Some account of the letheon: or, Who is the discoverer?

Front matter

TM.fi

MJ,TJICS£>

,:Bvr.ptf

Preface

The Writer of the following pages deems an apology due to the Public for the desultory manner in which this pamphlet has been prepared. The first forty or fifty pages were written some weeks ago, on the shortest possible notice, and were immediately put to press. At that time, no definite plan was formed, or could be formed, as to the nature or extent of the facts ultimately to be submitted ; and now, when these pages have assumed a somewhat formidable appearance as to numbers, it is found to be impossible at present to re-write or re-arrange them.

And, while but little order has been observed in the design, controlled as the writer necessarily has been by circumstances, still it is not deemed advisable, even if possible, to divest the pamphlet of that sketchy and fragmentary character to which alone it should make pretensions. The writer's main — indeed, his only — object has been, to state facts ; to arrive at the truth; to serve the cause of justice. Most certainly, he has no selfish ends in view, having no pecuniary interests involved in the matter, receiving no remuneration whatever for his services and efforts in this behalf, and only desirous that justice may be rendered to a person who, if he be not distinguished for his scientific attainments, is, nevertheless, a benefactor of his race !

With the learned and eminent individual who sets up counterclaims to the honor of this great discovery, the writer has been acquainted for the last ten or twelve years ; and, during all that time, there have existed the most friendly relations between them. Soon after the writer's attention was called to the importance of the new discovery, he called on that gentleman ; and it was the conversation that then and subsequently ensued which led to the opinion that he was not the discoverer, or one of the

PREFACE.

discoverers. From the impression firmly made, he then asserted no such claim ; his only desire being to receive a certain (small) pecuniary interest in the sale of rights. Being anxious to learn something explicit as to the business arrangements of the parties concerned in the matter, he sent the writer to R. H. Eddy, Esq., and to Dr. Morton, for such information. Up to this time, the latter was an entire stranger to the writer, he never having seen him or heard his name mentioned, as he recollects, until this discovery was made known. So much for the parties claimant.

The writer has been accused of espousing this cause too warmly. To this it may be replied that, while the person who was at first only "joint-discoverer" was — by means at least somewhat equivocal — bearing off the whole honor abroad, no half-way measures would answer the emergency; and that nothing could counteract this accidental and unfortunate state of things save the most decided and thorough course of procedure. And in this way, with the assistance of the full and ample statements of Caleb Eddy, Esq. and Mr. R. H. Eddy, (to which the reader's attention is particularly directed,) it is believed that a fair and just decision may be gained.

Boston, May 30, 1847.

WHO DISCOVERED THE NEW PROPERTY OP

SULPHURIC ETHER,

AND INTRODUCED IT INTO SURGERY?

Wm. T. G. Morton, the fortunate discoverer of a means of annihilating so vast an amount of human suffering, was born in the town of Charlton, in Worcester county, in the State of Massachusetts. He is still a young man, being but about twenty-seven, although few men, even in a long life, have been able to accomplish so much for humanity. Like most New England boys, he was, at an early age, thrown upon his own resources, to work out his destiny as he might. Wherever placed, however, he seems to have been "equal to the emergency, always exhibiting the most extraordinary mental activity, with great diligence and perseverance. Having chosen dentistry for his profession, and determined that no one should excel him in his business, he at once bent the whole powers of his mind to his calling, and pursued it with a zeal which could but ensure success.

On arriving at a maturer age, and wishing to give a greater range to his mind, he commenced the study of medicine in the office of Dr. Charles T. Jackson, and entered his name, as a student of medicine and practical anatomy, in the Massachusetts Medical College, where he manifested his usual energy of character in the prosecution of his studies, and particularly in anatomy. Having continued in attendance at this institution during two courses of lectures, he closed his connection with it, and returned fully to his profession, to which he has since devoted himself with the greatest assiduity.

About this time, he enjoyed the full benefits of the instructions of Dr. N. C. Keep, "Vice-President of the American Society of Dental Surgeons, with whom he was subsequently a partner, until the health of that distinguished dentist compelled him to retire to a less active business.

William C. Roberts, M. D., editor of the New York " Annalist,"

thus states his objections : — " By-and-by we may see ' Morton's Antipathetic Inhalation' puffed in an article, to which shall be appended the honored names of Warren, Bigelow, and Pierson ; and wherein, we ask, will it differ from the objectionable contributions of others, quite as high, to Swaim's Panacea?" In another place he says: — "The last special wonder has already arrived at the natural term of its existence, and the interest created by its first advent has, in a great measure, subsided. It has descended to the bottom of that great abyss, which has already engulphed so many of its predecessor novelties, but which continues, alas! to gape, until a humbug yet more prime shall be thrown into it." And again, this Solon says, in speaking of the use of ether in London : — " We regret to observe that Mr. Liston is so negligent of what is due to the dignity of his profession, and of his own duty as a member of it, as to have employed this patented nostrum."

Charles A. Lee, M. D., editor of the New York "Journal of Medicine," says : — " We are sorry to see many of our brethren, at home and abroad, stooping from the exalted position they occupy in the profession, to hold intercourse with, and become the abettors of, quackery in any form. Such doings are certainly contrary to the ethics of the profession, and should not be tolerated for a moment in any one."

Drs. W. M. Carpenter, E. D. Fenner, J. Harrison, and A. Hester, editors of the New Orleans " Medical and Surgical Journal," father the following sentiment on this subject: — " That the leading surgeons of Boston could be captivated by such an invention as this, heralded to the world under the auspices of a patent right, and upon such evidences of utility and safety as are presented by Dr. Bigelow, excites our amazement. Why, mesmerism, which is repudiated by the savans of Boston, has done a thousand times greater wonders, and without any of the dangers here threatened. What shall we hear next?"

Prof. D. T. Mutter, of Philadelphia, has also to receive a share of the credit due to those who endeavored to suppress Dr. Morton's discovery in its youth. The chairman of a committee of Congress, to whom the matter was referred of introducing the use of the Letheon into the army and navy, addressed Prof. M. on the subject, asking him if it could be " usefully employed in the practice of surgery in the manner proposed by Dr. Morton." To this he replied : — " On this point, there is in my mind not the slightest doubt. I cannot consider any agent generally useful that unquestionably subjects the patient to the risk of losing his life." And, in another place, in his letter, he says : — " The peculiar method of Dr. Morton is, consequently, of no value, since others accomplish the same ends without the use of his patented apparatus. But granting that his measures are peculiar and even better than those of others, I trust the day is far distant when we shall find so distinguished a body as our national Congress, lending itself to the advancement of quackery, in any shape." And I have cited these passages in order that Prof. Mutter shall receive full credit for his sagacity and foresight, in thus pointing out the evils and dangers attending the use of the vapor.

Nor would I withhold from the editors of " The American Journal and Library of Dental Science," published in Baltimore, — Drs. Chapin, A. Harris, Amos Westcott, and Edwin J. Dunning, — the meed of praise that should be awarded them for their timely warning against the new monster ! They say : — " Great interest has been excited, both in professional circles and in the public mind, by an announcement, in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, that a Mr. Morton, of Boston, has discovered a gaseous preparation of a nature so exquisitely anodyne as to fulfil the great desideratum in surgery.'' Also : — " The effects resulting from, or at least liable to result from, the inhalation of the vapor of sulphuric ether, are, in our opinion, more to be dreaded than the pain of almost any surgical operation. We would, therefore, caution our professional brethren against the use of an article capable of producing such sudden, powerful, and dangerous effects."

Thus has assault upon assault been made against this discovery, and sometimes, as in the case of Dr. Flagg, and the watchful " Committee of Seven," who may justly be denominated the seven wise men of Boston, it has been aimed at Dr. Morton personally, and always coupling him with it. Indeed, praise and spleen have been lavished upon his head, and on his discovery, in about equal proportions ; but never, to any extent, has Dr. Jackson shared in this contumely and opprobium. O no ! he always took good care to keep his skirts clear of the sin of this monster, until the storm had, in a great measure, passed over, leaving Dr. Morton to fight the battle and receive the knocks, while he himself stood aloof, ready to rush in " at the death." He never raised his voice in the defence of the discovery ; he was never considered the principal, nor, for some weeks, known at all in it; he has sustained no injury in his business and character ; nor has he shared any of the odium heaped upon the head of Dr. M., but contented himself with 2 denouncing the discovery as a " humbug," and saying he " did not care what was done with it if his name was not drawn in with it !"

The only object the writer has in this matter is, to serve the cause of truth and justice. He has no pecuniary interests whatever involved in the discussion, but aims simply to establish the right. It is admitted, on all hands, that a great blessing has been conferred upon the world; and the question recurs, Who is the discoverer ? and, to settle this query satisfactorily and justly, is a matter of very great moment, else what inducement is there to ingenious minds to labor and wear themselves out in conferring favors upon mankind, when even the credit of their toils is wrested from them 1 It is a disgraceful historical fact, that almost all great discoverers and inventors have been robbed of all pecuniary advantage arising from their services ; and in many, too many cases, alas ! has the fame of their achievements also been suffered to be seized by others.

In this particular case, it is the boast of those who are inimical to its success, that it is free to all ; that Dr. Morton has no legal rights peculiar to himself in the matter; and that all are using his invention who may choose ! And this boast is made in America, over an American citizen, an enthusiastic, persevering young man, who has labored long, run great personal risks, suffered in his reputation, and been almost ruined in his professional business, to achieve and bring out a discovery which has already elevated the American name, and which shall add lustre to his native country " long after the dust of his enemies shall have been changed into vile worms !" The discoverer, therefore, is to derive no pecuniary benefit from his great achievement, even on the admission of those who oppose him ; and now the question comes up, with still greater force, Shall the honor also be iniquitously torn from him? Every young man, every great inventor or discoverer, — in

fact, every one who is aiming at any human distinction whatever, is

concerned in a just and equitable adjustment of this question.

But, thanks to the cause of justice, we have it in our power, as we think, to furnish such additional evidence on this subject, as must, in the minds of all candid men, place the question beyond a doubt. This additional testimony shall be forthcoming in due time; and, until then, we have to ask the public to suspend their decision, assuring them that they shall not be kept long in doubt, if what we have to offer further shall be deemed conclusive, as we trust it will, in substantiating Dr. Morton's claims to the discovery.

And here I will introduce the following communication, although, in doing so, I may be chargeable, in some degree, with repetition. The article originally appeared in the Boston Daily Advertiser, and is, in some measure, a summary of Dr. Morton's claims, and of the arguments refuting those of Dr. Jackson : —

There appeared, in the columns of the Advertiser of March 1st, an article, signed by Charles T. Jackson, which contains statements wholly new to me, and probably to many others — statements, which I propose in a brief and candid manner to discuss. And in doing this, a succinct history of the matter therein involved — the discovery of the new use of Sulphuric Ether — will not, I trust, be deemed irrelevant. This is a subject which is now engrossing much attention, both in the eastern and the western hemisphere; and one may safely conclude that, from present prospects, this interest in what is termed, in Europe, " the greatest contribution to medical science from the new world," is not to diminish, but rather to increase, until the real merits of the discovery are fully established.

In the communication in question, Dr. Jackson sets out with a singular misrepresentation, by giving to the public a paper addressed to the Academy of Arts and Sciences, and purporting to have been submitted to them, which, in fact, had never been laid before them, and of which they knew nothing, save through the public journals. If this paper had been submitted to the Academy for their action, it was no longer the property of the writer, until that action was had. But if it had not been so submitted, then a fraud has been perpetrated in making it public as a document that has received the sanction of that learned body.

In the next place, great injustice has been done to another individual, by making this publication at all, without consulting all parties interested. It is well known in this community, if not throughout the country, and in Great Britain, that the chief credit of the discovery in question belongs, not to Dr. Charles T. Jackson, the Chemist, but to William T. G. Morton, the Dentist. But, before going into this matter, it may be stated, that, after the discovery became somewhat notorious, and a man of science thought it no longer dangerous to his reputation to be named in connection with it, the friends of both claimants met together, and settled the relative merits of each, Dr. Jackson and Dr. Morton both expressing themselves fully satisfied with the result. By this agreement, Dr. Morton was to continue to have the sole management of the invention, by paying the other party a fixed per cent.

on the net receipts, and Dr. Jackson binding himself to make no publication, and to say nothing further about the matter, not in keeping with the spirit of this understanding.

But as the matter spread and increased in interest, Dr. Jackson became again uneasy, throwing out many threats of " blowing the whole thing up," &c. &c, thinking, that he was either not likely to get his share of the credit, or of the profits arising from the discovery ; so he addressed several letters to distinguished men in Europe, and particularly to some French savans, in one of which, to M. Elie de Beaumont, and published in Galignani's Messenger of about the 25th of January, he says : — " I request permission to communicate to the (French) Academy, through you, a discovery which 1 have made, and which I regard as important to suffering humanity." And in the same letter : " J Have latterly turned this discovert/ to use, by inducing a dentist of this city to administer the vapor of ether to persons ichose teeth he was going to extract ;" and other similar passages.

Now it will be observed, that not only has Dr. Jackson failed to adhere to his pledges, as before referred to, but he has, with the most extraordinary effrontery, carefully avoided even mentioning the name of the man to whom he had yielded up his whole interest in the discovery for ten per centum of the net proceeds ! And this, too, in the face of the statements contained in the preamble of the Letters Patent, which are as follows, namely : " Whereas, Charles T. Jackson, and William T. G. Morton, Boston, Mass., have alleged that they have invented a new and useful improvement in surgical operations, (the said Jackson having assigned his right, title, and interest in said improvement to the aforesaid Wm. T. G. Morton) which, they state, has not been known before their application ; have made oath, that they are citizens of the United States ; that they do verily believe, that they are the original inventors or discoverers of the said improvement, and that the same hath not, to the best of their knowledge and belief, been previously knoivn or used," &c. And also in the paper before referred to, in which Dr. Jackson released his whole interest in the same discovery to Dr. Morton, which release begins as follows : " To all persons to whom these presents shall come : Whereas I, Charles T. Jackson, of Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, chemist, have, in conjunction icith William T. G. Morton, of said city, dentist, invented or discovered a new and useful improvement in surgical operations on animals, &.c. &c. : I have, therefore, in consideration of one dollar to me in hand paid, the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge, assigned, set over and conveyed, and by these presents do assign, set over and convey to the said Morton and his legal representatives, all the right, title, and interest whatever, which I possess in the said invention or discovery, a specification of which I have this day (the 27th October, 1846,) signed and executed in conjunction with him for the purpose of enabling him to procure a patent thereon. And I do hereby request the Commissioner of Patents to issue the said patent to the said Morton in his name, and as my assignee, or legal representative, to the extent of all my right, title, and interest whatever in the said invention or discovery." I say he has, in the face of his agreement before referred to, in disregard of his assignment in the Letters Patent and in his release last above given, and contrary to the sense of justice and right, privately made the publications referred to, and various others, which no feelings of propriety or equity will justify.

In the letter to M. Beaumont, from which I have already made extracts, Dr. Jackson says : " Five or six years ago, I remarked the peculiar state of insensibility into which the nervous system was plunged by the inhalation of the vapor of pure sulphuric ether," &c. Previously to this, he had stated, under oath, in the preamble to the specifications, that " the same hath not, to the best of his knowledge and belief, been previously known." Now, Dr. Jackson either did know previous to this time, (the 27th of October, 1846,) that sulphuric ether would produce insensibility to pain, or he did not. If he did, as stated in his letter to M. Beaumont, then I have to remind him of his oath, under the solemnity of which he states that, according to the best of his knowledge and belief, the "fact had not been before known;" but if he did not, then I remind him of his other statement to the same person, in which he says that he had known it for "five or six years." And the learned doctor can take either horn of the dilemma he may prefer.

It is not known that Dr. Jackson ever made more than one experiment in inhaling ether ; and then he used it as an antidote to the vapor of chlorine, which he had accidentally breathed. But from his own statement in the Advertiser, it did not answer the purpose, the deleterious effects returning with the return of consciousness. But supposing he had known of it six years or six months before Dr. Morton applied it in practice ; is it not inexcusable in him to have withheld from suffering humanity this inestimable boon so long — a boon by the gift of which, such an incalculable amount of misery might have been saved? Or, is it within the limits of probability that, if he had been so long in possession of a discovery which, if made known, would, in four months, call down blessings on his head from ten thousand hearts, and from all civilized lands, and which, from present prospects, would make him to be remembered and cherished, by the side of Jenner, by all coming generations, and to all coining time, — I say, is it probable, had he known of this noble gift, that he would not have been most zealous in publishing it to the world 1 If he did make this discovery, is it not a remarkable coincidence, that Dr. Morton should have made it at the same time, and still more remarkable, that Dr. Jackson should leave the honor to another to make his discovery known?

But let us suppose that Dr. Morton, in making his experiments, hid caused the death of one or more of his patients ; would Dr. Jackson then have come forward and assumed the whole responsibility, and, in publishing an account of this untoward accident in the French Journals, taken the whole fault upon himself, suppressing even the name of the immediate agent in the unhappy affair 1 Or, to adduce a case in point: When Dr. Flagg and his coadjutors came out against Dr. M., calling him " Mr.'' Morton (!), denouncing the use of the ether, and citing a long list of " accidents" that had, as they said, already happened in his practice, and thinking it their duty to suffering humanity to strangle this Hercules of a discovery in its cradle, thereby, for a time, greatly injuring the reputation and practice of Dr. M. ; — at this critical moment in the history of the young discovery, who came forth to its defence ? Dr. Jackson, who knew these allegations to be false, and who could have satisfied the public that the ether could be administered with safety? Certainly not; but he also joined in the cry, pronouncing the new invention a " humbug," and Dr. Morton " reckless," for using it !

Dr. Jackson, in the extract from his letter to M. Beaumont, already given, says, that he had turned this discovery to use by inducing a dentist to use it in the extraction of teeth. Now it is well known, that, for ages, it has been the desire of the humane, in all countries, to discover some method of alleviating the suffering of those who were about to submit to severe and cruel surgical operations. And, amongst others who had given direct thought and attention to this subject, Dr. Mnrton may be named.

For more than two years, he had bestowed much thought upon this important inquiry. At the commencement of that period, he was a student of Dr. Jackson, with whom he often conversed on this and similar topics. But it was not till September, 1846, that a direct trial was made with sulphuric ether. About that time, Dr. Morton called on Dr. Jackson, to get some information in furtherance of his researches ; and, during the conversation that ensued, in which the old topic of the inhalation of sulphurip ether and nitrous oxide gas by the students at college came up, Dr. M. inquired why he could not give the ether to his patients. Dr. Jackson said he could, and advised him to get some, of Burnett, highly rectified, at the same time explaining to him the nature of sulphuric ether, and its effects, so far as known, on the system, assuring him it might be safely applied, although the next morning he declined giving a certificate to this effect.

Dr. Morton procured the ether, and, returning home, locked himself in his room, when he saturated a sponge with it and began to inhale, noting down accurately when the inhalation commenced. Soon, he recollects beginning to grow dizzy, when, letting the sponge fall, he reclined back in his chair, after which he seems, for a time, to have been totally unconscious. On coming to himself, he again looked at his watch, and found, to his inexpressible delight, that he had been insensible eight minutes ! He then left his room, anxious to try the ether upon one of his patients, when fortunately a stout healthy man appeared, to have a tooth extracted. The ether was administered and the tooth taken out, the man avowing a total unconsciousness of its removal! And this is the first painless operation ever performed by similar means in surgery !

Subsequently, attempts were made by the same method, but without any satisfactory results, until, at length, after many trials to produce a proper apparatus, and finding the one recommended by Dr. Jackson entirely useless, Dr. Morton arrived at a result, which seemed to be what he desired. And from that day the importance of the discovery began to develop itself, and the experiments were perfectly, or nearly perfectly, successful.

Dr. Morton, let it be observed, inhaled the ether on the 3Cth September; but it was not until the 21st November following, it is believed, that Dr. Jackson witnessed an operation, which was on that day performed at the Bromfield House, at which he, with several others, was invited to be present ; nor has he, from that day to this, or ever, by his own recent admissions, made any experiments himself to test the importance of the discovery, or whether a state of insensibility sufficient to admit of a severe surgical operation being performed without pain, could be induced by the inhalation of sulphuric ether.

In Dr. Jackson's letter t» M. Beaumont, he says: — "It was observed, that no unpleasant consequences attended the administration of the ether, and / then advised this dentist to go to the General Hospital of Massachusetts, to administer it to a patient who was about to undergo a painful operation."

Now it is well known, in this community and to all of his acquaintances, that Dr. Jackson is a gentleman, whose moral character is unimpeached and unimpeachable, a gentleman than whom no one has more warm personal friends. And this renders it doubly painful to say that he has perverted the truth, although believing, as I do, that it must have happened through forgetfulness alone that he made such a statement, — a statement which, as its errors have been pointed out to him since its appearance in this country, he has had ample time to correct. The whole tenor of the letter referred to, is to give the impression that Dr. Morton was under Dr. Jackson's advice and direction, than which nothing could be more unjust and erroneous. From first to last, it is well known that Dr. Morton has acted wholly on his own responsibility ; and that at no time did he ask Dr. Jackson for his advice or directions, for he seldom saw him. This is too absurd a position to be refuted, and would not have been alluded to, had not this letter to M. Beaumont produced a most unfair and erroneous impression in France, wholly opposed to truth, and had not all the communications in the Paris papers on this subject, ascribing the credit of the discovery to Dr. Jackson, originated from that and other letters, written in dereliction of positive promises, and in the face of his written release to Dr. Morton, in which the most he claimed was to be considered a " a joint-discoverer," while, in this letter, he takes the whole credit, and does not so much as mention the name of Dr. Morton.

He claims to have advised Dr. Morton to go to the Hospital, and give the ether to a patient. Dr. Morton went there on invitation from the house surgeon, at the request of Dr. Warren, and it is not known that Dr. Jackson had any knowledge of such an invitation being given, or that the operation was to be performed. It is unaccountable, that a man of Dr. Jackson's standing, and general high sense of honor and justice, could have been capable of so much assurance — to call it by no harsher name — as to say that he had "latterly turned this discovery to use, by inducing a dentist of this city to give the vapor," &,c. In his communication, published in the Advertiser of March 1st, he says he '.' was desirous of testing it (the ether) in a capital operation," &.C. ; and that Dr. J. C. Warren " politely consented to have the trial made," &,c. ; whereas, Dr. Morton called on Dr. H. J. Bigelow, who spoke to