The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-27

E. Q. Cotton. The doctor. to demon strate the amusing effects of Laughing | gas, administered it to a few volun- teers. Dr. Wells noticed that one of these | received severe injuries without any sign | of pain. After some thought he decided that while under it's influence tooth could be pulled, or even leg amputated | without pain. The next day he had pr, | cotton administer gas to him, and pr. Riggs. brother dentist, extracted one of his teeth without pain. pr. Wells used 1t | frequently afterward, and made every ef- fort to get others interested in it, visiting Boston and Europe for this purpose"
 From this it would appear that while Dr. Wells deserves credit for developing the use of anaesthesia, claims that he was the original discoverer obviously would not dsplace those made on behalf of Dr. Long,
 News Travelled Slowly. One of the many technical writers W4O have commented on Dr. Longs discovery, said that had the Georgia physician been a surgeon in city hospital, instead of & practitioner in the country town; or had he been of a less modest and retiring disposition, or had he lived at a later day when the discovery of a new bacil- Jus or antitoxin is at once heralded to the whole world through the press, there
 
 whatever on the subject of who deserves the title of the original dscoverer of anaethesia. The same writer points out as a curious fact that both Long and Wells led up to their respective discov- cries by observation of, and reasoning from the same fact-i e., immunity from pain from bruises accidentally incurred under the influence of Laughing gas," as it was popularly known.
 All those who knew Dr. Long say that he was fine type of man. Not only did he give generously of his means to de- serving charities, but all of the fees he earned on Sundays were invariably do- mated to religious uses. Of this very little was known even in the community in which he lived. As if to leaven the so- briety of his nature, it is said that he possessed a keen sense of humor, which found vent In humorous sketches for the local newspapers and in harmless jests for the benefit of his intimates and mem bers of his own household.
 Was Fond of Books.
 He was very fond of books. and spent much of his spare time reading from his favorite authors to his family He liked whist, too, and. it is said, was the winner in practically all the games in which he participated. Like his lifelong friend. Alex Stephens. he opposed se- cession, but went with his state.'
 When student at the University of Pennsylvania he was offered position as surgeon in the navy, but put aside the honor as nothing in comparison with the duty he owed his father, who, growing old, craved the love and companionship of his young son. In his later years, bowed beneath the strain of overwork and dis appointment because of his seeming fail- ure to obtain full recognition for his dis covery, he began to decline physically. Alarmed by his condition, the members of his family and his friends urged him to rest; but he would not do so. My sick need me-" he said. When I have done what I should do for them. I will go to the mountains of North Georgia and re- cuperate."
 A few weeks later he went on a longer journey. Both whites and blacks loved and trusted him, and mingled their tears over his grave when he died, at the age of 62.
 The Controversy in Congress.
 Dr. Longs modest and retiring nature was never more conclusively demon- strated than In connection with the fa- nous controversy in Congress as to the Identity of the person to whom the credit of discovering anaesthesia belonged. It was in 1S49 that Dr. Morton petitioncd the national legislature. for a reward. Op- position was at once offered by Dr. Jack son, another claimant. and by the friends of Dr. Wells, who was then dead. Thus begun, the matter occupied the attention of Congress many years. For five years Dr. Long refused to take part in the quarrel, but in 1854 his friends persuaded him to press his claims. and he wrote Senator Dawson full statement of the case from his standpoint.
 Senator Dawson informed Dr. Jackson of the entry of this new claimant. and Jackson went to Athens and called on Long at his home. After satisfying him. self of the genulneness of Long's claims, Jackson proposed that they lay there case conjointly before Congress, his idea being, evidently, to get ahead of Dr. Nor ton. His suggestion was that he be given the credit for the discovery and Long anaesthesia. But Dr. Long rejected the just claim to both. When the bin relat- ing to the matter. which carried an appro- priation of $100 900 for the real discoverer, was brought up in the Senate shortly afs- erward, the friends of Wells and Morton awaited the result with confidence. But Senator Dawson arose and said he had a letter from Dr. Jackson, acknowledging that Dr. Long undoubtedly had used ether before any of the other claimants of the prize. As a final result, the bill was allowed to dle. Several years later Dr. Jackson wrote an article in the Bos- ton Medical and Surgical Journal in which he gave the Georgia physician credit for the discovery and first use of ether as an anaesthetic.