The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-11-27
A GREAT GIFT TO man

4 GktAI Gfi III Man
Continued from page4
College of Dental Surgery, it being the
IN st dental college in the world, start
ing in 1889. In 1S41 he entered the
office of Horace Wells as an assistant
and in 1912 he became the partner of
Wells. In the following year this part
nership was dissolved In 1914 Nor
ton entered the office of DR.. Charles T.
jackson as medical student, and ma.
circulated in Harvard Medical College
He did not graduate. Morton and
Wells being friends up to this time,
Morton frequently consulted Wells
about nitrous oXid. Morton, not being
chemist, asked his medical precep.
tor, Jackson, about making this gas
Jackson asked Morton why he wished
to make the gas, and, upon being told
he wanted to use it for the extraction
of teeth, Jackson told Morton to try
sulphuric ether. Morton took Jack.
sons advice and procured some ether
and, on the evening of September 80,
1876, Morton administered ether to a
patient for the extraction of tooth
This operation was performed without
pain.
The Controversy.
On the following day Morton visited
the Office OF a patent attorney with
the intention of securing letters patent
upon his supposed discovery. The
attorney, learning Of Jackson connec.
ton with his discovery, and after an
interview with Jackson, told Morton
that the patent had to be in the names
of Morton and Jackson. Jackson
fearing the censure of the Massachu
sets Medical Society, should his name
be connected with it, and Morton, hav
ing no fine scruples, it was decided
that patent should be made out in
the names of both, but that Jackson
was to assign his interest to Morton
for one dollar. and receive in return
10 per cent commission.
Morton brought his discovery before
IT.. Warren, surgeon in the Massa
chusetts General hospital. DR.. War
rem agreed to give Morton chance
to demonstrate his claim. and on Octo
Der 16, 1886, the first public operation
with a patient under the anaesthetit
effect of ether was performed On
November 7, 1916, the first amputation
of leg was made with the patient
under ether. After the letters patent
had been issued, Morton began to sell
office rights" such being the custom
The result was an endless war with
the development of the greatest per
sonal animosity and rivalry between
Morton and Jackson. Morton lost his
fortune and ruined his health in his
efforts to get substantial recognition
from the United States government
In these attempts he practically failed
Different scientific societies throughout
the world sent him donations which
amounted to about $150,000. This sum
besides what other he could get was
spent in trying to protect his interests
He died suddenly from an attack OF
apoplexy in Central Park, New York
City, in 1868. The inscription upon
his monument over his grave reads
Inventor and revealer of anaesthetic
inhalation before whom in all times
surgery and agony and by whom pain
in surgery was averted and annulled
since whom science has controlled
pain"
"Vapor of Ether"
Charles T. Jackson graduated from
the Harvard Medical College in 1925
after having been geologist and min
eralogist for Massachusetts, In 1885
he opened in Boston the first labora
tory in the United States for the teach
ing Of analytical chemistry. In the
wear 1916 he became interested in the
subject and the discovery of anaesthe
| STA, and after the successful introduc
ton of ether by Morton, he put up the
| claim that it was he who suggested
| it's use to Morton. He states: ''In the
year 1887 I discovered that the vapol
| of ether was superior to alcohol as {
| remedy for the STRENGTHENING and toxic
effects of chlorine gas" He then re
| lates how he administered the vapol
of ether to himself and others for the
relief of the irritation produced by in
haling chlorine, and describes his sen
sations upon going to sleep and, awak
ening. This claim of Ja,ckson's was ;
| surprise to Morton and Wells and led
to most llnseemly discussion which de
generated into downright fight.
| After the death of Wells, Jackson
and Morton both claimed that nitrou.
oxid gas was not an anaesthetic ant
that insensibility to pain could not b,
produced by it. This was partly true
as those who attempted its use wer,
not expert chemists and had but it'll,
/ iGea of the caution to be observed il
| its manufacture in order to insure it
purity. In consequence of this the us,
of gas was quite discontinued. 1t be
came the question then who first ad
ministered ether for the relief of pail