. Epitome of the history of medicine : based upon a course of lectures delivered in the University of Buffalo. odor of thesubstance he was using by aromatic oils. It was notuntil the staff of the Massachusetts General Hospital de-clined to use an agent whose composition was kept secretthat Morton revealed publicly the fact that this was nothingbut sulphuric ether disguised by aromatics. From a reportof the Commissioner of Patents, published a little later, thefollowing paragraph is taken, the report being in the natureof a commentary upon the discovery :— It has been known for many years that
. Epitome of the history of medicine : based upon a course of lectures delivered in the University of Buffalo. odor of thesubstance he was using by aromatic oils. It was notuntil the staff of the Massachusetts General Hospital de-clined to use an agent whose composition was kept secretthat Morton revealed publicly the fact that this was nothingbut sulphuric ether disguised by aromatics. From a reportof the Commissioner of Patents, published a little later, thefollowing paragraph is taken, the report being in the natureof a commentary upon the discovery :— It has been known for many years that the vapor ofsulphuric ether, when freely inhaled, would intoxicate tothe same extent as alcohol when taken into the fact has stood, further, upon the pages ofscience for many years that the inhalation of sulphuricether was productive of temporary narcotic stimulanteffects. After the issuance of letters patent Morton began sell-ing office-rights, such being the custom then, as now,among the dental profession, who are much more commer- n a ^ 2 - ^ o w > ii >i — CO « t > >- >. 310 THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE. cial in their proclivities than their brethren of the medicalprofession. The result was an almost endless litigation,with the development of the greatest personal animosityand rivalry between Jackson and Morton, as well as thefriends and descendants of the other claimants. Mortonwrecked his fortune and ruined his health in his efforts toget substantial recognition and remuneration from theUnited States Government; and the history of his repeatedattempts to interest Congress and the various officials ofthe government, from the president down, is instructive,but far from pleasing, reading. In these attempts he prac-tically failed, and died from an illness contracted throughexposure, after maddening disappointment, although hehad been the recipient of numerous honors and somesmall pecuniary recognition from societies and died in 186
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectmedicine, bookyear189
