1880 .] 
45 
[Bouv£. 
death, I repeat, “ Simple, unostentatious, true in all the relations 
of life, honest in the expression of his convictions, and pure in 
heart; he lived amongst us, a blessing to his friends and the 
community, and has jiassed away leaving the most tender mem- 
ories.” Of Dr. Martin Gay it may be said that all expressed in 
praise of Dr. J. B. S. Jackson would alike apply to him. The 
similitude of them natures indeed drew them together in close 
relationship. If ever a man lived in the community above guile, 
thoroughly upright and conscientious, that man was Dr. Martin 
Gay. 
To the opinions and testimony of such men we always turn 
with peculiar satisfaction, and it is not too much to say that in 
the controversy concerning the discovery of ether, not only the 
personal standing but the long acquaintance and association with 
Dr. Jackson of all three, becomes of extraordinary value. They, 
too, were the most intimate of his friends, and their knowledge 
of him, his character, and his motives of action, was more thor- 
ough than that of any others in the community. Not failing to 
recognize weaknesses from which few of us would claim that he 
was exempt, they nevertheless, as all who associated with them 
well know, entertained for him feelings of the greatest regard 
and respect. 
Now what is the testimony of these three witnesses concerning 
the claim of Dr. Charles T. Jackson to the discovery of ether as 
an anesthetic agent? Their belief that he alone was entitled to 
the honor admits of no doubt. Fortunately there is incontrovert- 
ible proof of this in regard to two of them, Dr. J. B. S. Jackson’s 
name being appended to a remonstrance addressed to Congress 
against a grant of money to W. G. Morton, which expresses that 
the signers believe a reward, so far as discovery is concerned, 
solely due to Dr. J ackson ; and Dr. Martin Gay having published 
a pamphlet under his own name, in which he claims that Dr. 
Jackson was not only the sole discoverer, but that Mr. Morton 
was only to be regarded as an agent in what he did to prove 
the administration of ether safe in surgical operations. 
Thus far I have not referred to myself, as also on intimate 
relations with Dr. C. T. Jackson. I may well do so, however, being 
for a considerable period a student in his laboratory, and subse- 
