The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-08-21


wealthy uncle. and, after graduating at
Oxford with distinction. was entered for n
course at the Royal College of Physicians
in London. After two years in this insti-
tuition he turned to dental surgery, and
with a view of perfecting himself in this
branch of the profession, sought and gained
admission at the College OF Surgeons.
There he remained for three years. and two
months after graduating first in q class OF
164, he sailed for America and commenced
practice In New York city. where he was
fairly successful. In the spring of 1917
he removed to Kansas City and III three
years he had built mp an extensive practice.
JudlciOus investmcnt IN real estate mean
while made him wealthy, and 1t was here
that he met and married Miss Clogston, OF
Eureka. Kan, In 1873 the couple went to
California. Harding at that time was
worth between $50. 900 and $4,000 He set
tied at SuIsun and practiced his profession,
more as a matter of diversion than profit
From the time of his first year at the dental
school in London. Harding had devoted
his leisure hours to the perfection of an
aniesthetc for use in transplanting and ex-
tracing teeth.
THE PASSION OF HIS LIFE.
An active life, commenced soon after,
lea wing college. had interrupted in meas
ure his studies in this direction, but in the
quiet of q country village and enjoying
competence from past investments, he APP
piled himself with renewed energy to what
soon became the passion of his life. After
q few months In Suisun he went TO San
Francisco for the purpose of enjoying
greater facilities in his experiments and
opened an office in Suffer street. His sue
cess in transplanting soon gave him repu-
tation and more patients than he cared to
treat. for his wonderful an9sthetic was
now his life work, and he only cared for
practice enough to enable him to test its
efficacy in the various stages of preparation.
About that time he became acquainted
with DR.. Younger, and was induced
to join the dental association. Then he
removed his Office to the building occupied
by the latter and continued his expert
ments with his anasthetics. the principal
ingredients of which were morphine and
cocaine. One day he went to DR.. Younger
and informed him that he had at last per-
fected the most wonderful compound
known to medical science. Younger was
skeptical, and to prove the power of his
new medicine Harding barred his own arm
and applied the sedative hypodermically.
He then insisted that DIR. Younger should
run knife blade through his flesh. which
the latter did, and was convinced that the
man felt no pain. Soon after this the State
Dental Association COW ened IN San Fran
cisco and Younger decided to introduce the
new discovery before that body in a diff
Quilt operation of transplanting teeth.
FIRST FLUSH OF SUCCESS.
A subject was chosen in the person of DR..
j. nj. Whitney. q well-known physician of
Honolulu. Harding administered the drug
and the result more than justified the
claims made for it. The operation lasted
for fully three-auarters of an hour, and the
patient declared that he felt no pain at all
from knife or drill. He described his SEN
sation while under its influence as similar
to that produced by holding q cork in the
fingers while some one was cutting It, ALI
who witnessed the remarkable effects
of the an9sthetic were convinced
that Harding had made discovery
him famous, and he finally con-
sented to give the secretary of the associa-
ton his formula and methods of prepare
ton. The aniesthetic was used extensive
ly, and In most cases successfully, but was
coon found to contain two serious defects.
In the first place. slight nausea was ex-
perienced by patients. and. secondly. the
drug would not retain Its strength over
forty eight hours This, of course. pre-
Guided the possibility of shipment and
general sale. Harding set himself to work,
and. after six months OF close application.
removed The first defect He then turned
his attention to the second great fault that
lay stretched across his pathway to fame
and fortune
He became entirely absorbed in the work
and tolled, not only during the day. but
far into the night. He employed half
dozen assistants. divided them into
watches" and worked his force constant
ly at ables where the drops of the sedative
had to be counted and recounted in being
passed from one bottle to another. His
monthly drug bill ran far up into the thou
sands. He gave up practicing altogether.
and for diversion took to gambling. In
experimenting with his an8sthetic he
v-,o IL A. A.
fire on Third street destroyed valuable
property in which he had invested soon
after arriving Oh the coast, and in less than
year he was ruined man, without
friends or money. and a cocaine "tend" of
the most pronounced type. Still he could
not give up the idea of making perfect his
wonderful anRsthetic.
The household furniture was pawned
piece by piece. the assistants Discharged
one by one and his family pressed into
service. Mrs. Harding soon became ad-
dicted to the habit to which her husband
had euccumbed. but together they toiled
on. going days at time without food, but
hopeful ever.
They lived over the story of Bernard
Palissy, who starved his wife, sold his fur
niture and went about in RAGS. while he
strove through the DISAPPOINTING years for
the secret OF putting white enamel on pot
terry.
HIS REASON DESERTED HIM.
Palsy succeeded after fifteen years. but
Harding after three years of toll and dis
appointment. went mao. On Nov. IS.
1859, he was taken before the commissioners
of insanity. and. after brief examination.
committed to Agnew's Insane Asylum. His
family was provided for by the Dental
Association. with the assistance of the As
ISOLATED Charities. lie remained at the asy-
lum until Jan. 81. 1890, when he was dis
charged by Dr.<F. w. Hatch as cured.
Immediately he set 10 work upon his
anesthetic. and again became thor
ouRhly absorbed; He took rooms at
the Thurston House. corner of Post
and Mason streets, and compelled the
assistance of his wife. His children. too,
were forced to help, and night after night
his family, IN rags and without food, sat
uD to count the strange drops or watch tie
chemical changes of Harding's preparation
] no constitution of Mrs. Harding never
strong. soon gave way under the strain OF
incessant toll and potent narcotics. She,
too, became q wreck, and, upon complaint
of her husband, was sent TO Agnew's. The
children were taken in hand by charitable
organizations, and Harding was left alone
To work out this problem of his life and
death. Away from drugs the woman rap
idly recovered her strength, ond in Au-
To- ~ oo raj