The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-08-27

Notwithstanding the world has enjoyed the
benefits of auasthc-ia for third OF a century,
and that it has become indispensable
resource Of the surgeon and the physician, it
j. yet undetermined, in scientific circles, who
Us entitled 10 the honor OF its discovery.
Three agents have been used successfully to
produce auesthesia, viz sulphuric ether,
nitrous oxide gas and chl0roform-all more or
less known and used IN medicine long before
their au9.-IhetIc properties were discovered.
Suphuric ether is said TO have been known in
the thirteenth century; but Nalenus COrdus
described the method Of making il in 1910.
Nitrous oxide gas was discovered in l776, by
Priestly, but its exhilaratiug properties were
first described by Sir Humphrey Davy in 1900.
He experimental with 1T upon himself and
predicted its future use as an@sthetic in
surgery. Doubtless il ne had been practical
surgeon. he would have made the discovery,
which was delayed nearly half a century
3hIoruf0rm was discovered in 1881. The dis
coy,ry OF this Is claimed by Samuel Guthrie
al New York Soubciran. Of France. and Lie
biz. of Germany. SIR James y. Simpson, OF
Edinburgh, was the first to introduce IL into
general Use as an anr-thetic in the year 1917,
after the Use OF ether had become common all
over the world.
it i- not my purpose To discuss the relative
merits oj the different agents used to produce
.lup-th,-iJ; nor To descant upon the great
benefits which have been derived from II.
Those are familiar to every tyre In medicine.
The medical profession, from its earliest
history. has recognized the importance Of
1u.e-thctc~. In every age means have been
sought 10 relieve the PAIN OF surgical opera
tiuu-. of woUnlS and ofdISease. Many agents.
both general and local, have been used for that
purpose. As long ago as two thousand years
persons were put to sleep and cut, cauterlzed
-Ud sawed, without feeling pam. But the
means used were either unreliable or unsafe,
or inaccessible. They were too uncertain, too
dangerous or too complicated TO be Introduced
into general practice. We are struck with
wonder when we consider that the identical
agent which was destined 10 more than realize
the widest dreams of the most visionary, was
In daily use by the medical profession for three
hundred wears before its ausesthetic properties
were discovered. After the experiments OF
DIvv i'm 1900. the inhalation of nitrous gas,
not only for medical purposes, but Tor eXhlla-
ration and amusement had become 80 common
that an. professional and professional, had
become perfectly familiar with it. Learned
professors of chemistry dispensed II 10 admir-
ing students ItinerJnt lecturers, with their
gas bags. travelled over the country admins
tcriug 10 the amusement and cdlhcatlon OF the
people. II was soon ascertained that the IN
halatiou 81 thcvapur OF sulphurlc ether would
produce effects similar To those OF the gas.
Who first found that out u unknown To me
Lut the indi-crimin1te use of the gas and OF
ether Tor the same purposes, had become
common: and so. harmless were they consid-
cred that social gatherings in some parts OF
the country were considered incomplete with
ont their laughiug-gaS or ether lroilc. IL
could not be otherwise than on some ot THESE
occasions. inhalation was carried 10 the extent
ot ause-thesia, and the participants must often
have Witnessed the reception OF wounds and
injuries without pain And this II was which
1t last suggested the practical application and
led to the discovery.
There are four claimants To the discovery,
all citizru~ of the United States, and all now
E.II- dentist pT Hartford.
Conn. who used nitrous oxide gas; VIM l. u
Morton. a dentist OF Boston, Mass; Crawford
W Long. "A physician of Athens, Georgia, and
Ehas. T. Jackson, chemist, also OF Boston,
who used sulphuric ether. Wells, Morton ana
Jackson were all intimately acquainted. The
two former had been partners IN bushes, anu
each was familiar with the operations oil the
other whilst Long knew nothing OF them ana
they knew nothing of him. The discovery,
therefore was equally original with them anu
with him Accordinly, it would seem that
nothing more could be required than to ascer- I
tain which party was the first to Intentionally 4
and successfully produce anesthesia Tor surgl- .
cal purposes. Such however Is not the case
for il cap be proved beyond the possibility OF
a doubt by testimony, living and documentary
that Long successfully used anaesthesla over
two and a half years before the date claimed 1
bv Wells. and four and half years before the
date claimed by Morton. Yet he has never
been publicly recognized. Jacksons CLAIM TO
the discovery rests simply upon a suggestion
which he claims 10 have made to Morton, TO
use sulphuric ether instead of nitrous oxide
gas as Wells had done with only partial sue
cess. Yet il is probable he would have falled
10 reduce his own suggestions TO practice, as
Sir Humphrey Davy had done in the case oil
the nitrous oxide gas, nearly half century
before Upon such grounds, therefore MS
could scarcely be entertained
This narrows the question down between
Long, on the one side, and Wells and Morton,
on the other. Between the latter, we are not
particularly interested now, as the claim o.
Long supersedes both of them. That Is, II
antedates both, and If recognized ut all, IL
claim must be sustained against both.
would remark. however, that Wells Is en-
titled to great credit for his persistent efforts
to discover anesthesia, and heeertainly would
have accomplished the object so near ms
heart if he had not relied exclusively on M
trous oxide gas to the last, which proved 70 Oe
so much less efficient than sulphurlc ether
His convictions were strong, and he certainly
lab0red with zeal which merlted success.
To his example and experiments, Morton was
clearly indebted for the course he took ana
his greater success was due to the tlmely suS
gestiOn of his friend and preceptor, Jackson
to use sulpburic ether instead OF nitrous oXloe
gas. The same suggestion, believe, had oeen
made, To Wells but after an Intellectual tTlai
Of it. he returned to the gas. Without unoer-
taking then to decide between Wells and Nor
ton, we will consider the questloh Oe'n
Long and Morton, since most witnesses give
the credit OF the discovery to Morton.
Ii it can be clearly established that Long
produced perfect anaesthesia, SO
long before Morton did, ii may be asked, Why
should there be any difficulty in the matter I
Why did the scientific world decide IN
Norton's favor? To which it may be answer /
ii in brief that the whole question turned !
upon the date of publication
Whilst il is conceded that Long may have {
been the first to use anasthesia, it Is claimed
that Morton was the first to publish il to the
world, or rather that the distinguished surgeons
Of the Massachusetts, General Hospital who !
Morton to administer his Letheon"
in that institution, published i To the world .