remedial agent."
 
 372 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. iix. 
 
 *' I regard the discovery," said Senator Butler, of South Caro- 
 lina, '* from its very sublimity, as one which cannot be subjected 
 to a patent. Yet it comes clearly within the spirit of the patent 
 laws; and if a man can have a security for his rights for what is tan- 
 gible. Dr. Morton ought to have some protection for that which is 
 more sublime, and above the tangible mode and subject of patents." 
 
 Senator Norris took an opposite view of the subject, conclud- 
 ing by saying : " It is patentable, and a patent has been issued 
 for it under the law%" 
 
 Quite a protracted discussion ensued, for which we have not 
 space in this work. " Whether this is a matter for a patent or 
 not," said Senator Hale, of New-Hampshire, " the government 
 is in the actual and positive enjoyment of it — therefore, if it is a 
 great benefit, if it is too sublime for the operations of such a 
 sublunary affair as the patent laws, then let us take a sublime 
 position, and compensate the man whose invention and discovery 
 we are using. If it is not too sublime for that, and if it does 
 pertain to the earth, and is earthy, let us deal with it in that 
 way, and recognize the established fact, that there is a patent- 
 right and that we are infringing it to-day in the army and navy, 
 virtually saying to Dr. Morton, ' You cannot sue us. ' No, sir ! 
 The United States have received the benefit of this discovery. 
 Everybody admits that is a great discovery ; everybody admits 
 that it is one of the greatest contributions to the cause of human- 
 ity which this age or any other has witnessed, and the world ac- 
 cords to this country the honor of the discovery. It seems to 
 me, that if it be such a great benefit, and we are using it, we 
 ought to make compensation for it." 
 
 The amendment was agreed to, by a vote of 26 to 23, and on 
 the first of March it came up in the Plouse of Representatives, 
 where the same objection was offered to it that had been raised 
 in the Senate. " Let these parties," said Mr. Woodward, *' pur- 
 sue their rights according to existing law^s. Let the patentee 
 prosecute his right if the patent is violated." 
 
 But an unforeseen incident, which unexpectedly arose, defeated 
 the amendment. A friend of Dr. Jackson, Mr. Stanly, of North 
 Carolina, moved to give the court power to divide the award, if
 
 COAP. IIX.) DEFEAT OF BILL IN THE HOUSE. 873 
 
 they thought proper, for distribution to the different parties in 
 such proportions as might be due to their respective merits in 
 connection with the discoveiy. This proposition INIr. Meade 
 thought Dr. Morton would accede to, but no sooner did he ex- 
 press such an opinion, than members cried out, " A bargain ! a 
 bargain!" Mr. Stephens, of Georgia, openly made the charge, 
 and, although it was indignantly denied, yet the impression could 
 not be removed at that exciting period of the session, then about 
 to terminate. It was then after midnight, and everything was in 
 a confused and disorganized state. The amendment of the Sen- 
 ate was non-concurred in, by a vote of 44 to 85. One long day 
 more, and the thirty-second Congress adjourned.
 
 374 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. !CHAP. XX. 
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 
 THE LAST DEFEAT 
 
 'Saucius cjurat pugnam gladiator et idem 
 Immemor antiqui vulneris arina capit. — Ovid. 
 
 At the commencement of the thirty-third Congi-ess, Dr. Mor- 
 ton again repaired to Washington, having been assured that the 
 bill he had proposed and worked so hard to secure the passage of 
 in the senate the session previous would now meet with no deci- 
 ded opposition in either house. He felt assured that if his op- 
 ponents had any confidence in their own claim, that they would 
 not make any opposition, because it would give them $100,000 if 
 they really were right, and he would have labored hard to put it 
 in their pockets ; but they still opposed, and the following prot- 
 est was laid on the members' table : 
 
 *' Protest of Dr. Charles T. Jackson, against the Bill providing fob 
 THE Recompense of the Discoverer of Practical ANiESTHESiA. 
 
 " To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of 
 America in Congress assembled : 
 
 " The •andersigned, your memorialist, has been informed that an attempt 
 ■will be made at the present session of Congress to appropriate one hun- 
 dred thousand dollars to the discoverer of practical anaesthesia, and to pro- 
 vide that the parties who claim this discover}' shall defend their rights in 
 the courts of the United States. 
 
 " Your memorialist invites the attention of your honorable bodies to the 
 
 report* of Messrs. Stanly and Evans on the ether discovery, made at the 
 
 first session of the Thirty-second Congress, and to the evidence therein 
 
 contained, proving that he has been recognised by the scientific -world, and 
 
 * Minority report.
 
 CHAP. XX.] LEGAL IXVESTIGATIOX DECLINED. 375 
 
 by the Academy of Sciences of France, as the nndisputed discoverer of 
 anjesthesia. 
 
 " Your memorialist represents, that although he has so vital an interest 
 in this measure, he has not been consulted in the framing of the proposed 
 bill, and has never, in any manner, assented to it. He asks no re^vard from 
 Congress for this discovery. He is satisfied with the judgment of men of 
 science as to his rights, and therefore earnestly protests against the pas- 
 sage of the proposed bill, -which -will compel him, against his -will, to 
 abandon his scientific labors, and to spend his substance and time in an 
 expensive and protracted litigation, to defend his rights of discovery in 
 courts of law, which cannot have proper cognizance of questions of 
 science. 
 
 " Respectfully submitted. 
 
 "Charles T. Jackson." 
 
 The Hon. Ethvard Everett, then a Senator from Massachusetts, 
 interested himself in the matter, and advised Dr. Morton to have 
 it referred to a select committee. " I would," wrote Mr. Everett 
 to Dr. Morton, " offer to report on it, but I am on four committees 
 and am really overwhelmed with business. It is, besides, quite 
 important for you to have the matter taken up by some adminis- 
 tration Senator." 
 
 Subsequently, however, Mr. Everett requested a copy of the 
 Army appropriation bill, which in its 21st and 23d sections con- 
 tained the amendments which had passed the Senate the previous 
 session. After a careful examination of it, Mr. Everett returned 
 the following favorable answer : 
 
 "Washington-, Jan. 19, 1854. 
 "Dear Sir : — I think the provisions of the 21st and 23d sections of this 
 bill reasonable and judicious, and I will cheerfully give them my support 
 in any way you think best. 
 
 "Yours, <tc. " Edward Everett." 
 
 Accordingly, on February loth, he presented the amendment 
 as a bill,* which was referred to the Committee on Military Af- 
 
 *A BILL to recompense the discoverer of practical anaesthesia. 
 
 Whereas, a discovery has been made, and is now in practice, whereby the 
 
 human body can be rendered safely insensible to pain in dental, surgical, and 
 
 obstetrical operations, by the use of what are commonly called anaesthetic 
 
 »gents, and the government of the United States has been and is in the en-
 
 876 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XX. 
 
 fairs. They but confirmed the thorough investigation of it which 
 had been already made in both houses of Congress, and reported 
 it back with some few amendments of a technical character, the 
 principal one being the addition of the clause printed in italics. 
 
 joyment of said discovery in the military and naval service ; and -whereas, 
 it is believed that the discovery was made by some one of the persons fol- 
 lowing, to wit : William T. G. Morton, Charles T. Jackson, each of Boston, 
 and Horace Wells, of Hartford, deceased ; but it does not appear, to the sat- 
 isfaction of Congress, which of those parties was the original, true, and first 
 discoverer thereof ; and whereas, Congress is willing to provide a recom- 
 pense for such discovery when ascertained : therefore — 
 
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
 States of America in Congress assembled, That the sum of one hundred 
 thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated, out of any money 
 in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be paid by the Secretary of 
 the Treasury, as hereinafter provided, as a recompense for said discovery, 
 and the use and benefit thereof by the government and people of the United 
 States. 
 
 Sec. 2. And be it fiirther enacted, That it shall be the duty of the district 
 attorney of the United States, for the northern district of New York, within 
 a reasonable time after the passage of this act, to file in the circuit court of 
 the United States for said district, sitting in equity, a bill of interpleader, 
 wherein, reciting this act, or the substance thereof, the Secretary of the Treas- 
 ury, as trustee of the sum herein appropriated, shall be complainant, and 
 the said William T. G. Morton, Charles T. Jackson, and the personal repre- 
 sentative or representatives of said Horace Wells, and any other person or 
 persons who may make application to the court for that purpose, shall be defend- 
 ants ; of which bill, they, the said parties, shall take notice, and may ap- 
 pear, -end answer, and make proofs ; and the said circuit court shall have 
 jurisdiction of said case, and the same shall be tried in the manner, and ac- 
 cording to the practice of such court, in equity cases ; and the issue therein 
 shall be, which one of the said parties first named was the original, true, 
 and first discoverer of the discovery hereinbefore recited ; and by final de- 
 cree in such case, the court shall decide that issue, and shall direct that the 
 said sum of one hundred thousand dollars, without any costs, shall be paid 
 over to the party who shall be found to have been such discoverer, or to his 
 personal representative or representatives or assignee : Provided, That if one 
 or more of said defendants shall conceive himself or themselves to be ag- 
 grieved by said decree, he or they may, within twenty days after the mak- 
 ing of the decree, appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States, and 
 thereupon the payment of said siim shall be suspended until final disposi- 
 tion be made of said ease by the said Supreme Court. And provided fur- 
 ther, That if it shall appear that either of said defendants holds a patent for
 
 CHAP. XX.] INTERLOPERS, 377 
 
 This bill was placed on the Senate calendar as No. 210, and 
 was not considered by that body as strictly a " a private bill," as 
 appears by a brief debate on the 7th of April, when Mr. Everett 
 made the inquiry. 
 
 On the 19th of April, Mr. Everett called the attention of the 
 Senate to the subject, and urged the Senate to reward the dis- 
 coverer of anaesthesia. But now, that Dr. Morton had gener- 
 ously admitted other claimants to stand with him (conscious that 
 he must succeed), a host of interlopers were introduced, one by 
 one. The names of Dr. Long, of Georgia, Dr. Justine, of New- 
 York, and a Dr. Dickinson, were added to those of Drs. Morton, 
 Jackson, and Wells, as coming in under the clause covering other 
 claimants. 
 
 AVhen all these amendments had been made (most of them, 
 too, by gentlemen who voted against the bill after it had received 
 their amendments), the final question was ordered to be taken 
 by yeas and nays. 
 
 Previous to this, Senator Brown presented an invincible argu- 
 ment for his vote in favor of it, which concluded thus : "That 
 the importance of the discovery may be known, as it stands in 
 my mind, I will simply remark, that for more than two thou- 
 sand years the world has been in search of this discovery. At 
 last it has been made. It is the most important boon, I think, 
 which has been given to mankind for many centuries. When the 
 Government has taken possession of it, and is using it without 
 pay, without compensation, and without acknowledgment to the 
 
 said discovery, or the means of applying the same, which, in the judgment 
 of said circuit court, is valid, then it shall be the duty of said court to cer- 
 tify such fact to the said Secretary, who shall thereupon withhold from such 
 defendant said sum, should the same be decreed to him by the said final de- 
 cree, until he shall have executed, under his hand and seal, an instrument 
 in writing surrendering such patent, and granting the free use of said dis- 
 cover}-, and the means of using or applying the same to the government and 
 people of the United States ; which instrument shall be lodged in the Pat- 
 ent Ofiicc and entered on the records thereof : Provided, That before the said 
 sum of one hundred thousand dollars shall be paid to either of the parties 
 named in this act, he shall make oath in due form of law that he has not 
 been guilty of collusion with either of the other parties named in this act, 
 in any way whatever.
 
 378 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP XX. 
 
 patentee, its acknowledged discoverer, I think we ought to pay 
 for it." 
 
 The bill was then passed, by a vote of 24 yeas to 13 nays. 
 
 Generally speaking, it is a somewhat difficult matter to have a 
 bill which has passed the Senate called up for immediate action 
 in the House, and only then by the personal efforts of some 
 member who has it in especial charge. Neither Dr. Morton nor 
 any of his friends, had any idea that the bill would be called up 
 in the. House for several weeks, during which time, it was hoped 
 that the documents which had had such a convincing effect in the 
 Senate could be laid before each member. 
 
 Neither was the bill, in strict parliamentary parlance, "a 
 private " one. This had been actually settled in the Senate on 
 the 7th of April, when the decision of the president p'o tern, to 
 that effect had been sustained. 
 
 But, on the second morning after its passage in the Senate, 
 and without any intimation, the .Speaker of the House of Kepre- 
 sentatives called it up, and laid it before the House. It was a 
 Friday morning, when scarce a quorum was present, and well 
 did Mr. Clingman, of North Carolina, ask : " How does the bill 
 get in ? Is it before us regularly f 
 
 The Speaker replied : '* This being private bill day, and the 
 chair conceiving it to be a private bill, laid it before the House. " 
 
 In vain did the few friends of Dr. Morton present, themselves 
 uncertain how to act, seek to have it referred to the Committee 
 on Military Affiurs. It had been thus brought up to be killed, 
 and killed it was expected to be. The only objection offered was 
 the multiplicity of claimants : " Messrs. Morton, Jackson, Nich- 
 olson, Wells, and others," as a member remarked, " are scattered 
 over the whole country. There is to be a bill of interpleader 
 filed in the circuit court of the northern district of New-York. 
 The Secretary of the Treasury is to be the complainant, as the 
 trustee of this fund, and these gentlemen are to be defendants. 
 They are to get together their witnesses and counsel there from 
 all sections of the Union, and to litigate this matter to their satis- 
 faction, and then this money is to be awarded to them, and the 
 Government is to pay the costs of that adjudication. I would
 
 CHAP. XX.] LAST DEFEAT. 379 
 
 infinitely prefer that either of the committees of the House 
 should, at once, decide the question, and give the money, right 
 or wrong, for it would be a saving to the country." 
 
 Alas, this had already been done by committee after com- 
 mittee ; yet now the more judicial decision, which had been 
 quoted as so desirable, was set aside, and Dr. Morton was told, 
 upon the floor, to "maintain his patent-right under the laws of 
 the United States." 
 
 'What little discussion there was, did not last but a few mo- 
 ments. Debate was strangled, and the bill Avas laid on the 
 table by a vote of 80 yeas to 46 nays. Not content with this, 
 and to make his opposition doubly sure, a member from Tennes- 
 see moved " to reconsider the vote by which the bill was laid 
 upon the table, and to lay the motion to reconsider upon the 
 table." The purpose was accomplished. 
 
 The manner in which Dr. Morton comported himself during 
 this, his third and severest trial, is well shown by a letter writ- 
 ten by his wife to an intimate friend in Boston, with whom 
 her husband had been in the habit of corresponding almost dai- 
 ly during every month of his residence at Washington, and to 
 whom he was under the greatest obligations : 
 
 ♦' VVAsniNGTON, April 2ith, 1854. 
 " I have offered to write to you to-day for the Doctor, for indeed he feels 
 too sick at heart to write himself. You, of course, have seen by the papers 
 that his bill was lo.st in the House ; I do not know that his hopes for the 
 future are lost, but his feeling of disappointment no wis terrible. He says, 
 that he feels he has done everything he could do, and yet this misfoi'tune 
 has followed him. We had much reason to hope for success ; it passed the 
 Senate with but little trouble and came up in the House; it was an unfor- 
 tunate day. The speaker took up the bill about ten minutes after the 
 House met, with a view to refer it, when Mr. Jones and Mr. Hamilton see- 
 ing there was no one about to take an interest in it, moved, first to get it 
 away from the committee, and not succeeding, moved to lay it on the table, 
 which was done. Col. Bissell came in too late to do anything effectually 
 about it, and what few members were there who knew anything about it, 
 were ignorant what direction should be given to it. The House was in 
 bad humor and neglected almost everything ; indeed, the friends of the bill 
 could not obtain the floor to do it justice. I was not present, fortunately 
 for myself, and I could not have believed had I not been told by those in
 
 380 DISCOVERT OP ETHERIZATION. fCHAP. xi. 
 
 whom I can trust, the manner in which it was managed. It is said to be a 
 matter unknown for the Speaker to go to the business on the Speaker's 
 desk without a motion from a member. Ithas created quite a fracas for iis 
 here. It is a sad disappointment to us. Doctor's health is so injured by 
 such anxiety and excitement that I feel in no manner reconciled. I think 
 you can appreciate Doctor's feelings in not writing to you to-day. Do not 
 think he is disheartened or entirely discouraged, for he would not admit 
 that. 
 
 AVith this sad disappointment ended all attempts of Dr. Mor- 
 ton to procure a national recognition of his merits through the 
 medium of Congress. During eight long and weary years, he 
 had been engaged at the cost of health, time, money, and every 
 comfort for which we value life, industriously vindicating his 
 claims to that national gratitude which his friends urged Con- 
 gress to grant, and which, as we have shown, was only defeated 
 by accident, personal hostility, or jealous revenge. During this 
 period his life had been one arduous mental struggle. Forced 
 into the turmoil of legislative anxiety, with all its hopes and 
 fears — its display of passions and emotions — Dr. Morton re- 
 ceived no pecuniary reward, but the record of Congressional pro- 
 ceedings has many a page (between 1846 and 1855) emblazoned 
 with the story of his self-sacrifices in behalf of suffering humani- 
 ty. To perfect and extend his discovery was the ruling passion 
 of his soul, to which he dedicated every power of his mind, 
 every pulsation of his heart. Here was the secret of his success 
 in enlisting the sympathy of powerful friends, even when his 
 enemies loaded him with abuse. The unselfish manner in which 
 he had abandoned a lucrative profession, and even risked his 
 life, to introduce a blessing to suffering humanity, ha.d only to 
 be narrated by him to reach the hearts of his auditors. No man 
 who has appeared before the magnates of the land ever dis- 
 played more fearless enthusiasm; no man ever possessed the 
 unfeigned friendship of so many of the good and the great, 
 the gifted and the gay, who congregate at Washington. 
 
 Yet it is equally evident that, throughout this almost decade 
 of Congressional struggle, it was Dr. Morton's delight to retire 
 whenever a moment of leisure could be had, or the exigencies of 
 his case did not forbid the idea of pleasure, to the quiet fields of
 
 CHAP. XI.] ETHERTON. 381 
 
 the Etherton estate, and there enjoy the placid solitude of do- 
 mestic life, out of the turmoil of metiopolitan companionship. 
 Agricultural labor was his recreation ! In the activity of his 
 body did the energy of his intellect fmd its support and its rest. 
 The barren pastures became, under his management, fertile fields 
 and fruitful orchards, "while around him were comfortably settled 
 his parents and other relatives. Leaving the stormy arena of the 
 Capitol, he could gaze around upon the quiet loveliness present- 
 ed by the face of creation, and find calm enjoyment at the home 
 of his affections. 
 
 In 1850, the agricultural society of Norfolk county, in which 
 Etherton farm is situated, was instituted by the Hon. Marshall 
 P, Wilder, and others who were the personal friends of Dr. Mor- 
 ton. Under their fostering influence a spirit of agricultural in- 
 quiry was aroused, which led practical as well as amateur far- 
 mers to such information on those natural laws and principles 
 upon which depend the full development of agricultural re- 
 sources. 
 
 No one would have supposed that Dr. Morton, who naturally 
 sought at his country-seat relaxation from the professional duties 
 of the city, would have been willing to enter into agricultural 
 investigations. Yet he was no sooner solicited to lend his aid 
 to the advancement of the objects of the county society, than he 
 entered into it with zeal ; he was elected a trustee of the society, 
 and to committees of the highest importance. Its published 
 transactions show the results of his careful observations on the 
 different breeds of cattle and swine, with the food best calcula- 
 ted to increase their value ; on the various fertilizing substances, 
 and the best methods of applying them ; on the circumstances 
 and requirements that are essential to enable esculent roots to 
 take up and assimilate the elementary principles that are essen- 
 tial to their vitality and growth ; on the advantages of under- 
 draining ; in short, he gave the results of his practical expe- 
 rience, illuminated by the light of science. 
 
 The premiums awarded to Dr. Morton, at different times, by 
 the State and Norfolk County Agricultural Societies, not only 
 bear testimony to his own superiority of culture, but to the ne-
 
 382 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XX. 
 
 cessity for science in this primitive vocation ; in fact, there is 
 no pursuit which requires more scientific investigation. So re- 
 markable were these premiums, that, to give the reader some 
 idea of his taste and skill in his agricultural pursuits, we 
 quote them entire, in a note below, from the records of the 
 Norfolk Society, for the year 1855.* It was by studying 
 the laws of those chemical changes which take place in 
 fertilizers and soils, and their influence on vegetation, from 
 
 * First premium of $20 to Dr. Morton, of Needham, for the most 
 valuable and economical improvements in the cultivation and manage- 
 ment of the farm entire during the year. 
 
 State Premium. — For the best dairy of not less than six cows, which 
 shall be owned by the exhibitor, and kept within the county not less than 
 five months previous to the cattle show. First premium awarded to Dr. 
 W. T. G. Morton, of Needham, $75. 
 
 Butter — Only one specimen of a lot of forty pounds, waa offered, for 
 which the committee awarded a premium of $20, to Dr. W. T. G. Morton 
 of Needham. 
 
 To "W. T. G. Morton, for the best pair of farm horses, a premium of $10. 
 
 Dr. W. T. G. Morton, of Needham, for his fine Alderney bull. 
 
 Jerseys. — First premium to Dr. "W. T. G. Morton, of Needham, for his 
 cow "Beauty," $5. Jerseys — Second premium to Dr. Morton for his cow 
 " Dairy Maid," $3. Ayrshire — Second premium to Dr. Morton, of Need- 
 ham, for his cow " Hornet," $3. Durham — First premium to Dr. Morton. 
 Grade — Second premium to Dr. Morton, of Needham, for his cow " Blos- 
 som," $3. 
 
 Milch Cows with written Statements. — First premium to Dr. Morton 
 of Needham, for his cow ""Woodbine," $10. Second premium to Dr. 
 Morton for his cow " Fanny," $8. Third premium to Dr. Morton for his 
 cow " Nonesuch," $6. Fourth premium to Dr. Morton for his cow "Chal- 
 lenge," $4. 
 
 To W. T. G. Morton, of Needham, first premium of S3, for Jer- 
 sey heifer, eighteen months old. To W. T. G. Morton, of Needham, first 
 premium of $3, on the best heifer under one year old, Alderney. 
 
 On swine, second premium of $5 to W. T. G. Morton, of Needham. 
 For the best breeding sow, first premium of $6 to "W. T. G. Morton, oi 
 Needham. For the best weaned pigs, first premium of $5 to "W. T. G.^Mor- 
 ton, of Needham. 
 
 Best lot of geese, to Dr. W. T. G. Morton, $3. Second best lot of Tur- 
 keys, to Dr. Morton 82. Best lot of hve fowls, to Dr. Morton, $4.
 
 CHAP. XX.] RETURN TO NEW-ENGLAND RECEPTION. 383 
 
 the germination of the seed to the maturity of the crop, that 
 Dr. Morton based his much talked-of crops of esculent roots. 
 
 It was by a careful attention to the laws of animal physiolo- 
 gy, that he carried on a series of experiments, directed by scien- 
 tific research into the nutritive value of substances for food, that 
 he so perfected different races of live-stock, as to have his ani- 
 mals sought for all over the United States. And it was doubt- 
 less a source of true enjoyment to the proprietor of "Etherton," 
 while engaged in the stormy conflict of professional controversy, 
 to retire to his well-tilled domain, and there — while reviving the 
 memories of his childhood's home among his household treas- 
 ures — to feel that he was (by the fruit of his scientific researches) 
 redeeming labor from drudgery, while quadrupling its efficiency, 
 and crowning the earth with plenty. 
 
 Immediately after one of the unsuccessful applications alluded 
 to, Dr. Morton received notice that it was the desire of a few of 
 his friends in Norfolk county, to meet him at Etherton, his 
 country-residence, upon his return home. On his arrival his 
 heart was made more than full, by meeting with the President, 
 Vice-President and Secretary of the National Agricultural Society, 
 Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, B. V. French, and Wm. S. King, sev- 
 eral of the clergy, and members of the medical profession, making, 
 with others, a numerous company. While they were exchanging 
 congratulations, and going over the grounds, taking a survey of 
 the fine stock and crops of the Etherton farm, a repast was 
 promptly prepared, consisting, to the surprise of all, entirely of 
 the products of the farm, furnishing ample evidence, as was re- 
 marked by gentlemen present, that Dr. Morton was no less skill- 
 ful in the cultivation of the soil, than in the other branches of 
 business which had engaged his attention. Mr. Wilder, in his usual 
 happy manner, at the head of the table, toasted the discoverer 
 and agriculturist, which brought out remarks from the company 
 expressive of the sentiments that had brought them together, and 
 showed Dr. Morton that however cold the hearts of Congressmen 
 might be, it was quite otherwise with his friends and neighbors. 
 
 While his health was recuperated by the quiet joys of rural life. 
 Dr. Morton brought his high powers of mind to a scientific ob-
 
 r 
 
 384 DISCOVERY or etherization. [chap. XX. 
 
 servation of nature, which enabled him to indu'ge profitably in 
 the mysteries of modern agriculture. Every new process or 
 novel theory was accurately estimated, and then, if deemed wor- 
 th}-^, executed with an exactness and care which enabled him to 
 win high premiums, and higher encomiums, from the agricultural 
 committees which sat in judgment on his system of tillage, his 
 crops, his flocks, and his herds. As a sample of the manner in 
 which these committees had occasion to speak of Dr. Morton's 
 agricultural management, we give the following extract from the 
 report of the committee on farms, submitted to the Norfolk 
 County Agricultural Society, at their annual exhibition in 1855: 
 
 "Members of our committee visited the farm of Dr. "W. T. 
 G. Morton at West Needham. The statistics, and a very full 
 description of the doctor's estate, were published in the transac- 
 tions of last year, and Dr. Morton has evinced his energy and 
 public spirit by the improvements that he has made upon hi? 
 place — by the fine stock that he has purchased and bred — by the 
 convenient and comfortable stables and other farm edifices that 
 he has erections, and by the unsurpassed contributions that he 
 makes to our annual exhibitions." 
 
 Much of the success of the Norfolk agricultural exhibitions 
 were dependent upon the appearance of Dr. Morton's stock, and 
 the least backwardness brought out immediate requests like the 
 following : 
 
 * Dr. Morton- : 
 
 " Why don't we hear from the fine milch cows and Jersey stock, for our 
 exhibition ? Let us have the entries at once, so as to secure good pens. 
 
 "Marshall P. "Wilder. 
 
 "Send the glorious Suffolk pigs, also." 
 
 Many pleasant accounts of this rural paradise have been 
 written by literary personages who have enjoyed Dr. Morton's 
 hospitality ; but none give so perfect an idea of it as the fol- 
 lowing, by Mrs. S. J. Hale. Having known Dr. Morton 
 when lie was a lad, earnest in the pursuit of scientific knowledge, 
 under difficulties, Mrs. Hale has ever taken a deep interest in 
 his welfare. This is her description of a visit to Etherton Cot- 
 tage in 1853:
 
 CHAP. XX.] VISIT OF MRS. HALE TO DR. MORTOX. 385 
 
 **West Needham, notwithstanding its poor prosaic name, is 
 really a pretty, pastoral-looking place, surrounded by low, wooded 
 biliS, protecting, as it were, the fine farms and orchards, and the 
 pleasant dwellings, everywhere seen in the valleys and on the 
 uplands around. In twenty minutes after leaving the bustle of 
 Boston, if the cars make good speed, you will reach this rural 
 scene, where Nature still holds her quiet sway, except when the 
 steam-horse goes snorting and thundering by. 
 
 "Here, in the heart of this still life. Doctor Morton, some fifteen 
 years ago, selected an uncultivated lot, covered with bushes, 
 brambles, and rocks, and by his own science and taste, and the 
 strong arm of Irish labor, he has formed a home of such finished 
 beauty as would seem to require, at least, in its gardens and 
 grounds, a quarter of a century to perfect. His grounds slope 
 down to the railroad embankment ; but a plantation of young 
 trees, and on the height above, thick gi'oves of a larger growth, 
 hide the buildings from view as the cars pass on this great route 
 from Boston to the West. From the station it is a pleasant 
 drive through the shaded and winding way as you ascend the 
 rising grounds to the South. Suddenly turning a shoulder of 
 the knoll, Etherton Cottage is before you. The effect was fine, 
 and what made the scene more interesting to us was the presence 
 of another cottage nestled near by, smaller but equally pleas- 
 ant-looking, where we knew Dr. Morton's good parents re- 
 sided. Here they live as one household, and from the win- 
 dows of Etherton Cottage may be seen the country dwelling of 
 another member of the family, a sister, now happily married to 
 Dr. George H. P. Flagg, of Boston. 
 
 " We might give a long description of these pretty cottages 
 and beautiful grounds, but words are wasted to little purpose in 
 landscape or architectural descriptions. So leaving the walks, 
 arbors, flowers, and fountidns, we will introduce you at once to 
 I\Irs. Morton, a lady whose attractions and merits we had heard 
 much praised while in Washington last winter. She is, indeed, 
 one of those true women who seem born to show that Solomon's 
 old picture of a good wife and mother may now be realized. 
 The doctor seems very fond and proud of her, as he may well be 
 17
 
 886 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. ZX 
 
 and their children — the eldest a girl of nine, the youngest a boy 
 of three years, with a brother and sister between — formed a 
 lovely group of more interest to us than all the ' superb views* 
 around. So we will just tell you, dear reader, of the family 
 and their home pursuits, as these were revealed to us during that 
 interesting visit. 
 
 " We should say here that Dr. Morton has relinquished his 
 profession, and now passes his summers entirely at this country 
 residence, and his winters in Washington, where he hopes soon 
 to gain from Congress some reward for his great discovery of 
 etherization. When this is granted, he intends visiting Europe, 
 where he is urgently invited by the savans of the Old World. It 
 will be a triumph for Young America to send forth a man so 
 young, who has won such distinction. It seemed but a few years 
 since we first saw Willie Morton, a clerk in the publisher's office 
 where our own magazine was issued ; and now we were his guest, 
 in his own elegant dwelling, surrounded by every requisite of 
 happiness. 
 
 " His country life is just what it should be, devoted to rural 
 pursuits and filled up with plans of home improvements. You 
 only feel the presence of his inventive genius by its active opera- 
 tion on the material world around. Not a word is heard of 
 * chloroform' or * ether' at Etherton Cottage ; but various con- 
 trivances for obviating all defects or difficulties in bringing his 
 domain into the perfect order he has planned, meet you at every 
 turning, and all sorts of odd combinations appear, which, when 
 understood, are found to contribute to the beauty or utility of the 
 whole. In short, everything useful is made ornamental, and the 
 ornamental is made useful. 
 
 *' Then the Doctor has a passion for surrounding himself with 
 domestic animals. This we like ; it makes a country home more 
 cheerful when dumb dependants on human care share the abun- 
 dance of God's blessings. So after dinner we went to the barn 
 to see the ' pigs and poultry.' This barn, fronting north, was 
 quite a model structure, built on the side of the sloping ground, 
 combining, in its arrangements, rooms for the gardener (an Eng- 
 lishman) and his family, and the barn proper, where the horse
 
 CHAP. XI.] LOVE FOK DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 387 
 
 and cow had what a young lady called * splendid accommoda- 
 tions.* There was also a coach-house and tool-room, a steam- 
 engine room where fodder was cut up, and food — that is, grain 
 of several kinds — ground for the swine and poultry ; also a fur- 
 nace where potatoes were steamed. The water was brought by 
 hydraulic machinery from a brook at the bottom of the grounds 
 for use in the barn, and everything was managed with scientific 
 skill and order. 
 
 " The arrangements for the poultry were very elaborate. Their 
 rooms were the first floor at the back or southern front of the 
 barn ; of course, half underground. This lower story had a lat- 
 tice-work front, and within Mrs. Biddy had every accommoda- 
 tion hen-life could desire. Into these apartments the troop were 
 allowed to enter at evening through a wicket opening in this 
 southern front ; but in the morning the poultry all passed out 
 into the northeastern portion of the grounds allotted them, where 
 was a pool of water for the water-fowl, and a fine range for all. 
 
 " Still, the green field at the south, the running brook, and the 
 eventide meal, made them all eager to rush in whenever the gate 
 between the two portions of their range was opened. It was 
 this rush we went to witness. 
 
 " "We stood in the main floor, near the southern or back door 
 of the barn, which overlooked the green field ; the little gate 
 opened, and such a screaming, crowing, gabbhng ensued, and 
 such a flutter of wings, that for a few minutes it was nearly 
 deafening. A pair of Chinese geese led the way of this feather- 
 ed community. These geese, a present from the late statesman, 
 Daniel Webster, to Dr. Morton, who prized them accordingly, 
 were entirely brown, of large size, carrying their heads very 
 high, and walking nearly upright ; they sent forth shouts that 
 made the air ring. They seemed to consider themselves the 
 Celestials, and all beside inferiors. Next, came a pair of wild 
 geese ; one wing cut, and thus obliged to remain in the yard, 
 they had become quite tame ; but still, their trumpet call seemed 
 to tell their love of freedom. These, too, were brown, with 
 black heads, and long lithe necks, that undulated like the mo- 
 tions of a snake, with every movement. Very unlike these were
 
 388 DISCOVERY OK ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. XX. 
 
 the next pair of snow-white Bremen geese, stout, fat, contented- 
 looking creatures, only making the usual gabbling of geese which 
 are well to do in the world. Among the varieties of the duck 
 genus were several of the Poland species ; snowy white, except 
 the vermilion-colored spots on the head, that look like red seal- 
 ing-wax plasters round the eyes. These ducks made a terrible 
 quackery. But the domestic fowl was the multitude ; there ap- 
 peared to be all kinds and species, from the tall Shanghais, that 
 seemed to stalk on stilts, to the little boat-like creepers that 
 move as if on castors. It was a queer sight, such an army of 
 hens and chickens, rushing hither and thither, to pick up the 
 grain scattered for their supper. And then the pride of the old 
 peacock; he just entered with the rest, then spread his heavy 
 wings and flew up to the ridgepole of the barn, where he sat 
 alone in his glory. It was, altogether, a pleasant sight. 
 
 "But within the barn was a lovelier spectacle. From the 
 centre beam hung a large rope, its lower end passing through a 
 circular board, about the size of a round tea-table ; four smaller 
 ropes passed through holes near the edge of this round board, at 
 equal distances, and were united with the large rope several 
 yards above, thus forming four compartments, with the centre 
 rope for a resting-place. In these snug spaces were seated the 
 four beautiful children, like birds in a nest, swinging every way 
 in turn as the little feet that first touched the floor gave im- 
 pulse. 
 
 *' It was a lovely picture of childhood made happy by parent- 
 al care for the amusements of infancy- The father's genius had 
 designed that swing to give pleasure, as it had discovered the 
 elixir for pain, by taking thought for others. With both Dr. 
 Morton and his amiable wife, the training of their little ones 
 seemed the great subject of interest. The children were well gov- 
 erncd, this was easy to see, and thus a very important point in 
 their instruction was made sure. They were also made happy 
 by every innocent and healthful recreation. Their future destiny 
 seemed the engrossing object of their parents' minds ; to bring 
 up these little ones in the fear and love of the Lord, their most 
 earnest desire.
 
 roAP XX.] " LOVE-WARMED HOMES IN AMERICA." 389 
 
 ** During the evening, the topic of education was the chief 
 
 one discussed, and we parted from this interesting family fully 
 assured that the good old Puritan mode of uniting faith in God 
 with human endeavor was there understood and acted on. Miss 
 Bremer might find, at Etherton Cottcge, a charming illustration 
 of her * love- warmed homes in America.' "
 
 390 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. LOHAi. JCXI 
 
 CHAPTEE XXI. 
 
 ACTION OF THE EXECUTIVE. 
 
 "The Circumlocution Office was the most important department under government. 
 This glorious establishment had been early in the field ; when the one sublime principle 
 involving the difficult art of governing a country was first distinctly revealed to states- 
 men. It had been the foremost to study that bright revelation, and to carry its shining 
 influence through the whole of the official proceedings. Whatever was required to be 
 done, the Circumlocution Office was beforehand with all the public departments in the 
 art of perceiving— now kot to do it," — lAUU Dorrit. 
 
 Annoyed and discouraged by the vacillating and capricions 
 conduct of Congress, Dr. Morton was left by its last action com- 
 pletely at a loss what step next to take. The short debate which 
 had ensued in this last session upon the presentation of his bill, 
 showed him that an entirely diiFerent basis for argument had been 
 taken from that which had been adopted at any of the previous 
 sessions. At these, any remuneration to him had been refused, 
 because the genuineness of his claim was disputed — because, as 
 there were several contestants, too much doubt existed in the 
 minds of a majority of the members as to the propriety of pay- 
 ing so large a sum to one man, until his right to it had been 
 established more clearly to their satisfaction. But now it seemed 
 as if convinced by the uncontrovertible character of his arguments 
 and the multiplicity of his proofs, and also by his proposition to 
 put the question to a fair test, by letting the consideration be 
 taken from them and away from any influence which he might 
 have to guide the decision, and be placed within the jurisdiction 
 of a court of law, they had concluded to dodge the issue by 
 another quibble. It was obvious that the majority were willing 
 to acknowledge him the discoverer, and were content that he should 
 reap any honor from it possible ; but when it came to showing 
 their belief by a pecuniary recognition, it was another affair. If a 
 way could be found by which the benefits of the discovery could 
 be retained by the United States, and all payment avoided, it
 
 CHAP. XXI.] WHEN THE GOVERNMENT WILL PAY. 391 
 
 must be done. It was simply the course pursued by many a 
 private individual who, having plenty of money, has plenty of 
 us-e for it, and finding it so valuable, is very little inclined to 
 part with it without a struggle. If called upon for the payment 
 of a demand, he finds it much to his advantage to put it off until 
 the last moment, fighting the claim, month after month, by every 
 legal trick, and by careful investments receiving a large interest, 
 until at last, there being no possibility of longer prolonging, he 
 pays the principal and the small interest allowed by the law. 
 
 The ground taken by Congress in this last refusal was that 
 before suggested by Mr. Smith. It left, before any payment was 
 necessary by the United States, two questions to be decided, both 
 of which required the slow movements of the law. The first : 
 Is the patent which has been issued, valid ? The second : If valid, 
 can anything be recovered from the government, as a govern- 
 ment, from its infringement? 
 
 Let him "enforce his patent, like all other patentees, if he 
 wishes anything," was the cry, *' and when it is done, and judg- 
 ment is rendered in his favor, and if compelled, and it is judged 
 expedient, then the government will pay — ^but not before. This 
 will be done, not as a reward to him, not as a stimulus to the 
 ingenuity of others, not as an act of justice — but simply because, 
 caught stealing like any common thief, and brought before the 
 bar of justice, we must pay the fine imposed upon us for the 
 misdemeanor ; or if, looking upon our medical servants who do 
 the infringing, not as belonging to us in their capacity as med- 
 ical men, a judgment is procured against them — we must let 
 them suffer the consequences of their indiscretion, and pay the 
 penalty as private individuals. If this is done, however, and we 
 are legally restrained, we may then condescend to pay Dr. Mor- 
 ton a fair price, in order to procure the right to use his property, 
 which cannot be procured in any other way." 
 
 It is a glorious creed, and one well worthy an intelligent, pros- 
 perous, wealthy countiy like our own. A young and growing 
 land, where the brains and the genius of her people are so neces- 
 sary for her future greatness and advancement in all that is use- 
 ful in science and art, such an inducement is at once ofiered to
 
 392 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XXI. 
 
 an inventor to bring his discovery, if it is purely of public utility, 
 to the notice of the government, when he knows in advance, 
 that to procure any remuneration for any appropriation of it in 
 the public service, he has only to prosecute and secure the fine 
 from just as many private individuals as the government has offi- 
 cers bearing the same name/'^' 
 
 The following indignant tirade shows what effect the broach- 
 ing of this creed produced upon the minds of some in Washing- 
 ton : " It is hardly credible — but the fact is so — that it should 
 be suggested that the officers of the government, and not the gov- 
 ernment itself, should be required by the discoverer to make 
 compensation for the use of his discovery. Will any honest man 
 deliberately set up such a defence as this ? How does the gov- 
 ernment act but by its own officers ? For whose benefit, in whose ser- 
 vice, do these medical officers use the discovery. Certainly not 
 for their own benefit, or in their own service, but in the public ser- 
 vice and for thep)ublic service. They are the mere agents of the 
 government. Who furnishes them with the means of using the 
 
 * The singular reasoning of some of the members in forming this decis- 
 ion and the shifts to which they were driven to find a loop-hole in which to 
 creep out, and thus escape giving a favorable solution to the question, is 
 shown by the following intelligible and consistent note. The italics were, 
 of course, added by the writer of this work in order that the force and 
 simplicity of the argument may be more perfectly comprehended by the 
 reader : 
 
 " House of Representatives, 1st July, 1854. 
 " Gentlemen : Dr. Morton has requested me to sign a protest, subscrib- 
 ed by many members of Congress, requesting you to purchase the right to 
 use for the army and navy, the ansssthetic agents, for which he holds a 
 patent, or to direct the surgeons of the army and navy to abstain from its use. 
 I have declined to sign the protest, and in bo doing take this occasion to 
 express my opinion, that as a general rule, the government ought not to be per- 
 mitted to infringe on the rights of any patentee, for the benefit of the govern- 
 ment. 
 
 " I am, with respect, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 "Hon. Jeff. Davis, Sec. of War, 
 " Hon. Jas. C. Dobbin, Sec. of the Navy.'* 
 
 The obvious conclusion i^ that this case belongs to the rule which is not 
 general.
 
 CHAP. XXI.] ARTFUL DODGERS TAKEN AT TUBU. WORD. 393 
 
 discovery, and takes the benefit of this use of it ? "Would 
 any private man be listened to for a moment, if under such cir- 
 cumstances he should condescend to shift his responsibility upon 
 his agent ? Such a pretense cannot seriously be thought of as 
 admissible. Besides its monstrous injustice to the discoverer, it 
 would be most discreditable to the government, as toward its 
 own officers, in attempting to thrust them into personal liability 
 for an act done for the public service, and by the public author- 
 ity, an attempt which would be as futile as disreputable." 
 
 The chicanery and meanness of this reasoning disgusted many 
 of the friends of Dr. Morton. Finding that he was at a loss 
 what to do, they advised him to take these " artful dodgers " at 
 their word, and understand the directions given him in their literal 
 signification, viz., as they had told him to enforce his patent — to 
 do it. The first step, they said, was to protest against the use ot 
 it in the novernment service, and demand its abolition, as, per- 
 haps, this act alone might bring the government to terms, and pre- 
 vent any further trouble. Among the strongest advocates of this 
 plan of protest, indeed, the one who first suggested it was the 
 Hon. Mr. Stephens, of Georgia, who had always before been one 
 of the bitterest opponents of Dr. Morton's claim upon Congress, 
 upon the ground of a reward, and had always asserted that the 
 only recompense that could ever be justly given, was the in- 
 fringement of the patent. He now, for the same reasons, advised 
 this course, saying, that " he considered a patent right as sacred 
 as private property, and would exert his influence as far as any 
 one to prevent the government from pirating." 
 
 Doubts existed in the minds of some as to whether the patent 
 was valid, from its covering too much ground, from its being a 
 new application of a well-known substance rather than a fresh 
 discovery, and because since the time of his securing it other 
 substances had been applied to the same purpose, which had not 
 been mentioned in his specification, and the very existence of 
 which he had not known at the time of making the demand. 
 Others feared that if it was pressed by law, he could not get a 
 judgment in his favor, because he had thrown open the use of his 
 
 17*
 
 394 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP XXI. 
 
 discovery to the -world, and had neglected for so many years to 
 restrain its use in the public service. 
 
 In order to meet a contingency of this kind, Dr. Morton, 
 shortly after procuring his patent, had drawn up by Messrs. 
 Keller and Greenough, of Washington, an argument which set 
 forth the reasons why the patent should hold good. This paper 
 was carefully examined by Mr. Webster, who appended to it the 
 following certificate : 
 
 " I concur in the foregoing opinion entirely, entertaining no doubt that 
 Dr. Morton's discovery is a new and useful art, and as such the proper sub- 
 ject of a patent. " Daniel 'Webster." 
 
 " Feb. 19th, 1847." 
 
 Wlien this question was first raised before Congress, a few 
 years later, the matter was again reviewed by Mr. Carlisle, who, 
 immediately beneath the certificate of Mr. Webster, wrote the 
 following note: 
 
 "I have examined the question of the patentability of Dr. Morton's dis- 
 covery of the anaesthetic properties of ether, and its applicability to sur- 
 gical operations, and entertain no doubt as to the validity of the patent, or 
 his exclusive title thereto. "J. M. Carlisle." 
 
 " Washington, January, 1852." 
 
 Not satisfied with these evidences alone. Dr. Morton, as soon 
 as this issue was again offered, requested some of the first jurists 
 of the United States to go carefully over the subject, and review 
 it, with especial reference to these very objections. This was 
 fully done, and beneath the two certificates above given three 
 more were added. 
 
 " Boston, May 17, 1854. 
 "Having long since carefully considered this question, I do not hseitate 
 to concur in the opinion expressed bj' Mr. "Webster. 
 
 " Geo. T. Curtis."* 
 
 "Boston, May 12^^,1854. 
 "The discovery of the anaesthetic properties of the vapor of sulphuric 
 ether, and the practical application thereof for the production of insensi- 
 bility to pain, during the performance of surgical operations upon the 
 * Curtis on Patents.
 
 CHAP. XXI.] yrBA-T DR. Morton's patent covers. 395 
 
 human body as described in the letters patent of the United States to Dr. 
 Wni. T. G. Morton, are in my opinion the proper subject matter for a pat- 
 ent. " William Whiting." 
 
 " Boston, Maij ISth, 1854. 
 " I concur entire m the opinions expressed by Mr. Webster, Mr. Curtis, 
 and Mr. Whiting, and in the conclusions of the argument of Messrs. Keller 
 and Greenough. " R. Choate." 
 
 But in addition, Mr. Whiting and Mr. Curtis furnished two 
 new and most elaborately prepared written opinions, which con- 
 sidered some of the opposing arguments which had arisen later 
 in the controversy, more particularly as to whether the patent 
 covered all anaesthetic substances, as well as sulphuric ether. 
 Tlie two extracts from their opinions give the main arguments 
 in support of his position, and show their belief. 
 
 Mr Curtis wrote : 
 
 •' In the case before you, the claim of the patentee covers the 
 new effect or result of a state of insensibility to pain in surgical 
 operations, produced by the application of etheric vapor to the 
 lungs ; and that vapor is directed to be obtained from a sub- 
 stance known as ether, which is a class comprehending several 
 varieties. Now, it will not be by a mere change of the techni- 
 cal name of the substance employed, or by the use of what the 
 Chief Justice calls 'a known equivalent power,^ which does not 
 essentially vary the mode of operation, that the charge of infringe- 
 ment can be escaped. If by the inhalation of etheric vapor, or 
 * a known eqnivalent power,' as the means of producing insen- 
 sibility to pain in surgical operations, such operations have been 
 performed without pain, the new effect or result covered by the 
 patent, has been produced by what the law regards as the same, 
 or substantially the same means." 
 
 " The means,'' wrote Mr. Whiting, described by the patentee, 
 by which his improvement in the art of surgery, is effected, or car- 
 ried out in practice, is, the application of a r.omhinaiion of the va- 
 por of ether with atmospheric azr, directhj " through the lungs and air 
 passages,'' by inhalation. He declares that various descriptions 
 of ether may be used, although he prefers sulphuric ether as the 
 best.
 
 896 DISCOVERT OF ETUERIZATION. [CHAP. XXI 
 
 *'The means described include the vapor of even/ species of ether, 
 and of every other article which is essentially the same as 
 ether, however manufactured, or by whatever name it is known 
 to the scientific world, if it produces the same result, by tlie same 
 mode of application and operation, and is the same in its ele- 
 mental or essential composition as ether. 
 
 " CJdoroform is one of the Ethers, and is classed among them 
 in the leadiug dispensatories of the United States. 
 
 *< In this case, tlie essential, elemental, and effective agent 
 in producing the anaesthesia is the alcohol ; whatever acid 
 you distill it with, it is still ait ether. One species of acid, is 
 on the whole, the best ; all acids answer more or less perfectly. 
 It cannot deprive the inventor of the honor or the fruit of 
 his invention to show that he had not tested eveiy possible 
 application of the great law he enunciated to the world, so 
 long as it is clear that he first discovered and promulgated 
 that law, and showed the mode of its application. To con- 
 cede to Dr. Morton the highest merit, and the amplest re- 
 ward, does not deprive Dr. Simpson of the credit due to him for 
 following the path after the eminent American had pointed the 
 way. It will not detract from the just applause due to those 
 who may hereafter add to the number of aniesthetic agents, by 
 testing the application of alcohol distilled with acids, not men- 
 tioned in the patent, and not even now known to chemists. But 
 so long as anaesthesia is produced by the application of alcohol, 
 distilled with any acid, in such a way as to constitute what is 
 known to chemists as an ether, substantially in the manner and 
 for the purposes set forth in the patent, so long will the improve- 
 ment IN THE ART OF SURGERY, as described and claimed by the 
 patentee, be practically applied and used, and Dr. Morton is not 
 the less entitled to the liberal consideration of the government 
 because he has made an improvement capable of still further 
 development, and of producing benefits to mankind, which, 
 however great, cannot yet be fully appreciated." 
 
 Fortified by these opinions, and thinking that a short time 
 only would be required to bring the case to adjudication, and 
 that this once done, it only remained for him to have his claim
 
 CHAP. XXI.] DR. MORTON'S PROTEST. 397 
 
 established by the decision of the court to procure from the 
 Government that recompense -u'hich had been so long delayed, 
 Dr. Morton determined to take the course laid down for him. 
 He accordingly prepared and issued the following protest. This 
 paper was taken by some of his friends and examined, and on 
 its being returned, he found that it had been endorsed by a large 
 majority of both the Senate and House of Eepresentatives, so 
 that, in point of fact, it was made a Congressional recognition ot 
 his position. 
 
 PROTEST AND CONGRESSIONAL ENDORSEMENT. 
 
 " To his Excellency the President of the United States, and the Hon. 
 The Secretary of War, The Secretan/ of the Navy, and The 
 Secretary of the Treasury of the Vnited States : 
 "The undersigned, WilHam T. G. Morton, M. D., respect- 
 fully represents and makes known — That he, the undersigned, is 
 the original and first discoverer of Practical Ancesthesia, and 
 that he holds the letters patent of the United States for said dis- 
 covery, and for certain means of applying the same ; which said 
 letters-patent bear date the twelfth day of November, in the year 
 1846, and do grant to the undersigned and his assigns, for the 
 term of fourteen years from the date thereof, the exclusive right 
 and liberty of using, and vending to others to be used, the said 
 discovery of Practical Anaesthesia; to which said letters patent 
 of record in the United States Patent Office, he respectfully re- 
 fers. 
 
 " The undersigned, from motives which must be apparent from 
 the nature of the subject, and relying upon the justice and mag- 
 nanimity, first, of his own government, and then of all other 
 civilized governments, has not hitherto exercised his legal rights 
 by suits at law for damages, or injunctions to prevent the use of 
 a discovery which has happily proved so beneficent to humanity. 
 Nor would he now take any step by -way of departure from his 
 previous course, but that his forbearance is sought to be turned 
 to his disadvantage, and objection is made to granting compensa- 
 tion by an act of Congress, on the ground that he ought to en- 
 force his right under his patent against the officers of the United
 
 398 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XXI. 
 
 States using his discovery in the military, naval and marine 
 service, and against all persons violating the same. 
 
 " These considerations have determined the undersigned to 
 adopt this course. He therefore, with great reluctance, respect- 
 fully asks, that the encouragement given to private individuals 
 to violate his patent, through the non-observance thereof by the 
 government itself, may be no longer continued, and that the 
 honorable secretaries will either purchase the right to use said 
 discovery in the respective branches of the public service, or that 
 they will immediately issue the necessary orders to the medical 
 officers and others under their official control to desist from further 
 infringing his patent right in the premises. 
 
 " Wm. T. G. Morton, M. D. 
 
 "Washington, June 15, 1854." 
 
 " The undersigned members of the Senate and House of Rep- 
 resentatives, concur in recommending that the right to use Dr. 
 Morton's discovery, commonly called ' Practical Ancesthesia,' be 
 purchased for the public service, or that the use thereof be dis- 
 continued, because the government is manifestly bound by its 
 own patent, duly issued, to respect the said discovery as private 
 property, and because ^private property ' ought not to be * taken 
 for pub Lie use without Just compensation.^ ''^*' 
 
 This was followed, as will be seen, by one hundred and fifty 
 signatures. Of these, Mr. Mallory, Mr. Seward, and Mr. Wel- 
 ler, signed under the following qualification : *' I respectfully 
 suggest that the patentee of the anaesthetic agent, known as Dr. 
 Morton's discovery, should receive from the United States a 
 liberal compensation for their past and future use of it." 
 
 UNITED STATES SENATORS. 
 
 Tennessee. — .James C. Jones, John Bell. Iowa. — Geo. "W. Jones. Ala- 
 bama. — ]3en. Fitzpatrick, C. C. Clay, Jr. Mississippi. — A. G. Brown, S. 
 Adams. Illinois. — James Shields, J. D. Bright. Wisconsin. — J. P. Walker, 
 Henry Dodge. Kentucky. — J. B. Thompson. Rhode Island. — Charles T. 
 James, Philip Allen. Maine. — J. "W. Williams, H. Hamlin. Massachusetts. 
 — Charles Sumner, Julius Rockwell. Pennsylvania. — James Cooper. Cali- 
 
 * Constitution United States, Amendment, Article V.
 
 CHAP. XXI.] CONGRESSIONAL ENDORSEMENT OP PROTEST. 899 
 
 fomia.— John B. Weller, TV. M. Gwin. Maryland.— J. M. Clayton. Ar- 
 kansas. — 'W. K. Sebastian, R. TV. Johnson. Texas. — Sam Houston. New- 
 York. — "William H. Seward. Kentucky. — Arch. Dixon. Louisiana. — J. 
 P. Benjamin. Ohio.—B. F. TVade, S. P. Chase. Florida.— 8. R. Mallory, 
 A. C. Dodge. 
 
 REPRESENTATIVES TO CONGRESS. 
 Maine. — Samuel P. Benson, Samuel Mayall, E. TV. Farley, I. TVashburn, 
 Jr., T. J. D. Fuller. Massachusetts.— Samuel H. TValley, Alex. De T\"itt, 
 Charles TV. Upham, Thomas D. Eliot, J. Z. Goodrich, N. P. Banks, Jr., 
 Edward Dickinson, J. TV^iley Edmands, Samuel L. Crocker. Vermont. — 
 Alvah Sabin. Rhode Island. — B. B. Thurston, Thomas Davis. Neiv-York. 
 — Thomas TV. Cumming,T. R. TVestbrook, JohnTVheeler, Gerrit Smith, Peter 
 Rowe, TVilliam M. Tweed, Charles Hughes, G. Dean, Jared V. Peck, R. TV. 
 Peckham, Bishop Perkins, Henry Bennett, George Hastings, A. Oliver. 
 New-Jersey. — A. C. M. Pennington, George Vail. Louisiana. — Roland Jones. 
 Pennsylvania. — Hendrick B. Wright, Thomas B. Florence, TV. H. TVitte, 
 Asa Packer, Ner Middleswarth, John Robbins, Jr., TVilliam Everhart, Jos. 
 R. Chandler, J. Glancy Jones, C. M. Straub, C B. Curtis, Thomas M. Howe. 
 Maryland. — Jacob Shower. Delaware. — G. R. Riddle. Ohio. — H. H. John- 
 son, Thomas Richey, Lewis D. Campbell, TV. R. Sapp, J. R. Giddings, Ed. 
 TVade, M. H. Xichols, J. S. Harrison, J. L. Taylor, A. Harlan. Illinois. — 
 TV. A. Richardson, James Knox, E. B. TVashburne, J. 0. Norton, John TVent- 
 ■worth, Richard Yates, J. C. Allen, TVillis Allen. Michigan. — H. L. Stevens. 
 North Carolina. — Sion H. Rogers, TV. S. Ashe, R. C Puryear, John Kerr, 
 H. M. Shaw. South Carolina.— James L. Orr, P. S. Brooks, TV. TV. Boyce, 
 L. M. Keitt. Georgia. — D. A. Reese. Alabama. — James Abercromie, TV. 
 R. Smith, J. F. Dowdcll, P. Phillips. Florida.— A. E. Maxwell. Missis- 
 sippi.— 'William Barksdale, TVilliam S. Barry, D. B. TVright, TV. P. Harris, 
 O. R. Singleton. Missouri. — Samuel Caruthers, M. Oliver, John G. Miller, 
 James J. Lindsley, A. TV. Lamb. Arkansas. — A. B. Greenwood. Tennes- 
 see.— F. K. Zollicoffer, TVilliam Cullom, Em. Etheridge, R. M. Bugg, Fred. 
 P. Stanton, N. G. Taylor, TVilliam M. Churchwell. Kentucky.- John C. 
 Breckinridge, TVilliam Preston, L. M. Cox, R. H. Stanton, John M. Elliot, 
 James S. Chrisman, C. S. Hill. Michigan. — D. Stuart. Wisconsin. — Ben. 
 C. Eastman, John B. Macy, Daniel TV^ells, Jr. Indiana. — Daniel Mace. 
 Iowa.— Bevnhavt Henn, J. P. Cook. Texas.—?. H. Bell. California.— J. 
 A. McDougall, M. S. Latham, T. S. Russell. 
 
 This protest, in manuscript, with the signatures, was handed to 
 the President by Col. Orr, of South Carolina, the present Speaker 
 of the House. To each of the departments a printed copy was 
 sent. A short time after this the following note and inclosed 
 communication was received :
 
 400 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XXI. 
 
 **Navt Department, 
 " Jw/y 25, 1854. 
 " Sir :— The printed docximcnts, d'C, having relation to anaesthetic agents, 
 which were left bj you at the department, were referred to Surgeon Whelan, 
 Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, who has returned them with 
 a letter containing some general expressions of the value and importance of 
 such agents in medicine and surgery, a copy of which you will find inclosed, 
 together with the printed papers referred to. 
 
 " I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 "T. C. Dobbin. 
 " W. T. G. Morton, M. D., 
 
 *' National Hotel, Washington, D. C." 
 
 *' Navy Department, Bureau of Med. and Surgery, 
 
 " July 24, 1854. 
 
 «' Sir : — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communi- 
 cation of the 21st inst., covering sundry printed documents on the subject 
 of anaesthetic agents, submitted to the Xavy Department by Dr. Morton, in 
 which ' my views touching the subject-matter presented ' are requested. 
 
 " "Without desiring to involve myself in the controverted point of the 
 discovery of anaesthetic agents, the objects of the department in its refer- 
 ence of the subject to this bureau, may possibly be subserved by some gen- 
 eral expression of their value and importance, and the almost universal em- 
 ployment of these agents under different names, but nearly identical in 
 effect and mode of administration, in a vast proportion of grave injuries 
 and painful diseases. 
 
 " So general is the use of ansesthetic agents, such is the confidence of the 
 professic^i in the uniformity and safety of their effects, that medicine and 
 surgery would be divested of one of their ablest allies, if any circumstance 
 should arise to deprive them of the employment of a class of pain-destroy- 
 ing agents whose popularity and appreciation keep pace with their diffu- 
 sion. I regard the discovery of anaesthesia as one of more importance in 
 many senses than any of those triumphs of genius which have conferred im- 
 mortality and fortune on their authors, for it alone interests every condition 
 and calling of humanity, and is as wide-spread in its application as the pri- 
 mal cause of pain, which it so effectually destroys. 
 
 " I believe there is scarce an intelligent physician or surgeon in either 
 hemisphere who has not had occasion to use these agents, and whose judg- 
 ment does not indorse their value. 
 
 '• Sulphuric ether was adopted in the navy soon after the discovery of its 
 peculiar properties ; it still continues to be largely used, and for some years 
 has formed an item in the ' allowance table of medicines.' 
 
 " In one of the documents accompanj'ing your communication, a report 
 by a select committee of the House of Hepresentatives, first session, thirty- 
 second Congress, pages 86 and 98, will be found two communications from
 
 CHAP. XXI.] BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGEET. 401 
 
 the then chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, -w^hich so fully em- 
 body my own opinions of the value and importance of anaesthetic agents, 
 that I respectfully invite your attention to them. In the same document, 
 pages 102, ct seq., are recorded the commendatory opinions of numerou3 
 medical officers of the navy. 
 
 " The character of anscsthetic agents seems now to be settled beyond dis- 
 pute ; their great importance in medicine and surgery is recognized by a 
 unanimity of opinion rare indeed in medical matters ; for throughout the 
 profession anaesthesia is not inaptly hailed as one of the greatest boons con- 
 ferred by science on suffering humanity. 
 
 " To estimate the pecuniary vaUie of such a discovery, if I am called upon 
 to do so, is not so easy a matter. If the action of the British Parliament 
 in the case of Jenner, one of closest analogy, be received as a standard of 
 judgment, the sum of one hundred thousand dollars, the amoxmt named on 
 several occasions by Congress, does not appear to me to be beyond the "woith 
 of this only panacea for most of the ills that flesh is heir to. 
 " Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 "W. "Whelan. 
 " Hon. J C. DoBBix, 
 
 " Secretary of the iYary." 
 
 This lett3r and the papers referred to were placed in the hands 
 of Mr. Ash, Senator from South Carolina, who waited upon the 
 Secretary of the Navy, to know what steps should next be taken, 
 and what his wishes and intentions were for future proceedings. 
 To his inquiries the Secretary replied, that from the communi- 
 cations he had received, he was satisfied of the value of the dis- 
 covery, of the fact that it was extensively used in the navy, and 
 that a patent had been issued, but the question with him was as 
 to the validity of the patent. For information on this point, he 
 said he wished to refer to the Attorney-General, and then if his 
 opinion was favorable, that he was ready to pay his proportion 
 for the past infringement and the future use. He suggested 
 that, as the protest given him was printed, Dr. Morton should 
 write a statement of what he wished, and the manner in which 
 it would be the most pleasing for him to have the matter consid- 
 ered ; adding, also, as the protest simply enjoined against the use 
 of the discovery, that if the patent was offered for sale to tho 
 department, another form of document would have to be em- 
 ployed.
 
 402 DISCOVEEY OP ETHERIZATION. [cHAP XXI. 
 
 According to this suggestion, Dr. Morton at, once prepared 
 and sent the following letter : 
 
 ""Washington City, July 2Qth, 1854. 
 " Hon. James C. Dobbin, 
 
 " Secretary of the Navy : 
 
 *' The undersigned respectfully represents that he is the true and only 
 proprietor of the discovery of practical anaesthesia, and as conclusive evi- 
 dence of that fact, he herewith presents his letters patent, which he is ad- 
 vised and believes are issued in due form, and in strict compliance with the 
 law. 
 
 " The undersigned is advised and verily believes, and so charges the fact 
 to be, that the surgeons of the navy habitually use this agent in their pub- 
 lic practice, in total disregard of the acknowledged legal rights of the un- 
 dersigned. 
 
 " The foregoing facts being trie, the undersigned respectfully, but earn- 
 estly, appeals to the Secretary of the Navy, to interpose his official authori- 
 ty for the protection of his individual rights, this being his only remedy 
 against the use of his private property in the public service. 
 
 •'The undersigned proposes to sell to the Secretary of the Navy, the 
 right to use the aforesaid agent in perpetuity for a reasonable compensa- 
 tion. 
 
 " The undersigned has not undertaken to restrain the U. States surgeons 
 in the use of this agent, first, because he thought the cause of humanity 
 required its use, and secondly, because he has been unable to engage in 
 interminable lawsuits with the Government. But the undersigned has 
 never doubted that justice, though tardy, would ultimately reach him. 
 The discovery was made in 1846, patented to the undersigned the same 
 year; and now, in 1854. after eight years' delay, during all of which time 
 the surgeons of the U. States have used the agent, without restraint, the 
 undersigned comes forward, and asks for that justice to which he knows 
 he is entitled, and which he is well satisfied a just and generous Govern- 
 ment will not deny him. 
 
 " Respectfully, your ob't serv't, 
 
 " W. T. G. Morton." 
 
 At the same time that the reference was made by the Secre- 
 tary of the Navy to the Medical Bureau, the communication 
 which had been handed the Secretary of "War was referred by 
 him to the Medical Bureau of the Army, as is shown by the fol- 
 lowing reply : 
 
 " Surgeon-Genkral's Office, July 17th, 1854. 
 
 "Sir : A communication addres^sed to the President of the United States, 
 and to the Secretaries of War, of the Navy, and of the Treasury, by Wil-
 
 CHAP. XXI.] LETTER FROM SURGEON-GENERAL. 403 
 
 liam T. G. Morton, M. D., in -wliicli the writer, after representing that he 
 holds letters patent of the United States, for the discovery of " Practical 
 Anaesthesia," requests that the right to use that discovery in the puhlic 
 service be purchased, or that orders be issued to the medical and other ofla- 
 cers under Government control, to desist from further infringing his 
 patent right, having been referred to me for a report, I have the honor to 
 submit the following remarks : 
 
 " The great importance and value of practical anaesthesia has been recog- 
 nized and admitted by physicians and surgeons throughout the civihzed 
 world. For my own views on this point, and for evidence that washed 
 sulphuric ether and other antesthetic agents are regularly supplied to, and 
 used by the medical officers of the army, you are respectfully referred to 
 the inclosed copy of a communication, addressed by me to Dr. Morton, on 
 the 1st of March, 1852, and your attention is also invited to the printed 
 copies of communications from the late Chief of the Bureau of Medicine 
 and Surgery in the navy, and other physicians and surgeons of distinction 
 which are to be found in one of the pamphlets accompanying the present 
 memorial of Dr. Morton. 
 
 " Confining my remarks more particularly to the special subject now pra- 
 sented by Dr. Morton, I have to state, that if it should satisfactorily ap- 
 pear to those having the ability and the authority to decide that the letters- 
 patent held by Dr. Morton, do really cover the exclusive right of using, 
 and selling to others to be used, those anesthetic agents which have been 
 successfully introduced into the practice of medicine and surgery for anaes- 
 thetic purposes, it would seem that the government of the United States, 
 is bound in virtue of a provision in the Constitution to that effect, as well as 
 in justice, to pay Dr. Morton for the use of his property heretofore, and 
 either to desist from the further employment of those articles in the pub- 
 lic service for anaesthetic purposes, or to acquire the legal right to their use 
 by purchase. 
 
 " It appears on examination of a paper appended to Dr. Morton's com- 
 munication, that 32 Senators and 118 members of the House of Represen- 
 tatives ' concur in recommending that the right to use Dr. Morton's dis- 
 covery, commonly called ' practical anaesthesia,' be purchased for the pub- 
 lic seiwice, or that the use thereof be discontinued, because the government 
 is manifestly bound by its own patent, duly issued, to respect the said dis- 
 covery as private property, and because ' private property' ought net to 
 be ' taken for public use without just compensation.' 
 
 "Presuming that the army, navy and commercial marine of the United 
 States will not be debarred from all participation in the benefits arising 
 from a discovery which has been pronounced, and in reaUty is, ' one of the 
 greatest boons ever given to suffering man ;' it maybe proper, though I 
 am not specially instructed so to do, to furnish some data upon which an 
 estimate of the amount, which in my opinion, the patentee may reasonably
 
 404 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CFAP. XXI 
 
 demand from the government for the past and future use of anaesthetic 
 agents in the army, navy, marine corps, and marine hospitals of the United 
 States. 
 
 "The British Parliament bestowed upon Dr. Jenner, the discoverer of 
 vaccination (to which the discovery of practical anesthesia may properly 
 be compared) the sum of thirty thousand pounds. The Select Committee 
 of Congress, who have had this subject under consideration, have recom- 
 mended that the sum of one hundred thousand dollars be appropriated to 
 Dr. Morton for the privilege of using the discovery. 
 
 " In both of those instances, it was intended, I believe, by the Govern- 
 ments respectively, to give benefits of the discovery to the world. 
 
 " Without, then, going into a calculation of the amount of compensation 
 to be furnished from each branch of the public service, it is respectfully 
 suggested ' that the sum of one hundred thousand dollars, as proposed by 
 the Select Committee of the House of Representatives and also by tl\e 
 military and naval committees of the Senate, be awarded to the patentee for 
 all his right in the premises, and that the benefits of the discovery be given 
 to the world at large. 
 
 " I have the honor to be, very respectfully, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 " Thomas Lawsox, 
 " Hon. Jeff. Davis, Sec. of War." " Surgeon-General. 
 
 Supposing that their reference for an opinion would be made 
 by the Secretary of the Navy to the Attorney-General at once, 
 Dr. Morton concluded to have some person confer with that 
 official, who was more cognizant with the true merits of the case 
 than any one then in "Washington. He accordingly notified the 
 Hon. Rufus Choate, who came at once to Washington. On ar- 
 rival, and visiting Mr. Gushing, Mr. Glioate was surprised to find 
 that the matter had not been referred to him, as expected, and, 
 on prosecuting his investigations still further, found that this had 
 not been done, because the Secretary of War claimed priority of 
 examination on account of the manuscript protest handed the 
 President having been sent to him by that official before the Se- 
 cretary of the Navy. Official etiquette demanded that he should 
 be the first to reply; when, if the same manuscript protest was 
 referred to the Navy Department, the reply, now ready, could be 
 at once returned to the President. 
 
 Th| Attorney- General, Mr. Gushing, however, introduced Mr.
 
 CHAP. XXI.] LETTER FEOM KUFUS CHOATE. 405 
 
 Clioate to the Secretary of War. At the request of the secretary, 
 Mr. Choate set himself to work to prepare a written opinion of 
 the legal merits of the case. This carefully prepared document 
 required some time for its completion, and, of course, was not 
 done but at great expense. AYlien finished it was dispatched to 
 its destination with the accompanying note : 
 
 ''Washington, August ith, 1854. 
 ** Hon. Jefferson Davis, Secretary of War : 
 
 " Sir : I have thought it might so much facilitate the reading of the ar- 
 gument which you were kind enough to consent to receive from me, to 
 print it, that I have done so, and in that form have the honor to transmit 
 it. It is longer and less finished than I could have wished, but I am quite 
 sure no imperfection in the statement of the case will prevent your pa- 
 tiently examining, and justly searching it. If difiiculties occur to your 
 mind in the course of the inquiry, which counsel could in any degree as- 
 sist, in your judgment, in removing, I should be most gratified for an op- 
 portunity to make a supplomentaiy suggestion thereon. 
 
 " It will be seen that I have confined myself strictly to the legal rights 
 of Dr. Morton on the patent. lu this view an infinite quantity of collateral 
 matter is left untouched intentionally, not inadvertently. I have supposed 
 it quite in course that the justice of government should either abstain from 
 infringing it, or adequately compensate for its use. If he has not he ought 
 to expect nothing from the Executive. Under this aspect, the rules of dis- 
 cussion which should govern and limit his advocate in a court of legal or 
 equitable justice, ought to limit and govern him before that high tribu- 
 nal whose judicial functions he invokes, and to whose judicial knowledge 
 he submits his cause. 
 
 ** I have the honor to be, 
 
 "Your obedient servant, 
 
 " RuFUs Choate." 
 
 The expectations which Dr. Morton liad formed from this 
 protest to the Executive, and the result which he hoped would 
 follow from an establishment of the validity of his patent, to 
 the satisfaction of the Departments were, that the several De- 
 partments would purchase of him the right to use the discovery, 
 out of money appropriated for hospital purposes, each paying a 
 fairly estimated proportion. In this belief he was borne out by 
 previous cases analogous to his own, where the want of a parti- 
 cular article being imperative, it had been purchased without the
 
 406 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. XXI 
 
 necessity of any special action of Congress.* All money appro- 
 priated for the use of the Departments, and not used within 
 two years from the date of the appropriation, is returned to the 
 treasury. By examination Dr. Morton had found that the 
 navy appropriation for the two sessions of '51-52, '52-53, "for 
 surgeons' necessaries and appliances for the sick and hurt of the 
 navy " had been $74,900, of this sum there was then left unused, 
 $30,000. For the same time the army appropriation "for the 
 medical and hospital departments," was $103,670, of which 
 §37,000 was then remaining unused ; consequently, at that mo- 
 ment, in those two departments alone, there was lying, for any 
 use, the sum of $67,000. As he only anticipated that each 
 should pay a proportion, there was nearly as much in these two 
 as was required to purchase his whole patent. 
 
 Shortly after the rendition of the opinion by Mr. Choate, 
 knowing that a little time would be required for the deliberation 
 of the Executive, satisfied with the assurances given, and feeling 
 sure that he would be officially notified of any fresh movement 
 or change of opinion. Dr. Morton left Washington, and return- 
 ed to Boston. 
 
 * List of patents purchased by the War Department, and used in the 
 
 army of the United States : 
 
 Thomas Blanchard, For the use of several machines for turn- 
 ing or cutting irregular forms, constituting in the whole 
 •what is generally known as the Gun Stock Turning Ma- 
 chine $18,921 50 
 
 J. H. Hall, For the right to make and use his patent breech- 
 loading rifle and carbine, and all the machinery for making 
 the same 37,553 32 
 
 Dr. E. Maynard, For the right to make and use his improved 
 lock and percussion priming for small arms, and to apply 
 the same to muskets 74,000 00 
 
 J. B. Hyde, For the right to make and use H. Hale's patented 
 
 war rocket, to an unlimited extent for the public service. . . 10,000 00 
 
 «S. Mower 4- W. H. Scovillc, For the right to make and use 
 
 Gates' patent dies for cutting screws 750 00 
 
 Long's Bridge Patent, For the privilege 850 00 
 
 Total $144,074 82
 
 CHAP XXI.] PROCRASTINATIONS. 407 
 
 Through the rest of that summer, until the fall, he waited 
 quietly but anxiously, expecting each day to receive some dispatch ; 
 but time passed, and none came. At last, from the state of inde- 
 cision and inaction in which he lived, he found he could bear the 
 suspense no longer, and again left for Washington, to see if upon 
 the ground he could not procm'e some more decided and satisfac- 
 tory information. But this he found not to be the case; Con- 
 gress had adjourned, no one was there to whom he could apply, 
 and after several days of fruitless search, he was about to return 
 home in despair, when in the latter part of October he learnt 
 from a reliable source that the matter had been referred by the 
 Secretary of War to Professor Henry of the Smithsonian Insti- 
 tution, for information on certain scientific points, but especially 
 as to whether chloroform should be considered as an ether, and 
 consequently included under the patent. 
 
 Satisfied with this, and the expectation that the answer of 
 Prof. Henry would soon be rendered, and that at last all the 
 doubts of the War Department would be settled to its satisfac- 
 tion. Dr. Morton again returned to his home to wait for the 
 communication. But he waited in vain ; no letter was received ; 
 and, tormented by a thousand conflicting fears and doubts, he 
 concluded t'hat his wisest plan would be to go back and stay at 
 Washington, as at least if he could not hurry up the cumber- 
 some movements of the body, he could at least feel sure that he 
 should learn all that could be found out, and in consequence be 
 more tranquil in mind than when living in his present state of 
 suspense owing to his distance from the spot. 
 
 But tbe same obstacles to procuring any information existed at 
 this as at his last visit, as these references were to a certain ex- 
 tent informal, and for private information he could not learn 
 what he wished except by going directly to the parties them- 
 selves, which he of course did not wish to do, for fear of injuring 
 his cause. Weeks past, until through a mutual friend of Prof. 
 Henry and himself, he learned that the delay was occasioned by 
 no report of the chemical questions having been returned, owing 
 to a belief in the mind of Prof Henry, that when his reply to 
 the questions was wished, it would be officially demanded by tho
 
 408 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XXL 
 
 Secretary of War, and also by the perplexing troubles which 
 had just before occurred in the affairs of the Smithsonian Insti- 
 tution, and for the examination of which a special committee 
 had been appointed by Congress. 
 
 By the aid of the same friend these difficulties were soon 
 smoothed over, and at last, in February, 1855, Prof. Henry 
 handed in his report. This being favorable to the claim of Dr. 
 Morton, he supposed his troubles ended ; but no! Lo and behold, 
 it was necessary that other points should be settled to the satis- 
 ftxction of the Secretary of AVar, and another reference was con- 
 sequently necessary. This time it was for information on some 
 legal points, and the reference was made to Major Lee, the 
 judge advocate of the army. With true military promptness, 
 this gentleman, interpreting the request to investigate the ques- 
 tion as meaning him "to do it" at once, examined the matter, 
 and returned his answer to the queries as quickly as it could be 
 properly done. We do not know whether this alarming celerity 
 of movement astonished and disappointed the Secretary of War, 
 or whether its singularity and novelty rendered him desirous of 
 emulating the example. The astonishing fact remains for the 
 satisfaction of all those who hereafter may desire to secure an 
 answer from a department, that within a very few days the 
 original reference was returned to the President with all the 
 documents, and a mass of opinions sufficient to satisfy any 
 reasonable man. 
 
 During his residence at Washington, Dr. Morton had formed 
 the acquaintance of the Hon. Mr. Witte, member from Pennsyl- 
 vania, who now interested himself in Dr. Morton and his claim, 
 and became a zealous supporter of his interests. Mr. Witte has 
 himself stated the reasons of his thus forming the intimacy. " It 
 is very probable, " he wrote, "that but for the accidental cir- 
 cumstance of my being lodged next door to Dr. Morton, and thus 
 having become well acquainted with him personally, I should 
 not have taken the trouble to investigate his case as thoroughly 
 as I think I have done," &c. From an intimate acquaintance 
 with the President, Mr. Witte, finding that at last the power to 
 act had again fallen into his hands, determined to see what he
 
 CHAP. XXI.] PROJnSE OF THE PRESIDENT. 409 
 
 could do to further matters, and accordingly waited upon the 
 President to discover what the next step was likely to be. 
 
 At this interview, Mr. Witte explained how necessary it was 
 for Dr. Morton that this business should be settled ; he detailed 
 his long trials, losses, and present position, and at last procured 
 from the President a promise that at an interview appointed for 
 the loth of March, he would end all the doubts and troubles, 
 giving at the same time as a reason for this delay the reorganiza- 
 tion of the navy, which was then under consideration. 
 
 The interview did not take place until March 21, owing to 
 a postponement. At this meeting, which occurred in the even- 
 ing, the President read the report of the Secretary of "War — said 
 it was decided, but still appeared to him eminently satisfactory. 
 He made full inquiries as to the anticipated plans of Dr. Morton, 
 discussed the question whether it would be the best plan for hira 
 to issue an order to the Departments to at once discontinue the 
 use of the discovery, or recommend that they should purchase 
 the right to its use. Pie also inquired if Dr. Morton had a law- 
 yer, or with whom the arrangement, if it took place, was to be 
 made, adding that if he had not one, it would be a useless ex- 
 pense for him to then secure one, as the business could, if Dr. 
 Morton was satisfied, be equally as well, if not better transacted, 
 through Mr. Witte. 
 
 After hearing a full explanation by Mr. Witte that the ob- 
 ject of Dr. Morton was to procure a fair compensation for the 
 past violation, and an ofRcial recognition of his claim for use 
 abroad, and that he would be satisfied with any fair proposition 
 made, the President answered : " Well, I will talk it over with 
 the Secretary of War, and see what is the best plan. I will 
 see him to-night, so that I can give you an answer to-morrow." 
 
 On the next day the President conferred with the Secretary 
 of War, and the day after — that is, on the 23d of March — Mr. 
 Witte again called for the decision. With his pen in his hand, 
 in readir.?ss to write tlie order, which would at once have pre- 
 vented all further recurrence of care and trial for Dr. Morton, 
 the President paused, and turning to Mr. Witte, said: " There 
 is a point which is not yet exactly clear to my mind, as to
 
 410 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XXL 
 
 whether the patent includes all anoesthetic substances — for in- 
 stance, chloroform ; and for a little information on this subject, 
 and to prevent any more doubt, I think it will be better to refer 
 it to the A-ttorney General, so that I can find out exactly what 
 the patent does cover." At the same time, however, he said he 
 wished it to be distinctly understood by Mr. Wittc, and so ex- 
 pressed to Dr. Morton, " that he considered the validity of the 
 patent fully established, also the fact that the government had 
 used the discovery, and consequently must pay for it in the end ; 
 but that this little question which he mentioned, was the only 
 existing difficulty in the way. This explanation he repeated 
 twice. 
 
 On the communication of this agreeable assurance. Dr. Mor- 
 ton made up his mind to return home, and arranging his affairs 
 there, not again come near the hateful city until compelled, in 
 order to arrange the papers necessary for the final adjustment. 
 The thought of any further trouble never flashed across his mind, 
 used although he was to failure and sudden disappointment ; and 
 brimful of hope and expectation for at last a pleasant future, he 
 felt as if his debts were already paid off, and a small surplus was 
 deposited to his credit. 
 
 It was just at this time that he received his appointment as 
 commissioner to the French Exposition ; and that favorable op- 
 portunity for going abroad, in connection with various interests 
 that needed his personal attendance there, induced him to decide 
 upon going. It had been asserted in the minority report, which 
 we have shown was probably influenced by the telegraph being 
 made a scapegoat, that Baron von Humboldt had declared 
 he would procure for Dr. Jackson the gold medal of the 
 Berlin Academy, and the Secretary of State of the United States 
 had informed Dr. Morton that Humboldt had written out for in- 
 formation on the subject. In order that the same injustice should 
 not be done him which he had received by his not being able to 
 go to Paris and assert his rights before the Institute of France, 
 Mr. Webster, through whom Humboldt made his request, ad- 
 vised Dr. Morton to lose no time in going abroad to assert his 
 claim, and sent him the following credential letter :
 
 CHAP. XXL] LETTER FROM DANIEL WEBSTER. 411 
 
 " To the respective Diplomatic and Consular Agents of the United States in 
 
 Europe. 
 
 "Department of State, 
 " Washington, June 23, 1852. 
 " Dear Sir : This letter -will be handed to you by William T. G. Morton, 
 M. D., of Boston, the discoverer of etherization. 
 
 "He is about visiting Europe in relation to this subject, and I take pleas- 
 ure in commending to your kindness and consideration a person who has 
 done so much for the alleviation of human suffering ; and I request that you 
 •will extend to him such friendly attentions as may conveniently be in your 
 power. "Yours, ti'uly, Daxiel Webster." 
 
 The ex-minister to Berlin, then in "Washington, also sent him 
 
 the annexed letter : 
 
 " Washington, June 12, 1852. 
 " His Excellency Alexander Humboldt, &c., (fcc, &c. 
 
 " My Dear Sir : I beg leave to present to your acquaintance Dr. W. T. G. 
 Morton, the discoverer of the anasthetic properties of ether, who is the 
 bearer of this note, and whose first object, when he arrives at Berlin, will 
 be the desire of seeing the individual who, above all others, possesses the 
 admiration and respect of the scientific men of America. 
 
 " I avail myself of the occasion to renew the obhgations under which I 
 was so often placed, when I was at BerHn, by your excellency's kindness 
 and regard, and to subsci'ibe myself again, 
 
 " Your excellency's very humble and obedient servant, 
 
 "A. J. Donelson." 
 
 It must be apparent to every one who has perused these pages 
 that the condition of his application before the United States 
 government, was such that he could not leave for Europe.* 
 But now, in addition to a long-cherished wish, the trip offered 
 inducements pecuniarily. The war in the Crimea was at 
 its height, and as his patent issued in England was still in" 
 force, it seemed highly probable that after its recognition and 
 
 * The advantage that was taken of Dr. Morton by his not being able to 
 go abroad and assert his claims at the time these letters were given, will 
 be appreciated when we inform the reader that, within a few days. Dr. 
 Jackson has written Dr. Willard Parker, of New York, that he has tri- 
 umphed over Morton in the Prussian investigation; that Baron Yon 
 Humboldt has examined the case, and pronounced in his favor, and in the 
 same letter, suggested certain other honors that Dr. Jackson has had con- 
 ferred upon him, from which he argues that Americans have no right to 
 question his title to the discovery.
 
 412 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XXI. 
 
 purchase by his own government, the same thing would be done 
 by Great Britain. Accordingly, in order to pay some portion 
 of his debts, which demanded immediate attention, and to be left 
 as free from any cares or trammels during his absence as possi- 
 ble, he expressed his wish to some agricultural friends to lease 
 his farm and sell the stock. Soon he received the following letter 
 from just such a person as he would be willing to have occupy 
 his model farm : 
 
 " Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Agricultural Department, 
 " State House, Boston, Aug. 17, 1855. 
 " Dear Sir : — After seeing you on Monday last, I have thought much of 
 the proposition you made with regard to the lease of your place during 
 your absence in Europe. I have also talked it over with Capt. Davis, who 
 has proposed to buy or hire with me ; and on the whole, we think so favor- 
 ably of it that we should be glad to have some definite plan proposed by 
 you, as soon as convenient, i. e., the charge for rent, conditions, &o., &o. 
 We shall be happy to give a definite proposal an early and very favorable 
 consideration. The captain was greatly pleased with what he saw of your 
 place, and though we have looked at several others with reference to a pur- 
 chase, we should, I think, be willing to make some such arrangement as 
 you suggest, if it can be made to the satisfaction of all concerned. Please 
 let me hear from you as soon as convenient, 
 
 " Very truly, your obedient servant, 
 
 " Charles L. Flint, 
 " Secretary Board of Agriculture. 
 "Dr. W. T. G. Morton, W. Ncedhamy 
 
 In pursuance of the above request, an agreement was imme- 
 diately signed, by which an apprisal of all the sto ck and farming 
 utensils was to be made, and sold to Messrs. Flint and Davis at 
 their valuation. This amounted to $4,500, although it was a 
 low price. The agreement also provided for a lease of his farm 
 in October for five hundred dollars and taxes per annum, besides 
 certain improvements to be made. Everything looked compara- 
 tively bright. To be sure many of the debts which had been post- 
 poned by the creditors from their knowledge of his probable good 
 fortune, still hung over him ; but to counterbalance this, the 
 chance of being able to pay them seemed so near. 
 
 But delay seemed the rule of his existence, now that the man- 
 agement was taken from his own hands ; day followed day, and
 
 CHAP. XXI.J A DERNIER RESORT. 413 
 
 weeks grew into months, but still no news either favorable or 
 unfavorable, reached him from Washington. Appearances bore 
 out the supposition that either his very existence was forgotten, 
 or a complete paralysis had followed upon the last rather sudden 
 and spasmodic action of the executive. In the midst of this sus- 
 pense, the rumor was spread, and came to his ears, that the Sec- 
 retary of War intended resigning his office, and again go into the 
 Senate. This news was sufficiently alarming, because it necessi- 
 tated either the closing of the business before the event happened, 
 or else the traveling of the same ground again with his successor; 
 a course which would demand a great amount of time and trou- 
 ble, and might not in the end result even as favorably for him as 
 then. Another trip to Wasliington seemed to offer the most 
 flattering chances of relief for the emergency, but unfortunately 
 he had not a cent with which to go, particularly if he should be 
 compelled, as seemed probable from the past, to remain there for 
 any length of time. Moreover, he was at a loss where to pro- 
 cure any money. Several of those who had before assisted him 
 in his emergency felt as if they could now do no more, and drew 
 tight their purse-strings. 
 
 All attempts to borrow or hire the money failing one after the 
 other, and driven to desperation by his ill-success, and the in- 
 creasing necessity of his departure, he at last, as a dernier resort, 
 was compelled to pledge his cabinet of dental instruments, and 
 surgical preparations, and library, which he had collected at a 
 great expense, and had wisely determined to keep, even if obliged 
 to part with everything else, in order to feel sure of being able to 
 support his family. He was even obliged to include the gold 
 medal that he had received from the French Academy. By 
 this action the sum of S 2,000 was raised, with which he imme- 
 diately left Boston. 
 
 But all his energy and investigation at Washington did not 
 bring the success anticipated. None of the inquiries made by 
 him or his friends, who aided with all their power, elicited 
 any satisfactory information as to what had been done. The 
 almost uniform answer, when one could be procured, was, that a 
 reference had been made to some one on some point, or a report
 
 414 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [chap. xxi. 
 
 Avas expected, or else that the delay was perfectly accountable. 
 Those who have themselves besieged the doors of those high in 
 authority, to procure an answer or obtain a boon, can best 
 imagine the numberless ways of putting off which can be devised, 
 or the vague character which can be given as the answers to dis- 
 agreeable questions. 
 
 Often from early morning until long past noon. Dr. Morton 
 would dance attendance in the ante-room of some dignitary, 
 without getting an audience, and if, at last, it was procured, the 
 only satisfaction generally resulting, was sympathy with his case, 
 or an expression of surprise that no movement had been made. 
 Winter past, and spring came, consumed in this unavailing task, 
 until, at last, his friend Mr. Witte, provoked beyond measure by 
 the delay and apparent deception which had been practiced upon 
 him, wrote the following letter to the President : 
 
 "Sir: The honorable the Attorney-General has this morning informed 
 me that the government declines acting at this time, in the case of Dr. 
 Morton, assigning as a reason that the patent covers too much, and also that 
 the Secretary of War does not favorably construe the scientific question in- 
 volved, in fact and effect denying the validity of the patent. 
 
 " As an answer to the first point it is only necessary to repeat the clear 
 and unequivocal assurance made to me on more than one occasion by your 
 excellency that the binding force and validity of the patent should not be 
 disturbed, should not be adjudicated by the executive ministerial authority 
 of the government ; but that it should be construed by the import obvious- 
 ly expressed by its face, and that Dr. Morton should be dealt with in the 
 premises according to that spirit of partiality and rigid justice wliich it be- 
 comes the power of a great government to extend toward one of its own 
 citizens. 
 
 " In reply to the objection, now for the first time presented by the Secre- 
 tary of War, I beg leave to refer to his own report made to your excellen- 
 cy, in which, after discussing the scientific view of the case, he concludes 
 with the clear expression of his opinion that Dr. Morton ib the person to 
 whom compensation ouglit to be made, and that the only point left unde- 
 cided by liim is the method in wliicli, and the extent to which, payment 
 ought to be made. 
 
 "With this report you expressed yourself so well satisfied that, upon one 
 occasion, you, with pen in hand, did me the honor to counsel with me how 
 the order to the departments not to use the agent (until settlement had 
 been made) ought to be issued so as to best serve the interests of Dr. Mor- 
 ton, and thereby promote the equity of his claim.
 
 ■% 
 
 CHAP. X5I.] LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT. 415 
 
 "You were also on that occasion kind enongli to desire me to say to Dr. 
 Morton, that it would be better that he should not remain m "Washington, 
 but go home and rest contented with your assurance that the matter should 
 be satisfactorily adjusted, and that you preferred to close the business with 
 me rather than with a lawyer, at the same time giving him the advice not 
 to spend his money in feeing lawyers, as there was no necessity, there be- 
 ing nothing in it which you and I could not settle. 
 
 " It was in this aspect of the case, relying upon your declaration and 
 absolute promise, that I was induced to render to Dr. Morton pecuniary 
 assistance which the necessities of his situation imperatively required, 
 never dreaming that you would fail to do yourself, or to permit others to 
 refuse doing an act, the justice and necessity of which you had more than 
 once clearly admitted. 
 
 '- And yet, now, after the lapse of fourteen months induced to come here 
 often, and always at the sacrifice of my interests at home, I am told that 
 there is nothing in the case — that the government refuses to acknowledge 
 the slightest equity in the claim, but shielding itself behind legal quibbles 
 and scientific technicalities, coolly and complacently pronounces its former 
 assurances and promises of compensation and justice as nothing ; as noth- 
 ing, because it refuses now to do what it repeatedly declared should be 
 done. 
 
 " Well, sir, we must make submission, and we do submit in that feeling 
 which injured helplessness makes to wrong and power. 
 
 •'In conclusion, sir, permit me to express the regret that you did not in 
 your intercourse with me upon the subject, deal with me in such a man- 
 ner as to prevent me from involving myself (relying upon your assurances) 
 largely to my pecuniary disadvantage, as well as to my personal mortifica- 
 tion. 
 
 " I have the honor to be, your ob't serv't, 
 
 " Wm. H. Witte." 
 
 This sudden change in his prospects, with the ceaseless anxiety 
 of his life for the past months, produced a second and alarming 
 attack of illness, which confined him to his bed for several weeks, 
 and from which he with difficulty recovered. 
 
 On emerging from his sick-room, in the early part of May, in 
 company with Mr. Barksdale, of Mississippi, through whose 
 agency it had been arranged. Dr. Morton held an audience with 
 the President, and then, for the first time, learned the result of 
 this two years of " circumlocution." Before paying any sum 
 for the patent, the government wished a legal decision on the 
 case ; it had decided that a judgment should be procured against 
 it, so that it should be compelled to make restitution. In reply
 
 416 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XXJ. 
 
 to the President, who asked why a suit had not been before 
 brought, Dr. Morton replied, that owing to the pecuhar nature 
 of his discovery, lie had never wished to take legal steps for re- 
 dress ; that he had all along been led to suppose that the gov- 
 ernment would in the end act honestly, and for the good of 
 humanity do, of its own free will, an act of justice, to which it 
 was repugnant to human nature to compel it. To this the Pres- 
 ident replied, that no feeling of that kind need deter him ; that 
 the prosecution was to be for its use in the public service, and a 
 mere form, as the decision of the court would give them author- 
 ity for immediate action. He then proposed that a suit should 
 be commenced against some surgeon of the government service who 
 had at some period used the discovery, and who should be in- 
 structed by the Executive to admit the use of any agent covered 
 by his patent, and consequently Dr. Morton would be put to no 
 trouble or expense to prove it ; that the suit when brought should 
 be considered as brought against the government, and not against 
 the surgeon, and that the government should shoulder all the 
 responsibility. He closed by saying, that when it was decided 
 that the government was violating Dr. Morton's patent, the 
 government would pay; and that Dr. Morton might take his 
 choice as to the tribunal before which to have the case tried. 
 
 Thus, after nearly two years' hard labor, expense and anxiety, 
 was the unlucky discoverer coolly informed that a retrograde 
 movement had been made — that his prospects of success were not 
 nearly so good as months before. It was precisely a repetition 
 of the reply of Congress at the end of 1853, and of the argu- 
 ments of 1852. 
 
 The advice of every one, if it had been asked in this emergency 
 by Dr. Morton, would have been, that he should instantly com- 
 mence the suit upon the terms proposed. But Dr. Morton having, 
 ever since he saw how the profession regarded his procuring the 
 patent, regretted it, he now found great difficulty in bringing his 
 mind to a belief that the profession would, even now that he had 
 been driven from the position they had so constantly asserted 
 would be recognized by the government, justify liim in so far 
 availing himself of his patent as to enforce it by suit against the
 
 CHAP. XXI.] DISASTROUS CONDITION OF AFFAIRS. 417 
 
 government, bj a service upon a member of the medical profes- 
 sion. Be this as it miglit, it was now too late ; the constant 
 delay had produced the effect anticipated, and he was now left 
 powerless for any further action. It is a singular fact, but, I 
 believe, a pretty universally acknowledged one, that a lawsuit is 
 a very expensive plaything, and that, notwithstanding its signifi- 
 cation, justice is one of the perquisites of the rich. At no period 
 during his life was Dr. Morton in a worse condition to engage in 
 legal hostilities. Every article of value which he had owned had 
 been either sold or pledged for his debts. His stock and farming 
 utensils" had all been disposed of, as has been before stated ; his 
 farm and liouse had been mortgaged to their fullest extent, to 
 raise the means for his past efforts ; while he could not consci- 
 entiously expect any more advances from his friends, no matter 
 how kind or ready to assist him they had been. He well knew, 
 that when once the information should be bruited abroad that 
 his only hopes for success lay in a lawsuit with the government, 
 that many of his creditors, who had before been willing to post- 
 pone, upon the strong probability which had all along existed of 
 a grant from Congress, would now be compelled, for their own 
 protection, to see which could be the first to seize and sell his 
 effects. His debts were much larger than he could pay, and the 
 laws of Massachusetts are exceedingly severe upon a debtor. 
 Where, then, was he to turn for the large amounts which would 
 be required to carry on a lawsuit? 
 
 To say that he was discouraged would convey but a slight im- 
 pression of his condition. For the first time since he appeared 
 before the public as a claimant, his spirits and energy forsook 
 him, and he completely gave up all hope, and acknowledged him- 
 self prostrated. His hopes demolished, his credit gone, a bur- 
 den of debts, too, hung like a millstone round his neck for years, 
 with no business from which even to supply his immediate ne- 
 cessities, certainly combined to form no cheerful prospect with 
 which to return to his w'lfe and children. Almost wild with 
 anxiety and fear. Dr. Morton stopped on his way back to Boston, 
 at Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New-York, to consult with his 
 friends, and mature some plans for his future. At one moment 
 
 18*
 
 418 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [chap. XXL 
 
 he decided to commence liis professional career again, but this 
 time in New- York ; in this he was discouraged by the wise coun- 
 sels given him. He was told that the mere fact of his having 
 made the discovery would be of but little assistance ; that at best 
 it required time and friends to succeed, whereas he had not the 
 means to hold out in the meantime or to occupy tlie position 
 which was necessary in a large city. That his life for the past 
 ten years, with its excitements and constant change, was a mate- 
 rial obstacle, owing to the restless and unsettled habits which it 
 had engendered. But the strongest argument used was on ac- 
 count of his health, which was wretched. "No," closed one ot 
 these kind advisers : " don't attempt it ; don't think of it ; for it 
 will not result as you wish, and you will have the mortification 
 of seeing others step over your head, simply because they have 
 more money and better health." His next project was to go 
 to Europe and establish himself as a dentist in some capital ; but 
 the same objections held good for this proposal as for the others, 
 with the addition that he was unacquainted with foreign lan- 
 guages. At a former period when his business was ruined and he 
 was undecided what he should do, he wrote a letter to the minis- 
 ter of the church to which he belongs in Boston, asking advice, 
 and received the following letter : 
 
 " My Dear Sir : I deeply regret to learn by your note, that while you 
 have been conferring benefits upon the human race, your own affairs have 
 become embarrassed. I have given the subject submitted as much consid- 
 eration as time admits, and the sum of my opinion is this : you recognize, 
 and every honest man recognizes, the obligation to pay debts fairly con- 
 tracted, so far as he is able. Under present circumstances that abihty, un- 
 happily, does not exist ; and more, the distractions growing out of the fact, 
 seriously impede your efforts to cancel them. I believe it would be entire- 
 ly right, and the best thing for your creditors, for you to avail yourself of 
 the benefit of the Bankrupt Act, and thus place yourself where you could 
 labor unembarrassed for the extinction of your debts. The obHgation to 
 pay does not cease in passing through the court, but I think the freedom 
 from perpetual interference would enable you, in quietly following your 
 professional labors eventually to square up the past, and secure for yourself 
 a competence, as you have secured an honorable name as a benefactor of man. 
 " With the deepest sympathy, I remain, 
 
 " Your affectionate pastor, 
 
 *'"Wm. M. Rogers."
 
 CHAP. XJI.] THE RACE FOR DESPOILATION. 410 
 
 Dr. Morton, however, determined never to take shelter under 
 the strong arm of the law voluntarily, and finally struggled 
 through the terrible pressure he was then under ; but now he was 
 afraid, from a correspondence with his lawyers, that they would 
 force him to do so. From a consultation with JMr. Soyer and 
 Mr. Guild, eminent lawyers of Boston, then in Washington, 
 and from another eminent member of the Boston bar, whom he 
 met in New-York, John P. Putnam, he was almost afraid to 
 return to Boston on account of the long and intricate proceed- 
 ings necessary before his liberty could be sufficiently secured to 
 enable him to prosecute his profession to advantage. Finding 
 that nothing was to be gained by remaining away, and that he 
 must bear the brunt of his misfortunes, he concluded to return, 
 and in the bosom of his family, and encouraged by the sympathy 
 of his wife, children, and real friends, endeavor to find some al- 
 leviation for his troubles. 
 
 Instantly on his arrival at his own home, the result which he 
 had anticipated followed. No sooner was it noised about that he 
 had suffered defeat, and that his only hopes lay in a legal con- 
 test, than the race for his despoliation commenced, a perfect 
 sauve qui peut^ in which the property, not the person, was to be 
 preserved, followed. Attachments were at once served upon 
 everything belonging to him, and keepers put in charge. Three 
 writs, one to the amount of $10,000, were served in one day. 
 Executions and sales followed of everything which could be laid 
 hold of, but the result was a disappointment ; the receipts were 
 not nearly enough to meet the demands. As a consequence of 
 this irritating discovery, angry feelings against him personally 
 followed ; he vvas blamed for having been extravagant. Many of 
 those who would have been the first to congratulate him upon 
 his success were the foremost to exclaim against him in his mis- 
 fortune, and say that it was a righteous retribution upon him 
 for his folly. All the old stories to his injury and discredit were 
 revived, until at last to such a pitch did the excitement arrive, 
 that the members of his family were insulted as if participants in 
 his ill-doing, and his children were hooted at as they passed 
 through the streets by Httle urchins who acted true to the maxira
 
 420 DISCOVEET OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. X2I. 
 
 " As the old cock crows the young ones learn." So rapidly was 
 all his property taken from him, and to such a low ebb did his 
 credit run on account of this diftusion of slander, that at last he 
 was pushed even to procure the common necessaries of life. 
 DurinfT one week in July the family were even in want of the 
 simple articles of food, so that he was compelled with his own 
 hands to load up a cart, which luckily, although in charge of the 
 sheriff, was still at his disposal, with wood from his pile, and carry 
 it to a neighboring bakery, and exchange it for half a barrel of 
 biscuit. For weeks aud weeks he was forced to suffer on, be- 
 cause powerless ; no relief was afforded this perfect inaction, un- 
 less by the commencement of some new process, or the repetition 
 of the call for his presence to answer to some fresh suit.
 
 CHAP. XXn.] ACCIDENTAL MEETING WITH MR. LAWRENCE. 421 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 ACTION OF THE BENEVOLENT. 
 "Inaction now is crime." — WilUarn H. Burleigh. 
 
 One morning late in the fall of 1856, as Dr. Morton, who was 
 in the midst of his legal and pecuniary difficulties, and besieged 
 on all sides by duns, writs, constables, and all the paraphernalia 
 employed against the unfortunate, was walking slowly down 
 "Washington-street, he suddenly met Mr. Amos A. Lawrence — the 
 son of that man whose name causes the cheek of every true Bos- 
 tonian to flush with pride — whom he had not before seen for some 
 time. This gentleman had several times before assisted him in 
 various ways, and, from his position as one of the trustees of the 
 Massachusetts General Hospital, and his consequent knowledge 
 of the merits of the case, had been able to render him many im- 
 portant services. After a cheerful salutation, Mr. Lawrence in- 
 quired of Dr. Morton how affairs were progressing with him. 
 
 "Badly enough," was the reply. 
 
 " Badly enough ; why, what do you mean ?" asked Mr. 
 Lawrence. 
 
 A few words of explanation in answer to this question were 
 all that were necessary to give him an inkling of the true state 
 of affairs, and to excite a desire on his part to know more. He 
 therefore proposed an adjournment to his office, which was near 
 by, where more at their leisure they could talk over the case. 
 On arrival Dr Morton narrated in detail each event as it had 
 happened ; explained certain causes more to the satisfaction of 
 Mr. La^sTence, and then stated the present trying difficulties of
 
 422 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XXU. 
 
 his position, his despondency, and his doubts and fears for the 
 future. Mr. Lawrence was much impressed by what he had 
 heard, and after the close of the story, promised to see Dr. 
 Morton again, and go more thoroughly into the examination, and 
 try to devise some means of relief 
 
 At the instigation of Mr. Lawrence, between this interview 
 and the next with Dr. Morton, a meeting of physicians and mer- 
 chants was called, composed of some of the wealthiest and most 
 philanthropic from among the many in Boston, before whom the 
 case of Dr. Morton was laid, and the proposition made that some 
 steps should be taken to extricate him from his difficulties. 
 During that winter and the ensuing spring, several other meet- 
 ings were held, at each of which some progress was made to- 
 ward a solution and a remedy. But this was but slow, the 
 complicated and desperate condition of Dr. Morton's affairs was 
 not to be arranged in a moment, aud it was determined by them 
 that if anything was done, it should this time be done effectually. 
 
 Finally, during the winter and spring of 1857, the plan of a 
 *' National testimonial" was agreed upon, as it was argued that 
 as the benefits had been shared by each individual throughout the 
 country, the recognition to the discoverer should come in the 
 same extended manner. It was decided that Boston should not 
 be looked upon as directing, or as the main agent, in the 
 movement, but simply as making the initiatory proposition, which 
 is necessary in making any great action, no matter how spon- 
 taneous. To inaugurate this movement, and to form a basis 
 upon which to rest in proposing the plan to others, and in order 
 to certify to the character and dignity of the scheme in case it 
 should meet with the attention of the benevolent in other states, 
 a few of the fellow-citizens of the discoverer determined to inau- 
 gurate by their names and subscription, the following 
 
 APPEAL 
 
 To the Patrons of Science and the Friends of Humanity. 
 
 TO THE PUBLIC. 
 
 The power of etheric vapors to produce a safe insensibility to 
 pain during surgical operations, and on other occasions of great
 
 CHAP. X2II.] BOSTON APPEAL. 423 
 
 physical suffering, is one of the most beneficent discoveries that 
 Las been conferred upon the human race. It is generally con- 
 ceded that Dr. "NV. T. G. Morton, of Boston, was instrumental 
 in presenting this fact to the world. Nearly the whole of the 
 medical profession of this city, in the midst of whom the dis- 
 covery was made, together with other bodies of competent per- 
 sons, who have investigated its origin, have, after careful scruti- 
 ny, concurred in assigning this merit to Dr. Morton, and public 
 opinion has long since affirmed their verdict. 
 
 It is not necessary to enter in detail into the circumstances 
 which have prevented Dr. Morton from receiving any pecuniary 
 benefit from this discoveiy. 
 
 The fact is certain, that Dr. Morton has been an instrument, 
 under Divine Providence, of introducing to the world one of the 
 most remarkable discoveries of this, or any other age, and that 
 he has received no reward for it but the consciousness of havino' 
 
 o 
 
 done so. 
 
 AYe are sure that we interpret the feelings of thousands, when 
 we say that a substantial national memorial should be presented 
 to Dr. Morton. 
 
 How often has the poor sufferer risen from beneath the sur- 
 geon's knife, with nerves untouched by the slightest sensation of 
 the torture that would otherwise have been his ! How often 
 has the mother passed in unconscious slumber, through '* the 
 perils of child-birth," to wake to her new happiness, without one 
 memory of its agonies, and breathed, with the prayer of thanks- 
 giving to God, a thought of him, — to her, perhaps, the unknown 
 discoverer, — whose happy conception, perseverance, and courage, 
 first established the astonishing fact, that the human frame may 
 suffer all the conditions, and not one of the sensations of pain ! 
 What has already occurred throughout the whole world, since 
 this discovery was made, — in hospitals, in private chambers of 
 the sick, on fields of battle, on the ocean, and on land, — 
 wherever humanity undergoes the "ills that flesh is heir to,'* — 
 is to occur through countless ages, while the race is left upon 
 earth ! And yet, year rolls after year, and the spontaneous 
 gratitude that is felt and uttered, whenever and wherever this
 
 424 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XXII. 
 
 great discovery is used or contemplated, finds no permanent 
 voice, because no efforts are made to concentrate and direct it 
 to its object. 
 
 We propose that such efforts be now made. We think that 
 the people of the United States, acting individually, should do 
 what their government has neglected, or been unable to do. 
 National testimonials, established by the voluntary contributions 
 of individuals, have been adopted in all countries, to mark the 
 public sense of services to the human family, especially when 
 such services have reflected honor and distinction upon the 
 country where they have been performed. 
 
 AVe propose that a National Subscription be instituted, the 
 avails of which shall be paid into the hands of Thomas B. Cur- 
 tis and Charles H. Mills, Esquires, as Trustees — to be held, ap- 
 propriated, and invested upon such trusts, and for such uses, for 
 the benefit of Dr. Morton, as the Trustees may determine. 
 
 James Jackson, Jacob Bigelow, S. D. Townsend, John Jeffries, Edward 
 Rej-nolds, John Homans, M. S. Perry, 0. TV. Holmes, John Ware, George 
 Haj'ward, J. Mason "Warren, Henry J. Bigelow, Charles G. Putnam, 
 Richard H. Dana, Jr., Alexander H. Yinton, S. K. Lothrop, John B. Fitz- 
 patrick (Bishop of Boston), William H.Prescott, N. Adams, Rufus Choate, 
 Charles P. Curtis, F. C. Loring, G. S. Hillard, William Dchon, Benjamin 
 Peirce, F. D. Huntington, Henry W. Longfellow, Jared Sparks, R. B. 
 Forbes, P. W. Chandler, Alexander H. Rice, Robert C. Winthrop. 
 
 The leading medical men having so recently and fully signed 
 a petition to Congress, as seen at page 357, recommending Dr. 
 Morton's claims, it was not thought necessary that this paper 
 should be now more fully signed. 
 
 This appeal was sent to the Trustees of the Massachusetts 
 General Hospital and the Massachusetts Charitable Eye and Ear 
 Infirmary, who, upon its receipt, at once proceeded to take the 
 following action upon it : 
 
 MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL. 
 
 The undersigned, to whom a proposition that the Trustees of 
 this hospital should contribute to a fund to be established for the 
 benefit of Dr. Morton, was referred, report :
 
 CHAP. XXII.] DONATION OF MASS. GENERAL HOSPITAL. 425 
 
 That Dr. Morton is known to have been chiefly instrumental 
 in conferring a great good upon his race — 
 
 That his agency in a discovery, which has already relieved 
 multitudes from suffering, has yielded to him no pecuniary com- 
 pensation for its acknowledged benefits, but has, on the contrary, 
 been attended by many sacrifices — 
 
 That his only rewards have been the consciousness of a great 
 service rendered, and a title to fame — 
 
 That the government of the country has omitted to provide a 
 proper reward — 
 
 That justice entitles him to remuneration, and that the only 
 mode in which it seems to be probable that the means of doing 
 that justice can be furnished, is, through voluntary contributions 
 from the philanthropic, in some such form as is now suggested. 
 
 Therefore, your committee think that the object is proper, and 
 that its early attainment is to be desired ; so that the on]y ques- 
 tion is whether the trustees may properly contribute of the funds 
 of this institution for its promotion. 
 
 No ordinary circumstances would justify the trustees, should 
 they apply any portion of the funds under their control to any 
 object other than the direct relief of the sick under their care. 
 
 But the relations between Dr. Morton and this hospital, in re- 
 gard to the great discovery which prompts the proposed memorial, 
 are peculiar. 
 
 The first important surgical operation, to which that discovery 
 was applied, was performed within its walls, at his instance. 
 
 At a time when he suppo.sed that his agency in it would be 
 pecuniarily rewarded by those who should derive benefits from it, 
 he conferred upon this hospital the right to profit by it in all 
 cases without any charge. 
 
 We have been and shall continue to be benefited by it, to an 
 extent which no reasonable amount of money could compensate for. 
 
 Dr. Morton and his friends think that the refusal of the trus- 
 tees of the Massachusetts General Hospital to subscribe to the 
 contemplated fund would prevent its foundation. In view of all 
 the circumstances, your committee think that apprehension well 
 founded.
 
 426 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. XXII. 
 
 When individuals have made bequests, or rendered remarka- 
 ble services to the institution, the trustees have deemed it proper 
 to expend such sums as may have been required, to procure ap- 
 propriate memorials of them, to be preserved within the walls of 
 the hospital ; and your committee think tliat the propriety of a 
 subscription toward the fund, which it is now proposed to estab- 
 lish for the benefit of Dr. Morton, would rest safely on the 
 grounds which have been found sufficient in such cases. 
 
 They, therefore, recommend that the subjoined vote be passed. 
 
 J. Thomas Stevenson, 
 John Lowell, 
 
 Committee. 
 Boston, Fehruai^ 22, 1857. 
 
 Voted, That the Chairman of this Board be requested to sub- 
 scribe, on behalf of the Massachusetts General Hospital, one 
 thousand dollars toward the fund which it is proposed to estab- 
 lish for the benefit of Dr. W. T. G-. Morton, as a memorial of the 
 great service which that gentleman has rendered to science and 
 to humanity, in connection with the discovery of the uses of 
 ether. 
 
 Trustees. — Henry B. Rogers, John P. Bigelow, James B. Bradlee, "Wra. 
 S. Bullard, "William J. Dale, Wm. W. Greenough, Thomas Lamb, John 
 Lowell, Robert M. Mason, Charles H. Mills, J. Thomas Stevenson, Edward 
 "Wigglesworth. 
 
 Voted, That the Secretary of this Board be authorized to sub- 
 scribe, on behalf of the Massachusetts Charitable Eye and Ear 
 Infirmary, two hundred dollars toward the fund to be raised for 
 the benefit of Dt. W. T. G. Morton, as a recognition of the 
 greatest discovery of modern times, and an acknowledgment of 
 the great service which that gentleman has rendered to science 
 and humanity, by the discovery of the uses of ether. 
 
 Trustees.—^. H. Wolcott, J. W. Edmands, Henry Rice, Dr. E. Reynolds, 
 G. H. Shaw, C. H. Mills, R. W. Hooper, Moses Grant, Jas. Lawrence, Dr. 
 S. D. Townsend, J. A. Blanchard. 
 
 Theodore Frothingham, Secretary. 
 
 As iniatory to a more extended demonstration the following 
 signatures and sums were at once procured :
 
 CHAP. XXII.] BOSTON SUBSCRIPTIONS. 427 
 
 Amos A. Lawrenee, $1,000 ; John P. Gushing, $500 ; John Gardner, $200 ; 
 Thomas B. Curtis, N. I. Bowditch, Charles H. Mills, John J. May, Samuel 
 A. Eliot, David Sears, Ed. Wigglesworth, Jas. Bowdoin Bradlee, Josiah 
 Bradlee, James Lawrence, J. A. Lowell, Thomas Lee, J. M. Forbes, one 
 hundred dollars, each. 
 
 Moses Grant, "William Ropes, Henry "W". Longfellow, Christopher C. 
 Chadwick, Wm. Powell Perkins, Samuel A. Appleton, Henry Timmins, 
 Charles Armory, W. S. Bullard, "Wm. H. Prescott, fifty dollars each. 
 
 It was the intention of those who had so generously volun- 
 teered their time and money, and whose names have been given, to 
 have at once procured the cooperation of other cities, and, acting 
 from this small commencement, to have secured the sancton 
 of the various States for a more extended movement ; but, un- 
 happily, the panic of last October nipped in the bud this benev- 
 olent design, and disarranged the plans by compelling many of 
 the most active supporters to give all their time and attention to 
 their own affaii's, to the neglect of Dr. Morton. But the origi- 
 nal wish still remains in abeyance, and with the zeal and gener- 
 osity which has marked the proceedings thus far, it is not to 
 be doubted that it will be resuscitated more vigorously than 
 ever. 
 
 During the last summer, the Governor of Massachusetts, N. 
 P. Banks, late Speaker of the House of Representatives, wrote 
 to his Excellency the Governor of New York, that "A national 
 subscription, intended as an acknowledgment of his [Dr. Mor- 
 ton's] great public service in the discovery, and introduction to 
 common use, of this important power [sulphuric ether], has been 
 commenced here, under the auspices of gentlemen of the highest 
 professional standing, who were themselves witnesses of the suc- 
 cessive steps through which this discovery was made. They are 
 men whose names alone are a guarantee that their statements 
 may be relied upon, and no words of mine can aid in giving 
 their opinion strength. In addition to that of merchants and 
 professional men of the first eminence, you will find in the publi- 
 cation made by the trustees of the fund to be raised, a petition to 
 the President, signed by a majority of the members of the thirty- 
 third Congress, which is, I think, to be regarded as an evidence
 
 428 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZA.TION. [CHAP. xxii. 
 
 of the very general estimate which was made of the claims of 
 Dr. Morton upon the government and the public. 
 
 " The subscription has been liberally commenced in Boston, 
 but it is thought that other cities that have been benefited hy the 
 discovery should participate in the recognition of the merits of 
 the discoverer, and in making him appropriate honors. I liope 
 that other cities may imitate the example of Boston in this 
 respect, and contribute something to aid, and, I may say, relieve, 
 one who is certainly deserving of great credit, and who has, as 
 yet, received no advantage from his discovery." 
 
 This letter was read at a meeting of the Medical and Surgical 
 Club, held at the house of Dr. Wilkes, who married a niece of 
 Governor King. 
 
 Letters were received by members of the profession here from 
 numerous medical gentlemen in Boston. Among them we quote 
 from the following : Dr. James Jackson, wrote to George Ripley, 
 one of the editors of the American Cijclopedia : " To him [Dr. 
 Morton] the world owes at least the introduction for useful 
 purposes of sulphuric ether, by employment of which by inha- 
 lation, he proved that insensibility might be produced in a human 
 subject with safety, and be maintained during powerful surgical 
 operations. It is now more than eleven years since he made this 
 discovery known. At the present day the benefit of it is known 
 throughout the civilized portion of the world. Every day, the 
 persons who use the article must be counted by thousands. If 
 the knowledge of it could be lost, millions and millions of dol- 
 lars could be raised for the recovery of it. Every man is liable to 
 the misfortunes which would make the use of it invaluable to him. 
 
 " Is not something due to the gentleman who introduced the use 
 of ether for the use of the present and all future generations of 
 men ? Shall it be recorded in history, that he lived on a very small 
 income, while millions were blessing his discovery ? Should he 
 not be repaid in some substantial manner? As I understand the 
 matter, his business has been destroyed ? strange to say, and he 
 needs aid. May I ask you to make his case known in Kevv- 
 York, in the hope that he may receive the evidence of such grati- 
 tude as is due to him ?"
 
 CHAP. XXII.] LETTERS FROM HOLMES AND BIGELOW. 429 
 
 Dr. Jacob Bigelow, President of tlie Academy of Arts and 
 Sciences, wrote to Dr. Parker, that " 1 hope the community who 
 are daily deriving the benefit of his [Dr. Morton's] inestimable 
 discovery, will not be insensible to the debt they owe him. He 
 is the only man, without whom, the world would at this day have 
 wanted the blessing of ancesthetic inhalation." 
 
 Dr. O. W. Holmes, wrote to Willard Parker, M. D. : " It 
 gives me great pleasure to add my name to that of my friends, 
 who have recommended the claims of Dr. "W. T. G. Morton, to 
 your favorable notice." 
 
 " A surgeon in great business, like yourself, must know well what 
 we owe to the discoverer of the use of ether in surgery. The part 
 Dr. Morton took in that, is matter of history, and I cannot but 
 think you will agree with us in believing, that but for hishappy auda- 
 city we should have waited an indefinite period for the discovery. 
 
 " I write this time, therefore, to request your kind consider- 
 ation of the subject, that will be presented to your notice, not pro- 
 fessing to have any personal claim upon your valuable time, but 
 considering that your position, entitles you to the honor of being 
 among the foremost in every movement, involving the interest of 
 science and humanity." 
 
 Dr. John Jeifries, wrote to Willard Parker, M. D. : "Of the 
 justice of his [Dr. Morton's] claim, as the person by whom this 
 great benefaction was conferred on the medical profession, and 
 upon mankind, I entertain no doubt ; and consequently, of the 
 weight of obligations which physicians and societies at large, are 
 under to him for this benefit. A public benefaction has been 
 set on foot for Dr. Morton, who is himself poor, and made so in 
 some measure, in consequence of his agency in providing a bless- 
 ing for mankind. It has my full approbation and best wishes 
 for its success. I would also express my confidence in the plan 
 and details by which it is to be carried out, arising from the high 
 character for intelligence and integrity of the gentlemen under 
 whose auspices it is to be conducted. Whatever you may please 
 to do to aid, will be on the side of justice and humanity." 
 
 Dr. S. D. Townsend, one of the Surgeons of Massachusetts 
 General Hospital, wrote to Willard Parker, M. D. : " Having
 
 430 DISCOVERY OP ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. xm. 
 
 been conversant ■udth the use of ether from the first day of its 
 introduction, I have always given to Dr. Morton the credit of 
 being the author of its extensive employment in our profession. 
 The object of this movement is to obtain subscriptions to a fund, 
 to be placed in the hands of trustees, for his [Dr. Morton's] bene- 
 fit, which is to be raised from different hospitals in the country, 
 that have been so greatly benefited by its use. Dr. Morton's 
 pecuniary circumstances have been greatly reduced, by the exclu- 
 sive attentions he has paid to this object, having entirely broken up 
 the business which he was extensively engaged in, and he needs 
 the aid of all professional men, who have been so greatly benefited 
 by this discovery. I am sure I can rely upon you to give it all 
 the assistance which your prominent situation can afford him." 
 
 Inspired by the same feelings which had prompted the practi- 
 tioners of the city of the discovery, some of the most influential 
 here determined to instisfate a similar action. Meetings were 
 immediately held at the houses of Drs. Mott and Watson, in or- 
 der to test the sentiment upon the subject, and to prove that 
 even if the government had been neglectful, and the public, from 
 its ignorance of the true value and merits of the case, had hith- 
 erto seemed unappreciative and apathetic, that his own profession 
 were fully alive to the greatness of the discovery, and the sacri- 
 fices made by the discoverer. A meeting of the medical profes- 
 sion " interested in raising a national testimonial for the benefit of 
 the discoverer of anaesthesia" was called. This was held on the 
 24th of June, at the residence of Dr. Willard Parker. At this 
 it was moved and carried, " that a committee of medical men be 
 appointed to confer with gentlemen out of the profession as to 
 the most efiicient means for accomplishing the end in view." The 
 committee appointed consisted of Drs. John W. Francis, Valen- 
 tine Mott, James R. Wood, Willard Parker, James Minor, Gur- 
 don Buck, John Watson, Marion Sims, and the president, Dr. 
 Joseph W. Smith. A committee was likewise chosen, consist- 
 ing of "one from the medical board of each public charity of the 
 city and its vicinity, to wait upon the boards directing the various 
 institutions, and solicit donations in behalf of the object." The 
 following appointments were made: New-Tovk Hospital — ^Dr.
 
 CHAP. XXII.] COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL TESTIMONIAL. 431 
 
 GurdonBuck; Bellevue Hospital — Dr. James R. Wood; Emi 
 grants' Hospital — Dr. J. M. Carnochan ; St- Vincent's Hospital — 
 Dr. William H. Van Buren ; St, Luke's Hospital — Dr. Benjamin 
 Ogden ; Jews' Hospital — Dr. J. Moses ; Women's Hospital — Dr. 
 J. M. Sims ; Child s Hosjntal—Dv. G. T. Elliot, Jr. ; Quarantine 
 Hospital — Dr. Elisha Harris; New-York Lying-in Asylum — Dr. 
 T. F. Cock ; Brooklyn City Hospital — Dr. Hutchinson ; Long Isl- 
 and College Hospital — Dr. Ayres ; Colored Home — Dr. Fitch ; 
 New- York Eye Infirmary — Dr. Dubois ; New York Ophthalmic Hos- 
 pital — Dr. Garrish, 
 
 In order to exert as much influence in favor of the movement 
 as possible, and to show to the public what is the true and con- 
 scientious belief of those who are the most competent to judge, 
 and in order to prove in how high an estimation is the value of 
 the discovery held by those who each day are called upon to wit- 
 ness its effects, the following paper was prepared, which was cir- 
 culated for the siornatures of the medical gentlemen connected with 
 the institutions of New York and the Academy of Medicine : 
 
 APPEAL TO THE PUBLIC 
 BT 
 
 ME3IBERS OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION 
 
 IX 
 
 N E W - Y K K . 
 
 The Medical Profession have, from the earliest ages, felt the 
 need of some safe and efficient agent for annulling pain. 
 
 The ordinary anodynes long in use have never supplied this 
 deficiency, and the various new agents which, within the past 
 sixty or eighty years, have been substituted for these, have, until 
 recently, proved either too dangerous or too unreliable to be em- 
 ployed in general practice. 
 
 Wine and strong alcoholic drinks, given in such quantity as to 
 induce intoxication, were occasionally employed, even before the 
 commencement of the present century, for rendering persons in- 
 sensible to the pain of surgical operations. With the same end 
 in view, some surgeons, addressing the intellect, were in the habit 
 of exciting sudden fear, alarm, or astonishment, t(5 divert the at- 
 tention of their patients. Others, again, resorted to the uncer-
 
 432 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. XXH. 
 
 tain and inexplicable influence of mesmerism. Still more re- 
 cently, the nitrous oxide gasj, administered by inhalation, has, as 
 originally suggested by Sir Humphrey Davy, been employed for 
 producing temporary loss of consciousness. But this too, after 
 a fair trial, has failed, and the hopes founded upon it have proved 
 nugatory and delusive. So that up to this point, the want of a 
 reliable agent for rendering the human body insensible to pain — 
 a want so long felt, and to obviate which so many fruitless efforts 
 had been made — was still to be supplied. That want, however, 
 has since been fully met. 
 
 The first great triumph of placing in the hands of the profes- 
 sion an agent capable of rendering the patient safely, and, at 
 will, utterly insensible to the stroke of the surgeon's knife, was 
 in detecting and establishing by experiment the anaesthetic 
 powers of sulphuric ether. For this discovery the world is in- 
 debted to Dr. Wm. T. G. Morton, of Boston. 
 
 "Whatever may have been the steps preliminary to this remark- 
 able discovery. Dr. Morton's claim to it is established beyond all 
 controversy, and his merit in this respect, with those who have 
 taken the trouble to inform themselves on the subject, can be no 
 longer a question of dispute. 
 
 Nor can the importance of his early investigations and ex- 
 periments, under the guidance of Providence, in reference to 
 the properties and uses of ether, be, at the present day, too 
 highly estimated. The introduction of this agent as an anaes- 
 thetic, and of the various other agents of the same class, as 
 chloroform, arayline, and the like, to which this directly led, has 
 done more for the mitigation of human snffering than any other 
 discovery, with the exception, perhaps, of vaccination, for 
 which the world is indebted to medical science in either ancient 
 or modern times. 
 
 The benefit derived from these newly-discovered agents is not 
 confined to the hardier procedures of operative surgery. They 
 are now in hourly requisition in every quarter of the civilized 
 world for suspending all sense of suffering during the severest 
 throes of child-birth, for arresting convulsions, for relaxing 
 Bpasms, for suspending volition and overcoming muscular resist-
 
 CHAP. XXII.] NEW-YORK APPEAL. 433 
 
 ance during the reduction of fractures and dislocations, for allay- 
 ing restlessness, wakefulness, and morbid excitability ; even for 
 assuaging the pangs of approaching dissolution, not to speak ot 
 the almost innumerable minor uses to which they are applied, as 
 well in the investigation as in the treatment of disease. 
 
 In view of these advantages from the use of ancesthetics, we 
 feel that Dr. J^Iorton — the first to demonstrate their safety and 
 efficiency, and to establish them in general practice — has con- 
 ferred a boon upon humanity as imperishable as it is important, 
 and one of such a character as to entitle him to rank among the 
 benefactors of mankind. 
 
 As members of the medical profession in the city of New- 
 York, and as physicians and surgeons to the various hospitals 
 and infirmaries in this city, and its vicinity, we therefore rejoice 
 to learn that a movement has been commenced by our profession- 
 al brethren and other gentlemen of Boston, to establish a 
 national testimonial, by voluntary subscription, for the benefit 
 of Dr. Morton. In this movement, after full deliberation and 
 consultation among ourselves, we are ready to participate in ac- 
 cordance with the plan of those who originated it, which plan 
 is set forth by the gentlemen of Boston in their appeal. 
 
 Under governments more arbitraiy and restrictive than our 
 own, but more capable of meeting the claims of science, the 
 awards of merit are not usually left, as with us, to the bounty 
 of private individuals. Discoveries and improvements of in- 
 finitely less importance to science or humanity than that for 
 which we are indebted fo Dr. Morton, are at the courts of 
 Europe promptly met by national honors and emoluments. 
 
 In our own country, it is true, the national government, after 
 carefully investigating Dr. Morton's claims, has acknowledged 
 the benefit he has conferred upon it, but has nevertheless failed, 
 as yet, to supply the recompense. 
 
 What the government in this respect has failed to do, it is to 
 be hoped, for the credit of the American name, and from the 
 noble individual examples already set, that the discerning and 
 liberal people of the United States will not leave entirely unac- 
 complished. 
 
 19
 
 434 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. xxn. 
 
 With these remarks we have the honor of recommending Dr. 
 Morton's claims for remuneration to the consideration of our 
 fellow-citizens, and of soliciting their subscriptions in behalf of 
 the fund which it is proposed to raise for his benefit. 
 
 PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS 
 
 Of the New- York Hospital and Bloomingdale Asylum. 
 Consulting Physician. — Thomas Cock, M. D. Attending Physicians. — Joseph M. 
 Smith, M, D., John H, Griscom, M. D., Henry D. Bulkley, M. D., Thomas F. Cock, 
 M. D. Consulting Surgeons. — Valentine Mott, M. D., Alex. H. Stevens, M. D., 
 Eich'd K. Hoffman, M. D., Alfred C. Post, M. D. Attending Surgeons.— Gnrdon 
 Buck, M. D., John Watson, M. D. Attending Siirgeons. — Thaddeus M. Halsted, 
 M. D., Thomas M. Markoe, M. D., Wm. H. Van Buren,M. D., Willard Parker, M.D. 
 
 PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS 
 
 Of Bellevue Hospital^ and of the other Institutions under the charge of the 
 Board of Governors of the Alms House. 
 
 Consulting Physicians. — John W. Francis, M. D., Isaac Wood, M. D. Attending 
 Physicians— B. W. McCready, M. D., John T. Metcalfe, M. D., Isaac E. Taylor, M.D- 
 B. Fordyce Barker, M. D., Geo. T. Elliot, M. D. Consulting Surgeons. — Valentine 
 Mott, M. D., Alex. H. Stevens, M, D. Attending Surgeons.— James R. Wood, M. D., 
 Chas. D. Smith, M. D., Lewis A. Sayre, M. D., J. J. Crane, M. D., W. Parker, 
 M. D., Stephen Smith, M. D. 
 
 Nursery Hospital, RandalVs Island. 
 
 Resident Physician. — Henry N. Whittelsey, M. D. 
 
 Quarantine Hospital, Staten Island. 
 Health Officer Port of New-York,— R. N. Thompson, M. D. Assistant Physi- 
 oian Quarantine Hospital. — Theo. Watson, M. D. 
 
 BlackwelVs Island Hospitals. 
 (Pkkitentiary Hospital, Small-pox Hospital and Alms-House.) 
 Resident Physician.— "Wm. H. Sanger, M. D. 
 
 N. Y. Lunatic Asylum. 
 Resident Physician. — ^M. H. Ranney. 
 
 PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS 
 
 Of the State Emigrant Hospital. 
 Surgeon-in-Chief.—J. M. Camochan, M. D. Surgeons.— T. C. Selden, M. D., 
 H. Guleke, M. D. Physician-in-Chief—Uenry B. Fay, M. D. Physicians.— Fian- 
 cis Simrock, M. D., G. Ford. M. D. 
 
 St. Vincent's Hospital. 
 Attending Physicians. — Thos. E. Burteell, M. D., James O'Rorke, M. D. At- 
 tending Surgeons.— Wta. H. Van Buren, M. D., Alex'r B. Mott, K D., Thos. C. 
 Finnell, M. D.
 
 CHAP. XXII.] SIGNERS TO NEW-YORK APPEAL. 436 
 
 St. Luke's Hospital. 
 Resident Physician. — D. E. Eiginbrodt, M. D. 
 
 Jews' Hospital. 
 Consulting Surgeons. — Y. Mott, M. D., W. Parker, 31. D. Attending Surgeons. — 
 T. M. Markoe, M. D., Alex'r B. Mott, M. D., J. Moses, M. D. Attending Phy- 
 sicians.— C. R. Gilman, M. D., W. H. Maxwell, M. D. 
 
 New- York Eye Infirmary. 
 Surgeons.— A. Dubois, M. D., Gurdon Buck, M. D., T. M. Halsted, M. D., C. B. 
 Agnew, M. D. Assistant Surgeons.— F. J. Bumstead, M. D., J. H. Hinton, M. D. 
 
 New- York Ophthalmic Hospital. 
 Surgeons. — Murk Stephenson, M. D., John P. Garrish, M. D. 
 
 Colored Home Hospital. 
 Consulting Surgeons.— G. A. Sabine, M. D., W. Parker, M. D., J. S. Thebaud, 
 M. D. Resident Physician.— J . D. Fitch, M- D. 
 
 Women's Hospital. 
 Surgeon. — J. Marion Sims, M. D. 
 
 N. Y. Lying-in Asylum. 
 
 Consulting Physicians.— T. F. Cock. M. D., J. T. Metcalfe, M. D., G. T. Elliot, 
 M. D. 
 
 Nursery and Child's Hospital. 
 
 Attending Physicians.— G. T. Elliot, M. D., H. G. Cox, M. D., Geo. A. Peters, 
 M. D., F. U. Johnston, M. D. 
 
 Demilt Dispensary. 
 House Physician. — Jno. 0. Bronson, M. D. Visiting Physician. — ^Wm. B. Bib- 
 bins, M. D. Attending Surgeon. — D. L. Conant, M. D. Attendant PhysiciaTis. — 
 T. G. Thomas, M. D., Gouv. M. Smith, M. D. As.fistant Visiting Physician. — 
 Isaac Cummings, M. D. Attending Surgeon. — Wra. R. Donaghe, M. D. Attend- 
 ing Physicians. — Elisha Harris, M. D., Jno. A. Bartholf, M. D. 
 
 N. Y. Academy of Medicine. 
 President.— 3. P. Batchelder,M. D. Vice-Presidents.— Jd^nV^SiXson, M. D.,Wm. H. 
 Van Buren, M. D., S. Conant Foster, M. D., C. E. Isaacs, M. D, Recording Secreta- 
 ry. — C. T. Heywood, M. D. Domestic Corresponding Secretary, — S. T. Hubbard, 
 M. D. Treasurer. — Jas. 0. Pond, M. D. Librarian. — Samuel Botton, M. D. 
 Trustees.— 'Wm. W. Blakeman, M. D., Ed. L. Beadle, M. D., Benj. Ogden, M. D. 
 Assistant Secretary. — F. U. Johnston, M. D. Resident Fellows. — B. F. Barker, 
 M. D., Gurdon Buck, M. D., H. D. Bulkley, M. D., F. J. Bumstead, M. D., Thos. 
 Cock, M. D., Thomas F. Cock, M. D., J. J. Crane, M. D., Geo. T. Elliot, M. D., T. 
 C. Finnell, M. D., J. W. Francis, M. D., J. P. Garrish, M. D., C. R. Gilman, M. D., 
 J. H. Griscom, M. D., T. M. Halsted, M. D., E. Harris, M. D., J. H. Hinton, M. D., 
 E. Lee Jones. M. D., B. W. McCready, M. D., W. Parker, M. D., G. A. Sabine, 
 M. D., L. A. Sayre, M. D., J. M. Sims, M. D., C. D. Smith, M. D., J. M. Smith, 
 M. D., Mark Stephenson, M. D.. J. E. Taylor. M, D., T. G. Thomas, M. D., W. H.
 
 4jfe DISCOVERT OP ETHEfelZATlON. [chap. xxiI. 
 
 Van Buren, M. D., Isaac Wood, M. D., J. R. "Wood, M. D., Jas. Anderson, M. D.. 
 E. Acosta, M. D., E. H. Davis, M. D., A. K. Gardner, M. D., Ed. Delafield, M. D., 
 Joel Foster, M. D., J. C. Beales, M. D., R. W. Barr>', M. D., H. W. Brown, M. D , 
 J. C. Forrester, M. D., H. S. Downs, M. D.,F. S. Edwards, M. D., F. Elliot, M.D., 
 R. Pennell, M. D., T. W. Richards, M. D., A, Underbill, M. D., Jos. Wooster, 
 M.D., J. W. S. Ganley, M. D., E. H. Janes, M. D., C.Henschel, M. D., A. Gescheidt, 
 M. D., A. N. Gunn, M. D., Wm. H. Maxwell, Kf D., E. Hall, M. D., Jared Linsly, 
 M. D., John McCleland, M. D., Wm. Minor, M. D., Jos. Martin, M. D., J. W. Ran- 
 ney, M. D., John Priestly, M. D., Alex. H. Stevens, M. D., W. C. Livingston, M. D., 
 Stephen Smith, M. D., Geo. Lewis, M. D., Jas. D. Fitch, M. D., Chas. A. Budd, 
 M. D., N. C. Husted, M. D., Thos. W. Horsfield, M. D. 
 
 New-York Medical College. 
 President of Faculty.— RordiCe Green, M. D. Prof, of Mat. Med.—E. H. Davis, 
 M. D. Prof, of Obstetrics.— B. F. Barker, M. D. Prof, of Chemistry.— B,. Ogden 
 Doremus, M. D. Prof, of Surgery. — J. M. Carnochan, M. D. Prof, of Theory and 
 Practice.— B. G. Cox, M. D. Prof, of Physiology — E. R. Peaselee, M. D. Lecturer 
 on Obstetrics.— Cha.s. A. Badd,.M. D. 
 
 New- York Pathological Society. 
 Prejident. — E. R. Peaselee, M. D. Vice-President. — E. Harris, M. D. Secre- 
 tary.— E. Lee Jones, M. D. Treasurer.— \Y. B. Bibbins, M. D. Curator.— T. C 
 Finnell, M. D. 
 
 Brooklyn City Hospital. 
 
 Attending Physicians. — Jas. Crane, M. D., H. S. Smith, M. D., Geo. Cochran, 
 M. D. Attending Surgeons. — C. E. Isaacs, M. D., Danl. E. Kissam, J. C. Hutchin- 
 son, Jos. M. Minor, M. D. 
 
 College of Physicians and Surgeons. 
 President. — Thos. Cock, M. D. Emeritus Prof, of Obstetrics. — Edwd . Delafield. 
 M. D. Prof, of Surgcrj/ .—Willard Parker, M. D. Prof, of Mat. Med.— Son. M. 
 Smith, M. D. Prof, of Obstetrics .—G . R. Gilman, M. D. 
 
 Lniversity Medical College. 
 Prof of Anatomy. — Wm. H. Van Buren, M. D. Prof, of Surgery. — Alfred C. 
 Post, M. D. Prof of Practice.— J . T. Metcalfe, M. D. 
 
 The committees upon the hospitals immediately entered upon 
 the duties assigned them. The following will illustrate the form 
 in which it was laid before the leading institutions. 
 
 " George T. Trimble, Esq., President of the Board of Governers of the New- 
 York Hospital : 
 " Sir : The members of the medical profession of N"ew-York, have made 
 an appeal in behalf of Dr. Wm. T. G. Morton, of Boston, who was the 
 first to discover and demonstrate by experiment the power of sulphuric 
 ether, to render the human economy insensible to pain under surgical op- 
 erations.
 
 CHAP. XIII.] LAID BEFORE CUSTODL\NS OF HOSPITAL. 487 
 
 " The object of this appeal is to raise, by Toluntary contribntioiis, a fund, 
 as a national testimonial for his benefit, such as shall be a worthy acknowl- 
 edgment of the priceless value of a discovery, which has already done, 
 and is constantly doing so much to diminish human suffering. 
 
 " Boston, the scene of Dr. Morton's labors, has taken the initiation in this 
 effort and has made a noble beginning. 
 
 " It is believed that the action of the New-York Hospital, in reference to 
 this appeal, will exert an important influence on other kindred institutions 
 in this city and elsewhere, and it is therefore earnestly hoped that the ob- 
 ject will be regarded with favor by tlie Board of Governors. N'owhere in 
 our whole land are the benefits of this discovery more constantly witnessed 
 than in the Xew-York Hospital, and there seems to be special propriety in 
 such an institution acting a conspicuous part in acknowledging our common 
 indebtedness to the discoverer, of such a boon to suffering humanity. 
 
 " Having been delegated to present this object to your Board, I beg leave, 
 Mr. President, through you, to submit this communication with theaccom-? 
 panying appeal to that honorable body for consideration at their next 
 meeting, 
 
 " I have the honor to remain, very respectfully, 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 " GuRDON Buck, M. D." 
 
 "New- York, July Bd, 1858." 
 
 The subject being thus fairly laid before the custodians of the 
 institutions of New- York, the Society of the New- York Hospi- 
 tal, a close corporation, governed by the gentlemen named in 
 the note appended,* immediately voted that their president, Hon. 
 George T. Trimble, subscribe five hundred dollars to the pro- 
 posed fund. 
 
 The Commissioners of Emigration, composed of the gentlemen 
 named in the annexed note,t passed the following resolution : 
 
 ^'Hesolved, That in view of the great benefits derived by the In- 
 
 * George T. Trimble, Najah Taylor, Gulian C. Yerplanck, James F. De 
 Peyster, John A. Stevens, James I. Jones, Stacy B. Collins, George F. 
 Hussey, Edwin D. Morgan, David Golden Murray, Bobert Lenox Kennedy, 
 John David "Wolfe, George F. Jones, Joseph "W^alker, Thomas Hall Faile, 
 Thomas B. Stillman, James N. Cobb, George T. Olyphant, John C Green, 
 David Clarkson, Abram S. Hewitt, Frederick A. Conlding, Nathaniel P. 
 Bailey, Otis D. Swan, Henry L. Pierson, James W. Beekman. 
 
 t Gulian C. Yerplanck, Prest. ; E. Crabtree, Vice-Prest. ; B. Casserly, 
 Sec. ; F. D. Morgan, Wilson G. Hunt, Elijah F. Purdy, John P. Gumming, 
 Cyrus Curtiss, Mayor of New- York, Mayor of Brooklyn, President of the 
 German Society, President of the Irish Emigrant Society.
 
 4:88 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XXII. 
 
 stitutions and patients under the charge of the Commissioners of 
 Emigration, by the use of sulphuric ether, the sum of two hun- 
 dred and fifty dollars be donated to Dr Wm. T. G. Morton, the 
 discoverer thereof, as a consideration of the feeling of the Board, 
 with an expression of regret that the present state of the funds 
 under their charge would not permit the Commissioners to show 
 a more substantial appreciation of the great importance of the 
 discovery." 
 
 The Governors of the Almshouse, composed of the gentlemen 
 named in the annexed note,* referred the subject to the commit- 
 tee on Bellevue Plospital to report. While considering the sub- 
 ject, the committee received from Stephen Smith, M. D. , Secre- 
 tary, the following resolution, unanimously adopted by the Medi- 
 cal Board of Bellevue Hospital : 
 
 Resolved, That the Medical Board of Bellevue Hospital cheer- 
 fully express their conviction that to the zeal, perseverance, and 
 skill of Dr. Wm. T. Green Morton, of Boston, in using sulphuric 
 ether to render persons insensible to pain, the world is indebted 
 for the present extended and beneficial use of anaesthetic agents, 
 in the practice of medicine and surgery ; and they are convinced 
 that but for his energy, courage, and success, there is no reason 
 to believe that mankind would yet have received that boon from 
 any of the gentlemen whose names have been prominently con- 
 nected with this subject. 
 
 John W. Francis, M. D., 
 
 President Medical Board. 
 
 Stephen Smith, M. D., Secretary. 
 
 Referred to Committee on Bellevue Hospital. 
 
 On the 4th of August, the committee made the following re- 
 port : 
 
 The Committee on Bellevue Hospital, to whom was referred 
 the following resolution : 
 
 " Resolved, That thi« Board view with high appreciation the 
 
 * "Wash. Smith, Prest., Anthony Dugro, Sec, Isaac Townsend, Patrick 
 McElroy, C. Godfrey Gunther, P. G. Molony, Corns. V, Anderson, Wm. 
 T. Pinkney, Benj. F. Pinckney, Isaac J. Oliver.
 
 CHAP. XXII.] COMMITTEE ON BELLEVUE HOSPITAL. 439 
 
 initiary steps taken by the Medical Faculty of the cities of Bos- 
 ton and New-York, to acknowledge in a substantial manner the 
 discovery and appliances of sulphuric ether, by Dr. William T. 
 G. Morton, and believing the same to be as expressed and set 
 forth in their testimonials, the greatest benefit of the present age 
 rendered to science and humanity, deem it our duty in consider- 
 ation thereof, and of the many uses to which the same has been 
 applied in the Institutions under our charge, to vote toward the 
 national subscription fund, as instituted by the Faculty, the sum 
 of $1,500," have given the matter the consideration it deserves, 
 and beg leave to submit the following 
 
 REPORT ; 
 
 The discovery of anaesthesia (or as denominated in the reso- 
 lution, sulphuric ether) stands pre-eminent as one of the great- 
 est boons ever conferred upon humanity, and your committee 
 believe that he, who in the hands of a beneficent Providence 
 revealed it to the world, deserves a substantial recompense ; that, 
 as attested by the most prominent and reliable members of the 
 medical profession in this country. Dr. William T. G. Morton 
 is entitled to this great claim ; that so far from having met 
 with any pecuniary reward, he has lost by the discovery, of what 
 to others has been so great a gain, and is now, after many trials 
 and sacrifices, struggling with poverty. 
 
 The United States government having failed to give him any 
 reward, your committee believe, under the circumstances, that it 
 is the duty of the public to repair this great injustice, and 
 that it is more particularly obligatory on the custodians and 
 governors of pubHc institutions to do this, as they in so great 
 a degree have profited, and will continue to profit by this 
 discovery. 
 
 Your committee disclaim the intention of advising the appro- 
 priation of the funds of our department, for simply rewarding a 
 discoverer, however great a benefit he may have conferred 
 on humanity ; but base the propriety of the Board's action 
 in this matter, on the fact, that the institutions under your 
 care are daily using, and will continue to use for all time,
 
 4AQ DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XXH. 
 
 to a great extent, what may be justly regarded as private prop- 
 erty. 
 
 Your committee are truly informed, that Dr. Morton believ- 
 ing that he would be awarded by his government, placed this 
 discovery at the disposal of the community ; and we, as the rep. 
 resentatives of the poor sick thereof, are called upon as conscien- 
 tious men, to partially remunerate him for the inestimable bene- 
 fits enjoyed, and daily availing ourselves of, he having failed to 
 be recompensed from the other source. 
 
 Your Committee know that such action on our part is not 
 without precedent in this Board, and believing that the com- 
 munity will heartily endorse our action in this instance, ask the 
 acceptance of this report, and offer for your adoption the follow- 
 ing resolution : — 
 
 Resolved, That the resolution respecting Dr. William T. G. 
 Morton, as referred to the committee on Bellevue Hospital, and 
 as embodied in their report, be adopted. 
 
 C. Godfrey Gunther, 
 William T. Pinkney, 
 P. G. Moloney, 
 
 Committee. 
 Ordered to be printed in the proceedings, and made special 
 order for next meeting. 
 
 The resolution of the Medical Board, previously alluded to, 
 did not recommend the appropriation, or certify that the sur- 
 geons of the institution under the Governors were using ether, 
 and accordingly the following certificate was forwarded to the 
 
 Board : 
 
 Bellevx^e Hospital, 
 
 New-York, Sept. nth, 1858. 
 To Washington S^hth, 
 
 President Board of Ten Governors: 
 
 We, the undersigned Members of the Medical Board of 
 
 Bellevue Hospital, respectfully represent to the Board of Ten 
 
 Governors that sulphuric ether has been in constant use since 
 
 its appliances were first discovered by Dr. W. T. G. Morton,
 
 CHAP. IXII.] ME5IBERS OP THE MEDICAL BOARD. 441 
 
 and further recommend that he be remunerated as recommended 
 by your Committee to whom his claim for compensation was re- 
 ferred. 
 
 Valentine Mott, Chas. D. Smith, M. D. 
 
 Willi AJi Pakkek, M. D. Stephen Smith, M. D. 
 
 James K. Wood, M. D. John I. Mefcalfe, M. D. 
 
 John W. Francis, M. D. B. W. McCready, M. D. 
 John J. Crane, M. D. 
 
 On September 14, the following preamble and resolution, ap- 
 propriating fifteen hundred dollars, was adopted : 
 
 Resolved, That this Board view with high appreciation the 
 initiatory steps taken by the medical faculty of the City of 
 Boston and New York to acknowledge, in a substantial manner, 
 the discovery and appliances of sulphuric ether by Doctor Wm. 
 T, G. Morton, and believing the same to be, as expressed and 
 set forth in their testimonials, the greatest benefit of the present 
 age rendered to science and humanity, deem it our duty, in con- 
 sideration thereof, and of the many uses to which the same has 
 been applied in the institutions under our charge, to unqualified- 
 ly endorse the same. 
 
 And he it further Resolved, That the sum of Fifteen Hundred 
 Dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated as compensation 
 for the use of sulphuric ether in the hospital under our charge, 
 and the same be taken from the unexpended appropriation of 
 Bellevue Hospital. 
 
 The president of the Board of Ten Governors immediately 
 made the subscription to the proposed fund. 
 
 Subsequently, the Board had the following action : 
 
 Resolved, That before the sum of $1,500 shall be paid to Dr. 
 William T. G. Morton, he, or his assignees, or both if necessary, 
 shall execute to this Board the right by deed, or otherwise, to 
 use his patent for the application of sulphuric ether, in all the 
 public institutions in this city. 
 
 Passed, Tuesday, 5th October, 1858. 
 
 The following communication was read, and ordered to be 
 printed on the minutes : 
 
 19*
 
 442 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XXII. 
 
 *' Law Department, City op New- York, 
 " New- York, October lltk, 1858. 
 " To C. G. Gunther, Chairman of Committee on Bellcvue Hospital: 
 
 " Sir ; I am in receipt of your communication of the 6th instant, recit- 
 ing a resolution of the Board of Governors of the Alms House, passed Sept., 
 14th, 1858, voting to Dr. W. T. G. Morton, SI, 500, ' as compensation for 
 the use of sulphuric ether in the hospitals,' and another resolution of the 
 Board, passed October 5th, 1858, to the effect, that before the above named 
 sum be paid to Dr. Morton, he, or his assignees, (fee, execute to the Board, 
 by deed, or otherwise, the right to use the patent for the application of 
 sulphuric ether, <fec. 
 
 " My legal opinion is asted in this connection, upon the following state- 
 ment in your communication : ' Said Morton having the only patent that 
 has been issued by the Government for the use and control of sulphuric 
 ether as an anaesthetic agent, has the Board of Governors or any cor- 
 porate body the right to use the same without his consent or compensa- 
 tion ?' 
 
 *' To this question I have the honor to reply that, if Dr. Morton had a 
 valid patent, ' for the use and control of sulphuric ether as an angesthetic 
 agent,' and the Governors of the Alms House used it without his license, 
 they are liable as infringers, and have a right to pay him any proper sum 
 to prevent being prosecuted. They have also a right, if the use of the 
 ether be necessary, and the patent exist, to make any proper arrangement 
 for a license from the patentee to justify such use. But they have no right 
 to make him any donation or present from any motive or in any form. 
 
 *' Your obedint servant, 
 
 " Richard Busteed, 
 " Counsel for the Corporation.^* 
 
 Gov. Gunther moved that 
 
 Wh€7'eas, This Board has appropriated the sum of $1,500 to 
 be paid to Dr. W. T. G. Morton, for having used, and for the privi- 
 lege of using sulphuric ether as an anaesthetic agent ; and 
 
 Whereas, Said appropriation is declared legal and valid by 
 Corporation Counsel, said Dr. Morton having a patent : there- 
 fore, 
 
 Resolved, That the President be directed to sign the check for 
 said amount, and provided the agreement is in accordance with 
 the resolution passed October 5, on said subject, and approved 
 by Counsel to the Corporation. 
 
 Passed, Tuesday, October 12, 1858.
 
 CHAP. XXIl] EMBARRASSMENTS. 443 
 
 Pressed down by the enormous weight of the debts resting upon 
 his shoulders, and the impossibility of extricating himself from 
 the straits occasioned by the sudden and decided action of his 
 creditors, when on his last return from AYashington he had in- 
 formed them of the discouraging alternative left, Dr. Morton 
 saw he would be unable to protect that which was dearer to 
 him than anything else on earth besides his family — his own 
 home. The suits brought against him, urged with zeal, were 
 soon to be brought to a termination, and the title to his house 
 and farm was to be sold at public auction, together with all 
 the other lands and appurtenances. This charming place has 
 before been fully described. At the time of his first settling 
 upon it in 1845, it was a mere pasture, presenting a most un- 
 propitious appearance as compared with its present condition ; 
 but by his energy and industry, his careful and scientific man- 
 agement, he had made it a conspicuous place in the annals of 
 agriculture and horticulture. The tract of land covered a natu- 
 ral basin, watered by a pure brook, which he had diverted from 
 its original channel to a more appropriate course, and which fur- 
 nished an inexhaustible fund of amusement to his children, and 
 was surrounded by an amphitheatre of forest-clad hills, dotted 
 with suburban residences. On a swelling knoll, which rises 
 from the centre of this level. Dr. Morton had erected a pic- 
 turesque building, in the English style of rural architecture, 
 which had been formed as a model edifice, and as the seat of 
 cordial hospitality. The prospect from every window of the 
 cottage is superb. In the foreground are the serpentine walks, 
 rustic summer-houses, flower-beds, young trees, sparkling streams, 
 extensive farm buildings, and other appurtenances, which his 
 own hands had arranged, and which all conduce to make up the 
 well-managed homestead. Beyond can be seen the village 
 church, the farmhouses of the industrious yeomanry, and the 
 other quiet beauties of a New-England landscape, while the 
 occasional sweeping by of a train upon the adjacent railway, 
 like a fiery dragon, brings back a realization of the more active 
 world in which we live, a type of the nervous, go-ahead spirit 
 of this utilitarian age. Every tree and shrub upon the premises
 
 444 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHA.P. XXII. 
 
 was associated in the mind of Dr. Morton with some family 
 event. Each object about the house suggested recollections of 
 happier times, and the presence of those he loved. Not a foot 
 of ground upon the premises but had received some care, some 
 attention from him or some member of his family. His aged 
 parents dwelt in close propinquity to him, and still, as of yore, 
 watched over their cherished son. The whole place was his 
 pride, and furnished the only relief which his troubles had so 
 often rendered desirable. He had planned it, and occupied it 
 early in his married life ; he had lived on it through all the events 
 which had befallen him, and he had always wished to have the 
 privilege of holding it still for his old age, and dying upon it, 
 to leave it as a legacy and home to his children. Was it 
 strange, then, that this last blow should prove the severest of 
 them all ? 
 
 While the various meetings and consultations were being held 
 in Boston, by gentlemen interested in some plan to relieve Dr. 
 Morton, he was applying himself to the painful duties conse- 
 quent upon his dispossession of " Etherton," which was soon to 
 follow the sherifl's sale. He could have gone about this with 
 more fortitude, but that there were others even, besides his wife 
 and children, involved in his ruin. The little provision that the 
 last dower of his grandparents made in favor of his tottering 
 and gray -haired parents, was invested in, and must all go with 
 *' Etherton." The scene that followed as Dr. Morton went 
 from his own dwelling and entered that of these doting par- 
 ents, to inform them of what awaited them, I do not wish to 
 distress the reader's feelings by detailing. This painful duty ac- 
 complished, he next proceeded to the teacher of the little private 
 school he had established by the erection of a suitable structure 
 upon a quiet spot at Etherton, and then to his children's private 
 tutor in French and music, and informed them he could employ 
 them no longer. He then commenced the difficult task of 
 choosing what articles they would part with, which retain out 
 of what had not already been pledged. His library, gold medal, 
 some other valuables had already been pledged, and the balance 
 of what they could possibly spare, must be disposed of before
 
 CHAP. XXII.] OVERRULING MOTIVE TO ENFORCE PATENT. 445 
 
 they left " Etherton. " The task was finally finisliecl. It was 
 Ibund that nearly everything must go, even the children's pony 
 and pianoforte. 
 
 The day before the sale was to be held Dr. Morton, dis- 
 pirited and unhappy, had walked out to take a final view of the 
 property, and returned home without the strength of mind 
 to meet the change that was to come over him and all that 
 was dear to him. He found, on his return to the house, a 
 messenger waiting with a note from his attorneys. He hastily 
 tore it open, and read the very brief words, " Etherton can be 
 saved, by instituting the suit against the government, as sug- 
 gested by the President of the United States." With one glance 
 upon the lovely groves and orchards planted by his own hands, 
 and from which, in a few short hours, he was to be separated for- 
 ever, he seized the pen and wrote upon the bottom of the note 
 two words, " Do it," and passed it back to the messenger. Ether- 
 ton was considered saved, but Dr. Morton was made a target for 
 critics to shoot at. It proved that a gentleman, not even wealthy, 
 was so interested in the movement to relieve Dr. Morton, that 
 he had consulted with the medical men as to what they believed 
 could be accomplished by the proposed national testimonial, and 
 with Dr. INIor ton's attorney, as to his chance of success in 
 the suit which the President had suggested, and that he had suf- 
 ficient confidence in the success of one or both, to purchase 
 '' Etherton," subject to the incumbrances the Doctor had put 
 upon it, and to await the raising of the money he had to advance 
 from one or the other of the above sources.* But that he in- 
 
 * That, as has been sho'v^'n by subsequent events, was a concerted action 
 on his part. Some of the gentlemen composing the meetings held, had 
 decided that the land, together with the house constituting the estate called 
 Etherton, should at all hazards be preserved, and settled securely upon the 
 Doctor and his family for ever ; but that all the outlying lands should be 
 sold as part payment of some of the debts for which he was responsible 
 The title to the place still remains in the hands of this same gentlemen, 
 but a writ of ejectment has been served upon Dr. Morton and his family, 
 by the parties holding the mortgages now existing upon the estate ; and 
 unless these are satisfied within the period allowed by the laws of Massa- 
 chusetts, the place will be lost to him forever.
 
 446 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. xxil 
 
 sisted, as a condition, that Dr. Morton should give his consent 
 that the suit should be brought. Others who had been consulted 
 about aiding in the fund to be raised, asserted that Dr. Morton 
 had no right to delay using force to compel the government to 
 pay, while individuals were putting their hands in their own 
 pockets to aid him. Yet Dr. Morton, with the anathemas of his 
 opponents and the medical profession ringing in his ears, in 
 case they failed to take his assurance that it was, though nomin- 
 ally against a professional brother, really against the govern- 
 ment, would never have brought this suit, had it not been 
 for this circumstance we have alluded to. 
 
 In pursuance of this object, the attorneys of Di\ Morton sent 
 for Dr. Davis, of the Marine Hospital, near Boston, and inform- 
 ed him what it was desirable to accomplish, and as a matter of 
 convenience they would like to bring the suit against him, he re- 
 siding within the jurisdiction of the United States Circuit Court, 
 held at Boston, and they being able to prove that he had violated 
 the patent. They at the same time gave him a pledge in the 
 name of Dr. Morton that no judgment should be collected against 
 him, meaning only to test the question as between Dr. Morton 
 and the government. 
 
 Accordingly, a suit was commenced against this government 
 officer for his past infringement of the patent. This has not yet 
 been brought to trial, and consequently still remains undecided. 
 On the public announcement of this action in the newspapers, 
 as expected by Dr. Morton, some dissatisfaction was expressed 
 against him for still adhering to liis rights under the patent, and 
 it was hinted that, guided by this decision, if in his favor, he might 
 be tempted to commence similar actions against any private indi- 
 viduals who had infringed, or whose position was such as to tempt 
 his cupidity. It was asserted that this was not an amicable suit, 
 brought at the instigation of the government itself, and in order 
 to test a great question involved, but simply the commencement 
 of a series of rapacious and almost unwarrantable acts. These 
 stories were also started in New York, and meeting with a cer- 
 tain degree of credit, were brought before the meeting of the phy- 
 sicians engaged in originating the movement in his favor. Called
 
 CHAP. XIII.] SUIT AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT. 447 
 
 upon by them, Dr. Morton stated what he had long before ad 
 vanced as an answer to the inquiries made in Boston, why a suit 
 had not at once been brought on the direction of the President, 
 that he had always been unwilling to have his name associated in 
 connection with a lawsuit, as regards the patent; that as he had 
 always looked forward to a free and just compensation from the 
 government, he had been unwilling to force an act which his feel- 
 ings dictated should be voluntary. But finding that he could not 
 save his wife and children from being suddenly turned upon a cold 
 world, and that if he did not do it it would impede even the be- 
 nevolent movement making in their behalf, the considerations 
 that had so long influenced him against this course now did not, 
 not only have any weight with him, but he looked upon it as 
 wrong on his part not to relieve his friends from that portion of 
 the voluntary burden which the commencement of this suit might 
 effect. These representations, made by him in New York, sat- 
 isfied the gentlemen here. For information on the true state of 
 the case, a letter was written without the knowledge of Dr. Mor- 
 ton by a gentleman of New York to the surgeon sued, from whom 
 the following reply was received, which presents the truth as 
 plainly as possible, and shows the honorable and generous man- 
 ner in which all the proceedings of the government have thus 
 far and, apparently, will be, characterized, and confirms Dr. 
 Morton's statement. 
 
 " U. S. Marine Hospital, Chelsea, June 15th, 1858. 
 " My Dear Dr. : I have just received your note, and in answer -would 
 say that Dr. Morton has commenced a suit for alleged trespass on his patent 
 as discoverer of the anaesthetic properties of ether. His counsel informed 
 me at the time, that Dr. Morton having failed to obtain any remuneration 
 from Congress, had applied to them to bring this suit against me as a gov- 
 ernment agent, intending to make it a test of his patent, and supposing 
 that government and not myself would pay the expenses of the defence. 
 I immediat-ely wrote to the department the facts that suit had been com- 
 menced, and asked for authority to employ the U. S. District Attorney to 
 defend it. The Solicitor of the Treasury decided that there was tw law 
 which would compel them to defend, and that if I had trespassed upon anv- 
 hody's rights I must suffer the consequences. The trial is assigned for the 
 October Term of the U S. District Court, and as yet I am undecided what 
 course to pursue. I presume the Doctor's idea is to obtain judgment if possi- 
 ble, and then force the U. States to pay him for the use of his discovery.
 
 448 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. fCHAP. XXII. 
 
 Whether he intends to make the profession generally pay tribute or not, 
 I do not know. 
 
 " Respectfully, your ob't serv't, 
 
 " Charles A. Davis, 
 " Physician and Superintendent. 
 "C. F. Heywood, M. D., New-York:' 
 
 To attempt a refutation of the ridiculous reports in connec- 
 tion with this suit, spread to the injury of Dr. Morton, would 
 simply be a waste of time and an encouragement of their con- 
 tinuance. If years ago Dr. Morton was willing to give freely 
 the use of his discovery to every institution, to any one who 
 chose to avail himself of it, and at a time when the fresh issue 
 of his patent had not laid him exposed to the conflicting opinions 
 which have since accumulated; if, year after year, borne down 
 by misfortune and disappointment, and reaping none of the bene- 
 fits anticipated from his discovery, he chose to let every physician 
 throughout the country use his right without demanding any re- 
 muneration in return, it is not to be supposed that now, when 
 the task of restriction has been immeasurably increased, when 
 the years for which his patent was granted have nearly expired, 
 when it is his daily prayer that he can have peace and quiet, and 
 a freedom from all those cares which have so long harassed him, 
 he will make the attempt to do an act which he knows would 
 meet with well-merited indignation and opposition, and in the 
 end would prove difficult and unsatisfactory, if not impossible. 
 
 Much has been said, when speaking of the difficulties under 
 which Dr. Morton has labored, of the pecuniary losses which 
 hnve resulted to him in consequence of the discovery. It has been 
 stated in broad terms, that they were heavy, but the figures of the 
 sums themselves can alone furnish a proper realization of how large 
 these Avere. A full examination of his affairs was made at the 
 time the benevolent design of the gentlemen of Boston was first 
 originated, and the result surprised many. The following account 
 current presents a correct and fair statement. It is probably 
 much below the expense actually incurred, because it was formed 
 from an examination of receipted bills, old accounts and notes 
 alone, and did not include the many small expenses, which, by 
 their daily increase, by this time amount to a formidable total, j
 
 CHAP. XXII.] 
 
 ACCOUNT CURRENT. 
 
 U9 
 
 (U u o 
 
 S o S i? 
 
 > m" ^ N 
 
 o o 'Z 'H 
 
 Psi^s ^s i 
 
 
 SSg 5- 
 
 ilSOslS o' 
 
 
 
 o 
 
 o 
 
 O 
 
 o 
 
 4,326 
 2,640 
 3,060 
 2,000 
 2,000 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 s 
 
 
 F-iO 
 
 1 
 
 O - 1 
 C.T! I 
 
 « £ ; 
 
 S5 
 
 
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 B.H 
 
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 •5 ^s^-^ 2
 
 450 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XXII. 
 
 It is always an easy task to look back and correct the mistakes 
 committed in the past ; guided by the perceptions of another's 
 errors, or our own previous failures, no great difficulty exists in 
 avoiding a similar course for the future. The perusal of this ac- 
 count shows where many a mistake has been committed by Dr. 
 Morton, and probably had he to go over the same ground again 
 would by its action on his own mind induce a different manage- 
 ment. 
 
 But we must remember how Dr. Morton M'as situated at the 
 time the first entry was made, and he subjected himself to the 
 first expense. To do this, we need only recur to the chapter 
 on opposition, and reflect for a moment whether any one of us 
 possessing this great boon to humanity, and believing in its value 
 to the extent Dr. Morton did, would not feel justified in spending 
 money freely to put down opposition at any cost. Besides, an 
 entire ignorance existed in the world as to the best manner in 
 which to use the discovery; the knowledge was gradual, came by 
 experience after repeated failures, and great expense. At first 
 the inhaling machines were considered absolutely necessary for 
 success, so much so that the eminent surgeon Listen considered 
 their proper arrangement and use as one of the prime elements 
 m a favorable application. The knowledge that a simple hand- 
 kerchief or sponge, the first medium of administration used by 
 Dr. Morton, and mentioned by him in his specification, was the 
 most effectual, was learned only after the repeated failures of all 
 kinds of machines. As these were at first found necessary. Dr. 
 Morton was the only proper person looked to to superintend their 
 manufacture, or distribute them. Their costliness led to a heavy 
 commercial transaction, and the discovery of their uselessness 
 caused a commensurate loss. The same holds good as regards 
 the ether, which he had manufactured in immense quantities. 
 Any failures during the period of doubt and opposition would 
 have injured his cause terribly. It is a well known fact that after 
 his public announcement of the agent used, a great many 
 throughout the country fell to experimenting with it, but as in 
 nearly every case the article used was the common ether of the 
 stores, non-success attended each attempt, and these repeated
 
 CHAP. XXll.] EXPENSE OF INTRODUCING THE DISCOVEET. 451 
 
 failures were one of the strongest arguments used against the 
 discovery.* 
 
 It was imperatively necessary, therefore, for Dr. Morton 
 that nothing but the best highly-rectified ether should be 
 used, which either necessitated its purchase from him, or the 
 free gift. Gallons of it were consequently given away to induce 
 experiment, procure favorable notices, and spread the fame of 
 the discovery. Under the same categoiy of expediency must come 
 the heavy expenses entailed by the physicians sent over the coun- 
 try to counteract opposition, by the many pamphlets containing 
 favorable notices and reports, published month after month, by 
 the long editorials and journal articles which constantly appear- 
 ed. They were considered necessary at the time, and all sub- 
 served some end. 
 
 But it cannot be said, even by those who may object to the 
 account of his expenses on the ground of its apparent extrava- 
 gance, that all this money was thrown away ; that it produced 
 no useful effect in the diffusion of the public knowledge on the 
 subject, and was simply so much money lost. For there is but 
 slight reason to doubt that the discovery would have fallen 
 into disuse, judging from the opposition raised against it, had it 
 not been for Morton's compelling the world to believe in it 
 by his bold and decisive course in giving it notoriety and sur- 
 mounting opposition. "Within six months from the time when 
 Dr. Morton had so openly and boldly caused the trial at the hos- 
 pital, the name of the agent, the manner of its employment, and 
 its effects, were perfectly well known in every part of the globe 
 where surgery was truly pursued as a science. This was owing to 
 various causes. The first, the public manner of the first trial, 
 
 * " I placed some sulphuric ether in the instrument sent, and gave it to a 
 gentleman to inhale ; the effect was to cause him to laugh heartily, but 
 there was nothing like sleep. What should be done in such a case?'* 
 Extract from a letter from a well-known physician of Philadelphia to Dr. 
 A. A. Gould, dated Nov. 12th, 1846, in which fault was found because the 
 directions given had not been attended with success. Yide, also, paper of 
 Dr. H. J. Bigclow, pubhshed in Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, Nov. 
 18th, 1846.,
 
 453 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XXII 
 
 and the distinguished and reliable character of the men sum- 
 moned as the jurj. The second, to the care and attention paid 
 by Dr. Morton to disseminating an account of it afterward — 
 extensive, as we have shown it was, at page 450. If, according 
 to his own statement. Dr. Jackson made the discovery, or rather 
 the deduction, in 1842, and then allowed four years to elapse 
 before he made the initial experiment — how long a period is it 
 fair to suppose would have been required by him before bringing 
 it to public notice, or before a satisfactory account would have 
 been given by him ? Allowing that the ^asco of Dr. Wells with 
 his gas in 1844 shall be dignified with the name of discovery, 
 and suppose that Dr. Morton had never experimented with the 
 ether, what is it probable would be the true condition of prac- 
 tical anaesthesia at this time ? Dr. Wells made, to a certain 
 extent, a public experiment, which, had it succeeded, would no 
 doubt have attracted the attention of medical men : it failed, 
 Dr. Wells renounced any further attempts, and the remembrance 
 of this exhibition soon passed from the memory of those who had 
 witnessed it, and probably never would have again occurred to 
 them, had not the declaration of Dr. Morton again suggested it 
 to their minds. This is so true, that Dr. John C. Warren, 
 through whose agency the exhibition was allowed at the Medical 
 College, and to whom Dr. Wells was introduced by Dr. Morton, 
 liad completely forgotten it when the claim of Dr. Wells was 
 first started, and it was only brought again to his recollec- 
 tion by some information and suggestions from Dr. Morton him- 
 self. The first operation at the hospital did not fully settle, to 
 the satisfaction of the attending surgeons, the perfect reliance 
 which it is known can be placed upon the ether, although it 
 did in the mind of Morton ; who, from having before witnessed 
 its effects, was at that moment fully convinced that by it the pain 
 of any operation was abolished. Knowing this, had he returned 
 to his own home, and keeping the name of the article a 
 secret, at once commenced employing it in his own practice, 
 without allowing its use to be extended, as he could easily 
 have done, he would probably have realized a large amount 
 of money, and at the present time the use of the agent
 
 CHAP. XXH] KELIAisXE UPON HIS SIEDICAL BRETHREN. 
 
 45^ 
 
 would be restricted to a few, if it was not entirely dropped. 
 The experiment at the hospital would have attracted some 
 attention, but it would have been but a nine days' wonder, and 
 would soon have passed from the memory of those present. But 
 after the history was published abroad, the benefits flowing 
 from the expenditures of Dr. Morton did not, by any means, 
 cease. The constant printing of cases — the instruction derived 
 from his agents sent over the countiy — the care taken by him 
 in spreading information as regards each improvement, together 
 with the pure form of ether, which he was the means of putting 
 into the hands of the surgeons — all conspired to settle at once 
 the value of the discovery, make its use safe and reliable, (so that 
 to this day it can be asserted that no death has ever occurred 
 directly traceable to the effects of the ether itself), and induce 
 its general adoption. The result was that within these few 
 months, the employment of ether was nearly as general and just 
 as safe, and to be depended on, as it is at the present day. 
 
 When Dr. Morton found that his patent was openly violated 
 on all sides by medical men, and was consequently rendered 
 comparatively valueless, and that the gratitude of the national 
 government was all upon which he had to rely, it was too late 
 for him to retreat. Too much had already been placed at stake 
 to permit of any half-way measures. He was then pecuniarily 
 disabled; and common sentiment told him that this had occurred 
 unjustly. By the greatest sacrifices, and through the generosity 
 of others, he was enabled to commence proceedings for the satis- 
 faction of his demand. Month after month he was led on, with 
 the bait almost within his grasp, constantly being made to sup- 
 pose that a little longer, and then a little longer time only would 
 be required before he would find himself requited. At last the 
 final answer was given, and broken and ruined in the contest he 
 was forced to withdraw, with a bitter realization of the result 
 of the struggle, and see what little was left to him from the 
 wreck.
 
 454 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XXIII. 
 
 CHAPTEK XXIII. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 In reviewing these pages presented, one fact cannot fail to im- 
 press the mind of each reader, that want of energy and courage 
 are neither of them traits to which Dr. Morton can plead guilty. 
 If not the discoverer, he has certainly shown a marvelous degree 
 of perseverance and tenacity in carrying out his delusion. That 
 any one should be willing to persist in claiming what was not 
 his own, through so long a struggle, against overwhelming opposi • 
 tion, under privation and difficulties of all kinds, through periods 
 when the hopes of any ultimate benefits seemed utterly extin- 
 guished, and forced constantly to make severe sacrifices, seems 
 incredible. To bear one up in such a trial several things are ne- 
 cessary: a settled belief in the justice of the cause, a firm confi- 
 dence in an ultimate recognition, and buoyant hopes for the grati- 
 tude and thanks of the world. These he has had, and these he 
 has still'; they have sustained him thus far, and they will con- 
 tinue to sustain him, whatever may be the results and disappoint- 
 ments of the future. Laboriously he has worked out the great 
 problem, and practically exemplified it, and laboriously he has 
 struggled for that recognition, which it has seemed fated should 
 never be wholly awarded him. He still hopes for it, and the be- 
 lief never flags for one moment that in the end it will come. 
 
 All enterprises demand a more or less degree of tact and de- 
 cision on the part of their originators, and no matter what their 
 character, meet with a certain amount of opposition from the
 
 CHAP. XIIII.] ATLANTIC CABLE A PARALLEL. 455 
 
 interested or the incredulous. But at the outset Dr. Morton 
 was more than ordinarily unfortunately placed ; he was unknown, 
 except in a contracted business circle ; his profession was not 
 such as to warrant a presumption that he would make any truly 
 scientific or chemical discovery, which more truly seems to ap- 
 pertain to the sphere of the professed medical or physiological 
 chemist ; he was poor, or poor to that extent that every one is 
 who depends upon his daily exertions for his support. He had 
 to expect the doubts and opposition inherent to the introduction 
 of every fresh novelty, but in addition he has been forced to con- 
 tend with the discrediting assertions and counteraction of those 
 who were vitally interested in persuading the public that the 
 merit rested not with him but elsewhere. The deficiencies of 
 his early education have been strong against success, as the contest 
 has been between him and those who by other acts had already 
 carved niches in the Pantheon of cotemporary worthies. And 
 yet, what has been the result ? a gradual, but decided recognition 
 of his first declaration, and a fair prospect of the accomplish- 
 ment of that for which he has for so long a time ardently longed : 
 the general affirmation of the world and its gratitude. This is 
 some return, even if pecuniarily he has been unsuccessful. 
 
 Within the past few weeks, by the successful laying of the 
 Atlantic Telegraph Cable, we have seen the indefatigable ener- 
 gy and steadfast courage of one man rewarded with that laurel 
 crown of universal congratulation which is so justly his due. It 
 is generally acknowledged, nor will it probably in after-years be 
 disputed, that it was mainly through the instrumentality of Mr. 
 Field, that this, the newest wonder of the age, has been vouch- 
 safed to us, and henceforth his name will stand foremost among 
 those associated with its history. Success has crowned his effiDrts, 
 happily for him and happily for the world. " Thtough evil re- 
 port and through good report," through discouragement and hesi- 
 tation, after repeated failures, and in opposition to the belief of 
 the majority of persons throughout the world, he has steadily 
 fought his way ; wearing ever to his associates that bold and con- 
 fident front so necessary for their encouragement ; hiding within 
 his own breast whatever of doubt or fear may have tormented
 
 i6B DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [CHAP. XXIII. 
 
 him. He has now succeeded, the choicest hope of his imagina- 
 tion is accomplished, and the world stands ready to do him honor. 
 
 But let us suppose that a reverse had followed, would he then 
 have been the shrewd, far-seeing speculator, the enterprising, coura- 
 geous merchant? would the Tpresent fait accompli have seemed possi- 
 ble ? or would the wise shake of the head, or the supercilious 
 whisper, not rather have hinted at folly, headstrong obstinacy, 
 incompetence, and impossibility? How many were sanguine 
 when the return of the Niagara, after the previous trials, had 
 announced present failure and probably continued disappoint 
 ment ? Was true sympathy and real encouragement extended to 
 Mr. Field by his fellow-citizens ? Was not the sudden rise of 
 the stock of over one hundred per cent, in two days — that short 
 intermission being bounded on one side by the knowledge of the 
 previous failure, and on the other by the news of the success, a 
 good thermometer of the public feeling ? Were his peaceful 
 efforts in the minds of the "wise of the land," as only a few 
 months ago they rose to bluster defiance and retaliation upon the 
 floor of the Senate, against that very nation now so firmly united 
 to us ? In an article headed " The Era of Good Feeling," the 
 New-York Times thus alludes to this feeling, and compares the 
 action of one day with the cooler after-thoughts of the next : 
 
 " Senator Seward lent his aid the other day in celebrating the 
 laying of the telegraphic cable, by fraternizing in the usual man- 
 ner with the people of Great Britain. What he said was well 
 said, and in good place, but the effect of it would be vastly 
 greater, and a great deal more satistactory, if he had ven- 
 tured on the same strain a few months ago, when Senator 
 Toombs declared war against England. Several leading Sen- 
 ators, of whom Mr. Seward was one, instead of speaking of pa- 
 tience, conciliation, or negotiation, or even proposing to wait for 
 information, counseled war to the knife, and called on the coun- 
 try to arm. How pleasant and consoling and encouraging this 
 must have been to the Cyrus W. Field whom the learned Senator 
 now so much belauds and admires, it is easy to understand. We 
 can fancy with what pleasure this "obscure and unknown mer- 
 chant," whom the learned Senator now takes so much pride in
 
 CHAP. XXIII.] MORTON AND FIELD. 457 
 
 having aided — T\-ith a mind torn bj the accumulated anxietj of 
 four years, Ts-ith his fortune at stake, with the eyes of the world 
 upon him, laboring under the terrible burden of having to mus- 
 ter faith and hope enough in his own breast to match the doubts 
 or sneers of millions— must have read the speeches in which the 
 Senatorial sages voted to have the Niagara and Agamemnon set 
 to blow each other out of the water. How much they must 
 have aided him in encouraging faint-hearted directors, in solacing 
 despairing stockholders, in animating crews and captains in the 
 great work.'^ 
 
 But this time of trial for Mr. Field endured but a short time ; 
 through four years only, his money, his reputation for common 
 sense, and the returns for his time and services, hung in the bal- 
 ance ; for much less than this time were his prospects affected 
 by the folly or stupidity of the " Senatorial sages," and then not 
 from any opposition to him or his cause, but from sheer thou^^ht- 
 lessness or political necessity. But during nearly three times 
 this period has Dr. Morton been called upon to endure the same, 
 but in a much more aggi-avated degree. No portion of his fortune 
 was at stake, but all of it, to^the last cent ; and not his aione, 
 but that of his relations and friends. The recognition of the 
 true value of the discovery soon set at rest all suspicions which 
 may have existed as regards his judgment or right to an average 
 amount of intelligence, but to this day his integrity and veracity 
 have been doubted, and his character made a part of a discussion 
 into which it should never have been dragged. Legislative action 
 injured his cause ; not accidentally and for party reasons ; but 
 directly, designedly, through the assertions made in the course 
 of debate. All this he has borne alone, with no " directors or 
 stockholders" to encourage him or spur him on by their sym- 
 pathy, or share a portion of the onus of ridicule. The similarity 
 of the cases of these two persons, in all but results, has impressed 
 many. In the Boston Transcript of August 9th, 1858, aVriter 
 conveys the same idea : 
 
 " The Advertiser of Friday, in announcing a lawsuit, instiga- 
 ted by Dr. Morton against an incumbent of a public govern- 
 ment hospital, for an infriT>gement of his patent right, which Is,
 
 4f56 DISCOVERY OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. XXIII. 
 
 we believe, an amicable suit, to test the value of a patent now 
 largely used by government, also published a letter, written by 
 somebody, in behalf of Dr. Jackson. We give our unqualified 
 adhesion to the following sentiments, from a most able editorial 
 article in the same paper of the same date, hailing in eloquent 
 terms the supposed advent of the cable, bestowing the following 
 well merited and discriminating encomium on Mr. Field, and one 
 might almost add, on Dr. Morton : 
 
 " Mr. Field is the man to whose untiring zeal we owe this 
 special success, as we owe it to no other. Most great advances 
 in the civilization of the world have a like history. They come 
 because one man, whose name is Columbus, or Franklin, or 
 Washington, or Watt, determines that the world shall gain one 
 step forward. He will die rather than have it fail. To the 
 little list of such determined men, Mr. Field's name is to be 
 added. He did not invent the Atlantic telegraph. He did not 
 first suggest the Atlantic telegraph. But he first determined that 
 it should be. He seems to have pledged life, fortune, and honor, 
 that it should be. To-day it is ; and it is because he made that 
 pledge and determination." 
 
 It is an old saying, that "the best reason for succeeding is 
 success," implying that when once some design has been accom- 
 plished, every one seems fully impressed with the belief that no 
 one but that single successful individual could have accomplished 
 it ; and the enterprise, no matter how Quixotic it may have been 
 regarded previously, seems wonderfully feasible and easy ; the 
 only remarkable thing about it being, that it was never done be- 
 fore. Mr. Field has made sacrifices, has succeeded, and, let us 
 hope, will receive his reward. Dr. Morton has endured much, 
 lost much, and has failed ; it now remains to see how long the 
 present condition will continue. 
 
 The author of this book presents for the consideration of those 
 readers who may blame him for the introduction of so much un- 
 pleasant and apparently irrelevant matter, for those who may 
 complain that he has simply given a one-sided view of the case, 
 without instancing corroborative proofs or testimony in support 
 of his story — the following points :
 
 CHAP. XXIIl. OBJECT IN PREPARING THIS BOOK. 459 
 
 They will please consider that Dr. Morton has, and still does 
 occupy, a most singular position as regards the public. If the 
 question had been made solely a question on its own merits, he 
 would have been bound to contest solely on the ground of 
 priority of discovery. But it has been the choice of others that 
 private feeling should be equally interested. For years he has 
 been the mark for the shafts of calumny, falsehood, and envy. 
 Family affairs and private personal history have been made mat- 
 ter for public discussion ; and yet, during this whole time, he has 
 not, by his own means, been able, or has even made the attempt 
 to ward them off. Single-handed, and often against overwhelming 
 odds, he has fought the battle in defense of his immediate rights, 
 and his lasting claim to honor. Much that has transpired, and 
 which has been intimately blended in the action of the past, has 
 confused those interested in the question, because so many 
 points — apparently singular actions — were left unexplained. The 
 legal questions have been fully sifted, and repeated again and 
 again. They establish, by their conclusiveness, to the satisfiic- 
 tion of any reasoning and sensible man, his right to the position 
 he claims ; but the perusal does not explain their connection 
 through successive years, and the mysterious manner in which, 
 year after year, this claim has been brought before the public as 
 undecided. It was the object in preparing this book to supply 
 that very deficiency, and by giving the history of the first events 
 as collected from the evidence, and many printed works, to fol- 
 low each event to the present time with more especial reference 
 to that matter which could not find a place in a legal document, 
 or a polemical narrative. Most of the letters contained in the 
 book have never before been published. They show the opinion ot 
 those who were fully competent from their position, or peculiar 
 opportunities, to judge on the case, and whom we have been 
 taught to regard as competent and immaculate judges. 
 
 Others explain many of those secret springs of action, those 
 movements and decisions as reasons for which one explanation 
 is given the public, another kept for the private ear. At the 
 outset the author determined to introduce nothing polemical—; 
 nothing which should reflect upon others, but to pres.^nt a sim-^
 
 460 DISCOVERT OF ETHERIZATION. [cHAP. xiin. 
 
 pie narrative, ignoring entirely the unjust demands of others. But 
 this was found impossible ; the several claims were so interwo- 
 ven, the one with the other, that no separation could be made 
 without leaving much unexplained, or still doing injustice to Dr. 
 Morton. The author expects a tirade in consequence ; he is 
 aware that where there are several to be consulted, all cannot 
 be satisfied. But he believes there are enough sufficiently well 
 acquainted with the verity of the claim, the past treatment and 
 present position of Dr. Morton, to fonn a respectable majority, 
 among those who may feel sufficiently interested to engage in any 
 discussion ; and that some from these will be willing to acknow- 
 ledge that they coincide in opinion, and will bear him out in 
 the statements made. 
 
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