179 



were made in rapid succession by the same operator, without mishap, 

 until the fact was considered fairly settled. 



These experiments were not undertaken blindly, nor were the 

 results discovered by accident. Dr. Morton had long harboured the 

 idea of getting hold of something which should destroy the pain con- 

 sequent upon his dental operations, and he had consulted with Dr. 

 Charles T. Jackson, an eminent chemist of Boston, upon the subject. 

 This gentleman alleges that he first communicated to him the fact, 

 that sulphuric ether would answer the purpose — Dr. Morton being 

 before ignorant of the properties of this article. Upon this latter 

 point the parties are at issue, though it is understood that their names 

 subsequently appeared in a patent, as joint inventors or discoverers 

 of this new method of destroying pain. 



About the 10th of October, Dr. Morton being desirous of testing 

 the powers of this new agent in a surgical operation, applied to Dr. 

 John C. Warren, for the liberty of administering it to a patient upon 

 whom he was about to operate. Dr. Warren having satisfied him- 

 self of the safety of the experiment, yielded to the request, and it 

 was accordingly administered by Dr. Morton to a young man, from 

 whom a tumour was excised, in the Massachusetts General Hospital. 

 The tumour was composed of tortuous, indurated veins, and was 

 situated on the left side of the neck, just below the left portion of 

 the lower jaw; it extended from the surface quite deeply under the 

 tongue. The operation is thus described by Dr. Warren, in his late 

 valuable treatise on Etherization: — "The patient was arranged for 

 the operation in a sitting posture, and everything made ready ; but Dr. 

 Morton did not appear for the lapse of half an hour. I was about 

 to proceed when he entered hastily, excused the delay which had 

 been occasioned by his modifying the apparatus for administration. 

 The patient was then made to inhale a fluid from a tube connected 

 with a glass globe. After four or five minutes he appeared to be 

 asleep, and was thought, by Dr. Morton, to be in a condition for 

 the operation. I made an incision between two and three inches 

 long, in the direction of the tumour, and to my great surprise, with- 

 out any starting, crying out, or other indication of pain. The fascia 

 was then divided, the patient still appearing wholly insensible. Then 

 followed the insulation of the veins, during which he began to move 

 his limbs, cry out, and utter extraordinary expressions. These phe- 

 nomena led to a doubt of the success of the application; and, in truth, 

 I was not satisfied myself, until I had, soon after the operation, and 

 on various other occasions, asked the question, whether he suffered 



