El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-06-24

ASHINGTON, D. c.. June "a ,
N/ Another evidence of the truth
w that great discoveries some
times are unappreciated in their own
time, is being emphasized IN the pres
ent effort to honor the memory of DR..
Crawford Williamson Long, of Georgia.
the man who has been responsible for
alternating the suffering of hundreds
of thousands of human beings by dis
covering the use of ether as an anes-
thetic. This effort is not being con-
fined to his own country or state, for
the Royal Society of Medicine of Lon
don has recently sent across the water
their latest tribute to the memory OF
Dr. Long as the pioneer in anesthetics.
They have published in an attractive
form the fullest details of the expert
ments made by DR.. Long and the cir
cumstances leading up to the discovery
of the use of ether as an anesthetic, l
together with fac smile copies of let
ters and important documents proving
his discovery
Started By king Edward.
One reason for this renewed interest
in DR.. Long on the part of the English
medical society is that when the late
king Edward awakened from his ether
ized slumber after an operation, one
of his first questions was: Who dis
covered ether2" Or. Crawford Long,
your majesty was the answer As the
king showed an interest in the subject
afterwards, he was presented with
biography of DR.. Long which had been
written by a British physician, and the
king later acknowledged this book by
an autograph letter
When the Pathological museum Of
London was replaced recently by the
Medical museum, the family OF Dr..
Long was invited to exhibit there the
original papers proving his claim to
the discovery of ether and these were
given a prominent place in the new
museum. Since the proofs of no other
claimant to the discovery were asked
for, this was in itself a virtual ac-
acknowledgement Of the acceptance Of DR..
Long claim on the part of the British
medical profession Even before this
official recognition, however, the prin-
ciple aneStheSiStS of London have for
years given DR.. Long the credit for the
discovery and have so instructed the
I students in their medical colleges. In
the United States, his own country, Dr..
Long has not been given this full rec
Ognition, at least not until compare
lively a recent date Students here
have generally been taught that the
discovery Of ether was in dispute and
not to be credited to any one man.
Now, however, there is a definite
mpvement to acknowledge the debt
owed to DR.. Long Within a year or
two his statue will have a place in
Statuary hail in the national capitol at
Washington; the Medical society Of
Georgia last year erected a monument
to him; and the infirmary connected
with the University of Georgia is also
a Long memorial
HOnOred By Pennsylvania.
The University of Pennsylvania re-
Gently dedicated a memorial tablet to
DR.. Long in the presence of a large
company of physicians and other puo-
lie men, The tablet was unveiled by
Mrs. Frances Long Taylor, daughter
of the distinguished physician, and two
other daughters had seats upon the
platform. Addresses were made by DR..
William White the ITniVargITW of
Pennsylvania, and DR.. J. c, DeCosta, OF
jefferson Medical college, demonstrate
ing the unity of feeling between these
/ two well known institutions regarding
this subject The tablet was designed
by DR.. TAFT Mckenzie, of the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania. It represents Dr..
Long as young man, administering
ether to a patient. From an artistic
standpoint it is most effective and is
considered a fitting tribute to a dis
coyery which has each year become OF
greater benefit to mankind DR.. Long
was for year a student in the Uni
Verslty of Pennsylvania
Story of the Discovery.
According to friends of DR.. Long. the
story is about as follows. The discov-
cry of anesthesia was attended by one
of the most bitter ana acrimonious
disputes in the history of medicine. The
credit for 1t was claimed by no less
than five physicians and dentists. DR..
Long made his discovery in 1912, but IL
DR.. Horace Wells, dentist at Hart
ford, Connecticut, after a lecture on
nitrous oxide, gave himself the gas and
allowed another dentist to pull one Of
his teeth. He felt no pain and upon
regaining consciousness is credited
with the oft quoted remark; a new
era in tooth pulling. Another physi-
clan named Marcy claimed to have
suggested that ether would produce the
same effect and require a simpler appa-
ratuS than the nitrous oxide gas DR..
Marcy claimed that in 1914 he per-
formed an operation upon patient
rendered unconscious by the drug
Whether he did or not. the date claimed
for 4 was two years after the first
etherized operation of DR.. Long.
Another claimant was DR.. Charles q.
Jackson, who was consulted by Or. W.
G. T. Morton, a dentist of Boston, re-
Sarding the possibility of procuring
some substance that would annul the
pain Of surgical operations and the eX-
traction of teeth. Dr. Jackson sug-
gested the use of sulphuric ether. say
ing that il would produce unconscious
ness, a fact which had been known TO
the scientific world for years, but DR..
Jackson went no further in the matter.
First Public Experiment.
DR.. Morton accepted the suggestion
and made many experiments Inc Llrst
public one was performed IN 1876 IN
the Massachusetts general hospital by
DR.. John c. Warren upon patient
who had been etherized by Dr. Long.
The operation consisted in removing
4 tumOr from a mans neck ana was
similar to the one performed by DR..
Long in Georgia four years earlier.
After this followed the great discus
sion. Thousands of pamphlets were
published by the northern men and
scattered throughout this country and
Europe. Morton and Jackson secured
recognition from the French academy.
\ joint patent right was received in
the United States government of $780,
600 in honor of the discovery of these
two men. This contest continued
about five years. DR.. Long took no
part in any of these measures, except
ing that at the insistence of his friends
he was induced to write description
OF his work to senator Dawson, of
Georgia, who had charge of the bill in
congress, giving him the facts which.
he had several years before presented
to the Georgia Medical society.
Inclined to Divide HOnOrs.
The medical authorities of this coun-
try have for years been disposed to di-
vide the honors of anesthesia between
DR.. Long and DR.. Morton, on the
-,