Volume 1

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

  • Warren, Edward, 1804-1878.
Date:
1847
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Some account of the letheon, or, Who is the discoverer?. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    disguise or misrepresent it how much soever one may. And Dr. Mor¬ ton is the last one, I doubt not, who has any thing to fear from the de¬ cision of this question on principles of equity and justice, or where it is properly understood. It is only those who fear this tribunal who say that they “ care nothing for the honors this country has to bestow,” and are only anxious to secure those of Europe! This is the decla¬ ration of one of the pretenders, as I am informed; and certainly the course of both those, who are trying to wrest the credit from him to whom it belongs, seems to warrant one in classing them together in this respect. Those who have espoused, and who now advocate, Dr. Wells’s claims, give, as a reason for his not making his discovery available and es¬ tablishing those claims for himself, that he did not wish to realize any thing by it, but preferred, rather, to bestow it gratuitously upon the suffering of his race. But how does this harmonize with the princi¬ ples he discloses when, during his visit to Boston, in October, he ad¬ vised Dr. M. to sell all the rights he could, and to make all the money out of the discovery in his power ? Or, how does it agree with a pas¬ sage in his letter of October 20th, in which he says, “ I hasten to answer it, (Dr. M.’s letter,) for fear you will adopt a method, in dis¬ posing of your rights, which will defeat your object.” And similar principles are avowed throughout his two letters of Nov. 20th and Dec. 10th, to Dr. Morton; from which it would appear, that he considered his discovery of so little value, that he was willing to give it to the afflicted and suffering of his race; and that, appreciating the immense superiority of Dr. Morton’s over any and all others before made, he advised Dr. M. to adopt such a “ method in disposing of his rights,” as would secure him a “ fortune.” Noble and disinterested generosity this, of which but few examples are on record ! Certainly, the possession of such virtues, if nothing else, fully entitles Dr. Wells to the awards and honors of the public! The following extracts from the “ Account” of the discovery in question, by a distinguished surgeon, conversant with it from its ear¬ liest promulgation, ought, certainly, to have some weight with our transatlantic friends in establishing the honor of giving this noble gift to the race—unless, indeed, as seems to be their determination, we are to have no voice in the matter. From present appearances, the Parisians have taken the whole subject under their own patronage, and manifested a disposition to award the credit and honors wherever