The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-09-04
membered, was accidental.

to study medicine with DR.. Long. Dr.
Long (now dead) was born in Daniels
Vile, Ca, in 1916 graduated at the uni
versity of Georgia, in 1885, and while
there was the classmate and friend OF
Alexander Stephens. He practiced medi-
cine for several years in Jefferson and in
1S45 took q number of students, all
bright and rather jolly young men, and
one day they begged the doctor Just for
fun to give them some ether; he laugh
ingly complied, and took some himself.
After this, on several occasions, they in
dulged in these 'ether frolics,' DR.. Long
becoming so excited that he had forcibly
to be controlled, as he injured himself.
Noticing afterward how he bruised bis
hands and arms, and that his pupils
suffered in the same way without feeling
any pain whatever, he spoke of it and
announced his determination to expert
ment during an operation to see If it
could be made painless through ether.
Wilhite encouraged him by relating the
adventure with the negro boy in 1889.
"In 1872. on the 30th of March, an op-
portunity offered, and DR.. Long removed
tumor from the neck of Mr.. James
Venable, safely and without pain to the
patient, to whom ether was administered
upon a towel. This was the first time
that annsthesia had ever been intention
ally produced, and antedated by two
years and eight months the discovery by
| Wells, and four years and four months
the discovery of Jackson and Morton.
"Dr. Long followed this up with n
large number of other operations,
ALL SUCCESSFUL.
but waited for capital one before de-
monstrating his discovery before the
public. he took no patent for it, neither
did he secrete it but went quietly on his
way, using no public claim until 1852,
when his rights were presented to con.
gress by Senator Dawson with such un-
questionable proofs that the movements of
Morton we're Immediately blocked.
"The controversy waged long and Sc
riously. All the great men of the
day took an active interest in it, butin the
end congress took no step in the matter.
Wells was dead, DR.. Long remained
quietly in the background, and Morton,
after years of unceasing endeavor to OBJ
tain recognition from the government,
became morbid and disheartened; con-
gestion of the brain ensued, and one
day escaping from his room he drove
wildly up Broadway, through Central
park, leaped out of his buggy, jumped
over the fence, fell down insensible, and
being carried to St. Luke's hospital, died
there an hour after.
jackson, embittered and defeated,
consumed with jealousy and distrust,
became hopelessly insane, and is now in
an asylum. What sarcasm of fate
that three of the four men instrumental
in the use and discovery of anasthetics,
whose aim was to soothe the suffering
and alleviate the pains of countless thou
sands, all became insane.
"The matter rested quietly for time,
in fact, until 1877 when DR.. Wilhite of
South Carolina, while in New York wit
Messing some of DR.. Sims operations,
made the statement that lie had witnessed
the first operation ever performed under
the influence of ether. DIR. Sims was
at once interested, and questioned his
informant closely, to find that he had
assisted at the operation himself, andwas
the young Wilhite who played the
trick upon the little darkey.
CDR. Sims entered into the matter with
spirit, declaring that all Americans, in
dependent of party prejudice of section
alism, ought to demand of the govern
ment proper recognition of the discov-
erer who had given to the world a gift
equal only to that of Jenner; and that
remembering how gratefully and gener-
ously England acknowledged James
Simpson, who was knighted and enriched
for the introduction of chloroform we
should blush for the blind unthankfulness
we had shown our countrymen.
"Dr. Sims called O public meeting at
which Professor Doremus, the Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher, DR.. Frank Hamilton and
others made speeches. Hardly was the
movement in fair working order before
he was obliged to go abroad. Since then
1 have done what | could, and Alexander
Stephens has taken vigorous hold of it.
Next winter bill will be properly drawn
up and presented to congress asking
for
HONORABLE RECOGNITION
of DR.. Longs service to his country.
To-day, in his speech at the COM
mencement exercises, Stephens will
after placing the matter before the alumni,
including the most distinguished men of
the state-appeal to them to recommend
the state Legislature, now in special session
to honor DR.. Long by choosing him as the
subject for the companion statute to that
of Governor Oglethorpe, to be placed in
the house of representatives, where, it
will be remembered, each state is to be
represented by two of her most distin-
guished men, not chosen from the liv-
ing"
"Then DR.. Long has died."
"Yes, over year ago, of a severe i'll
ness beginning with softening of the
brain. l forgot to add that Mr.. Ste
phens will also recommend that the
university order a lifc-size portrait of
him, to be hung in the main hall, and TO
be painted by that eminent artist, Frank
B. Carpenter"
eyes" said Mr.. Stuart, warming up in
enthusiasm, "could there have been a
grandeur tribute science to from science,
or from science to humanity than this ?
Thank of the terrible wars that have raw
aged the world the last thirty years think
of the millions of wounded and bleeding
soldiers it has comforted think of the
thousands Of tender and sensitive women
it has helped to bear disease and terrible
operations think, even of the brute cre-
alton, now sent to painless death when
they died tortured, and you can appropri
ately turn the old quotation:
When pain and anguish wiring the brow,
Administering angel thou,
0 ether
"CREss."
AN OLD SOLDIER FOUND IN A MAR
KET GARDEN.-A curious (supposedl
relic of the war has been found near the