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STATEMENTS,

SUPPORTED BY EVIDENCE,

or

WM. T. G. MORTON, M. D.

ON HIS

CLAIM TO THE DISCOVERY

OF THE

ANESTHETIC PROPERTIES OF ETHER

SUBMITTED TO THE

HONORABLE THE SELECT COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY THE SENATE OF
THE UNITED STATES.

32d CONGRESS, 2d SESSION, JANUARY 21, 1853.

Presented by Mr. Davis, of Massachusetts, and referred to the Select Committee to
whom had been referred the petition of sundry Physicians of Boston
and vicinity, in support of the claim of W. T. G. Morton, M. D.,

STOR IBRAR

for the discovery of Etherization.

NEW-YORK

WASHINGTON:

1853.

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ANALYTIC INDEX.

I.-Testimony showing that Dr. Morton had the idea of this dis-
covery, and was wholly engrossed in its verification for months
prior to September 30, 1846, when Dr. Jackson claims to have
given him his first notion in that direction:-

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II.-Testimony showing that Dr. Jackson ridiculed this discovery
while it was going through the experimentum crucis, and washed
his hands of all responsibility, simply claiming that he said to Dr.
Morton "Why don't you try ether," an untested suggestion:-

Dr. A. A. Gould--
Caleb Eddy, Esq.

Page

Page
265 Edward Warren, Esq.---- 442
Peleg W. Chandler, Esq.- 258
Joseph Burnett, Esq.-- 376

286
Prof. J. D. Whitney--- 395

III.-Testimony showing that even if Dr. Jackson's statements to
Humboldt were literally true, he had not only not made the dis-
covery in question, but was not entitled to a scientific induction
from those premises that anæsthesia would be produced. This,
for two reasons. (1.) The nature of physiological science, which
does not admit of exact reasoning, like mathematical, or even
chemical, or mechanical science, and (2.) because the same ef-
ects which he describes are produced by other agents which
do not stand the test of surgical experiments.

Also, Testimony of the surgeons of Boston and vicinity that
Dr. Jackson had no connexion with any of the experiments at
the hospital or in private practice, and that neither Dr. Warren,
nor any one else connected with the hospital, knew or suspected
that Dr. J. had any thing to do with the discovery until after
the second experiment at the hospital. Embracing a direct de-
nial from Dr. Warren that Dr. Jackson "requested" him to per-
form the experiment, and full proof that the surgeons relied
solely upon Dr. Morton and his dental experiments, not even
knowing what they were administering, by Dr. Morton's direc-

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