[Report in regard to the discovery of anaesthesia].

  • United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Anaesthesia.
Date:
[1854]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Report in regard to the discovery of anaesthesia]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    and had a conversation with him, on his return, about your dis- covery. He made no claim to me of the discovery being his ; but, on the contrary, expressed regrets that we had not continued our experiments to a successful termination. Howell Olmstead, junr., says : During the winter of 1845 and spring of 1846, Dr. Wells made application for a patent for a 'shower bath,' in his name, which Col. Thos. Roberts claimed to be equally interested in. Their respective claim was left to the decision of Francis Parson, Esq., of this city, and decided in Dr. Wells' favor. I then made arrangements with Dr. Wells to travel and dispose of rights to manufacture his baths, and at that time I considered that he had abandoned the thing entirelj^ as he expressed himself to me that the operation in some cases proved a perfect failure, and spoke of his unsuccessful trial in Boston in 1845. * # * * About this time the effects of ether had become public in Boston, and he expressed himself as being very sorry that he had not prosecuted his experiments to a successful termination ; and he also regretted his stopping the matter when he did, for he thought an immense fortune might be made out of the business, and that the discovery would reflect great honor upon the dis- coverer. Dr. Wells cordially recognises Dr. 3Iorton^s discovery. It is very certain too, that Dr. Wells, at the time Dr. Morton's discovery was communicated to him, and thereafter, until the as- sured success of that discovery astonished, and overwhelmed him, recognised the kind and friendly acts of Dr. Morton tovi^ard him- self, and did not conceive himself injured by Dr. Morton's having made and claimed the honor of discovering a safe and practical anaesthetic agent. Witness his letter to Dr. Morton of October, 1846, in reply to one of Dr. Morton, informing him of his dis- covery and his advice to Dr. Morton, given in the presence of R. H. Eddy. They are as fallows: Hartford, Connecticut, October 20, 1846. Dr. Morton—Dear Sir: Your letter dated yesterday, is just received, and I hasten to answer it, for I fear you will adopt a method in disposing of your rights, which will defeat your object. Before you make any arrangements whatever, I wish to see you. I think I will be in Boston the first of next week—probably Monday night. If the operation of administering the gas is not attended with too much trouble, and will produce the effect you state, it will, undoutedly, be a fortune to you, provided ic is rightly managed, „ ^our,. in ha,te,, H.WELLS.