New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-10-11
THE CONQUEST OF PAIN.
DIR. g. @. CoLTON's STORY OF THE DIS
CoVERY OF ANAESTHESIA.

THE CLAIMS OF LONG. WELLS. MORTON AND
To The Editor of The Tribune
Sir: In your issue of yesterday appears an arucie
under the above caption which contains some i'm
,,ortant errors which, with your permission Will
endeavor to correct.
There were four claimants to the honor Of the dis
covery of anaesthesia-Dr. Long. OF Georgia; Dr.
Wells of Hartford Conn, and Drs. Morton and
Jackson of Boston. The man who discovers ana
brings out and practically applies his discovery Is
the real dscoverer The late DR.. Sims proved be-
ycnd question that. in 1872, Dr. Long performed
one or two small operations with ether put ne
made no publication Of it, and did not follow II up
On December 10. 1884. gave an exhibition OF the
.mrsrp effects of nitrous oxide gas Laughing gas.
as 7 called IT'D In the city Of Hartford Conn Among
those who inhaled the gas was young man Dy
the name of Cooley When under It's influence ne
ran against some settees on the stage ana pruised
his legs badly. on taking his seat next 10 Or. wells
the latter said to him: You must have hurt your
calf" Cooley WAS astonished to find his legs
bloody, and said he felt no pain whatever tlii the
effects of the gas had passed off. When the audi
ence was going out DR.. Wells said to me:
''Why cannot a man have tooth extracted under
the influence of the gas and not feel IL!
7 replied that I did not know DIR. Wells then
said he believed IL could be done, and would try II
on himself II would give the gas The next day
December II. 1871 took bag OF gas TO ms once.
dentist I gave the gas to DR.. Wells and DR.. Rigs
extracted a mOlar tooth. On recovering and hnd-
ting his tooth out Dr. Wells exclaimed, very ex-
citedly:
s.It ia the greatest discovery ever made; didn't
feel II so much the prick OF pin!'
That was the first tooth drawn without pain.
and was the real discovery Of anaesthesa At the
request Of DIR. Wells. instructed him how to make
the gas. He then began to make and use the gas.
About three weeks after this he went to Boston to
q
nm this and that dentist and told what he had done.
. Among others he called on DIR. Morton. his former
pupil and partner DIR. Morton as did all the
others, laughed at him. and secuted his pretended
discovery No would try Il. Dr. Wells. dis
couraged, returned to Hartford and resumed his
practice using the gas as an anaesthetic. continuing
A all through 1916. Bishop Rrownell ana his TWO
daughters and also some forty OF the most re-
spected citizens of Hartford afterward gave their
dispositions that Dr. Wells extracted teeth for them
with the gas In 1915 and without pain
At the end Of 1915 DR.. Wells went to Europe on
account of failing health. In the month OF Septem
bar 1886 DIR. Morton went to DR.. Jackson. the
chemist. Of Boston. to learn how to make the gas.
a. he wished to test the truth OF DR.. Wells's pre-
tended discovery. DIR. jackson said.
THAT gas exhiiarates; II that will destroy pain
vuiphuric ether will do the same ether ex-
hilarates."
He advised him to not go to the expense OF
the apparatus make the gas. but TO try ether II
he wished 10 try anything. Upon that hint DR..
Morton got some ether and tried II on boy by the
name Of Eben Frost for the extraction OF a tooth.
This September 80. 1S46. This not the
operation at the Massachusetts General Hospital.
which you SO graphically describe. That operation
(for cancer) took place at subsequent period DR..
Morton reported his operation on the boy 10 DR..
Jackson. and they Instituted series OF expert
ments. proving that ether would destroy pain.
Fhsy then applied jointly for patent The issue
" the patent delayed. and Dr. Jackson. think
1ag It might turn out humbug and not liking 70
have his associated with Dr.. Morton. assigned
his interest in the patent to him. taking agree
meat that he should pay him 10 per cent OF all he
made out OF Il. iaf
The patent issued TO DR.. Morton, but when
Or. jackson found that some mans name was 60
mg down TO posterity as a great discoverer he
elaimed the honor OF the discovery, he sug-
Rooted ether to Or. Morton. An angry discussion
. tho subject followed between them.
While DR.. Wells was travelling on the continent