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


The Discovery OF tho Properties of Ether
Tho Accident which Led 10 Its Use-A LIT
tlo Niger I'm Georgtn The Original Vic-
tim OF fits Application.
Correspondence Of the Chicago Enter Ocean.
NEW YORK, August s..
"The two greatest gifts that science has
COD eerred upon humanity are vaccination
aud an@sthesia," said an eminent physi-
clan the other evening at social gather
ing.
1t occurred to your correspondent that
in walking through the charming little
par, adjoining the Boston commons had
been observed a stately monument of
white marble upon which was carved the
simple inscription, "To the Discoyerer Of
An@sthesia." Name aud date there was
none; but to give character TO the stone,
the figure of wounded soldier was rep
resented upon the top.
WHO was the discovererf" wondered
and inquired, without being enlightened.
and not until last night did Istrike tho
source OF information, and put the ques-
ton direct, with an apology for my igno-
rance.
"Well," said the aforesaid doctor eff
DIR. Sims was here, he would tell you all
about it, out he is still in Europe. Call
on Mr.. II. l.. Stuart and he will relate to
YOU
A ROMANCE IN THE HISTORY OF SUR
gerry.
Mr.. Stuart had heard of before as o
veteran journalist and level.headed,
genial man of affairs, one of the founders
| OF the Womau's hospital, and an intimate
friend Of Dir. Horace Greeley, to whom,
by the way, he introduced Whitelaw
Reid, when the latter WAS the youthful
| correspondent at Washington for the
| Cincinnati Gazette. How this introduce
tion led to the present position of the
editor of the Tribune must be reserved
for another letter.
Mr.. Stuart was found, and I will give
the readers Of the Inter Ocean as nearly
| as memory permits in his own words, the
history of an@sthesia.
"You came at q very appropriate time,"
said the gentleman, "for while we are
talking Alexander Stephens is deliver
ing en- address at the commencement ex-
ercises of the university of Georgia on
the same subject.
"To begin with, Sir Humphreys Davy
was the first to suggest the use Of nitrous
oxide gas in surgical operations. Forty
years rolled by, and no advantage was
taken of his idea, and nothing more was
heard OF the matter until Horace Wells,
of Hartford, Conn.,, came to Boston in
1845 to lay his discovery of anasthesia
through nitrous oxide gas before the
medical profession and the world at
large.
"iHe dated the discovery at 1874, his
| mind being turned toward the subject by
n fn ct,Go - -, k1
extraction Of teeth. He noticed at lec-
ture, where several of the audience took
LAUGHING CAS-"
that one of the number fell over bench
and was badly injured, but unconscious
of pain though the blood ran down his
leg. Struck by this fact, Wells expert
| tooth pulled while unHer the influence
of the gas. The operation was painless
and, filed witt. enthusiasm, Wells pro-
ceeded to Boston and persuaded the cele-
brdted DR.. Warren to use it during an
amputation. Unluckily, the gas-bag was
removed too soon, the patient screamed
aloud, and Wells was hissed out of the
amphitheater and called humbug. The
modification nearly killed him.
I'm 1916, Morton, the former pupil
and then partner of Wolle, pursued the
experiment, and at the suggestion of a
| chemist, substituted sulphuric ether in
place of tho nitric oxide with great suc-
/ cess. de then went to Boston, admins
| tered to the patients of prominent SUR
geons with the best of results, and from
that time it came rapidly into use by the
| profession throughout tie world.
"In October, 1916, Morton and jack
son (the chemist) procured a patent for
their anesthesia "Lothen," which was
nothing moro nor less than pure gulphu-
ric ether. Jackeon soon after
RESIGNED HIS INTEREST
in the patent to Morton, and sent COM
munication to the French institute claim
ing the honor for himself.
| A brisk warfare then. ensued between
the two, and, while it was raging, Wells
sailed for Europe to present his claims as
the real discoverer of anesthesia. He
was denied by the French institute, and
returned home to draw up the papers
which should prove his rights. This
brought on tripartite battle. Morton
and Jackson declaring Wells anes-
thetic devoid of the necessary proper
ties.
! To silence them, Wells Immediately
gave 1t in several prolonged operations
with success, but, Notwithstanding thia, he
saw chat nitrous oxide gas would be sup.
planted by sulphuric ether. Disappoint-
ed, dispirited, and disheartened, he made
one more effort TO prove mis- claims and
rights as the diReoverer, in this city in
l848, but became suddenly insane, and
killed himself.
"a few years after (1S53) Morton ap-
! piled to congress for grant Of money for
the discovery of anesthesin. The friends
of Wells came to the front, and opposed
him, and this controversy, strangely
enough, brought to light
/ THE ORIGINAL DIsCovERER.
DR.. Crawford w. Long, of Athens Ga.
Where he had been all this time may be
briefly explained.
at seems that between the years $780,
1910 the young people of the country
towns of Georgia INDUCED in a novel
si;;;aseHient in concluding q dance or
o quilting bee by what was called an
"ether frolic;;" that is, they inhaled
ether. This was, of course, productive
of great amusement, as affecting
different temperaments in different
ways. Some would laugh and sing 9TH
ers weep mournfully and n general
ronp frequently ending in a fight, would
ensue (what picture Of social life).
At one Of these parties, 1887, was q rcgu-
ish boy of II, called Wilhite.
] Having all inhaled the ether Some oi
them more than once, and in search oi
amusement, they captured O negro boy
who was passing to experiment upon