LONG'S PRIORITY IN THE DISCOVERY OF

ANESTHESIA.

BY C. H. ANDREWS, Milledgeville, Ga.

For many years prior to 1857, on Broad street, and opposite the principal entrance to the beautiful campus of the State University at Athens, Georgia, there stood an unpretentious frame building, then known as "Long's Drug Store."

In March, 1854, early in the day, a gentleman in appearance, and a stranger to that little city, entered that old drug store, and inquired of the clerks for Dr. Crawford W. Long. He was told that Dr. Long had not yet come to the store that morning, but probably he would be in in a little while; and the stranger was invited to a seat by the fire,-if he would wait to see the Doctor.

In a few moments Dr. Long came, and as he approached the fire, I said to the gentleman: "This is Dr. Long, for whom you inquired," and I said to the Doctor, "this gentleman wishes to see you."

As they met the gentleman presented his card and said “I am Dr. Charles T. Jackson, of Boston, Massachusetts, one of the claimants of the discovery of the anesthetic effects of sulphuric ether; and as you are another claimant I have come to see you, to talk over the matter, and to compare evidences of our mutual claims."

Dr. Long replied that he was glad to meet Dr. Jackson and

[The discovery of Anesthesia is of such vast significance to the human race, that everything bearing on it has an unusual interest. The following vivid report of a historic interview, though it adds no great fact of importance to what was already known, seems worthy of attention, especially since it contains Dr. Jackson's frank avowal of Long's priority of discovery.-EDS.]

more than pleased at this personal interview; and would cheerfully exhibit and compare evidences of their claims to this discovery.

After some further talk Dr. Jackson returned to his hotel and Dr. Long to his home. Both soon returned to the store with books and papers, ready for this important conference. They agreed that this interview should be witnessed by others; and I, the principal apothecary and bookkeeper in the drug store of the Doctors Long (two brothers), was especially invited to scrutinize and compare each brief of evidence submitted.

Preliminary to the exhibition of any documentary evidence Dr. Long stated that this subject of anesthesia was first suggested to him by the fact that persons inhaling "laughing gas," as it was vulgarly called, slightly injured themselves in their varied antics, but after the effects of the gas had passed off, had no knowledge of how they had hurt themselves, and experienced no pain at all at the time.

"At social gatherings of the young people where I then ived," said he, "they would engage in the fun of inhaling this 'laughing gas,' and if they could not obtain the gas they would substitute sulphuric ether. Under the influence of this, some persons would do the most extraordinary things. As an experiment I would at times take part in these frolics and I always became belligerent. I would carefully note the absence of all Knowledge of and the painlessness of my injuries. In the study of this subject I experimented upon others and upon myself until I became satisfied that by the use of sulphuric ether as an anesthetic, surgical operations could be performed without pain to the patient; and I determined to test it at the first opportunity offered in my practice.

"On the 30th day of March, 1842, I was called upon to extirpate a tumor upon the neck of Mr. James M. Venable, of Jackson county, Ga. In this operation I used sulphuric ether

by inhalation as an anesthetic. The operation was eminently satisfactory and the anesthesia was complete. Other physicians and medical students, with a number of other citizens, witnessed this operation and my use of ether.

"After that, whenever the opportunity offered, I used ether in all kinds of small surgical operations and discussed this subject with physicians and other citizens; and anxiously awaited an opportunity to amputate an arm or a leg, with ether as an anesthetic." * * *

Then Dr. Jackson said: "I am an analytical chemist of Boston, Massachusetts. A few doors from my office in Boston was the office of Dr. T. G. Morton, a dentist. On the 30th day of September, 1846, Dr. Morton came into my office and said, 'Dr. Jackson, I have to perform an operation upon a patient who is very sensitive to pain, and exceedingly nervous. Can you give me something to use that will, to some extent, deaden the pain and overcome that nervousness?' I took a small vial of sulphuric ether and added to it some essential oils to disguise its odor as much as possible. I explained how the patient must inhale it and cautioned him as to its use, but did not tell him what the article was. Before very long Dr. Morton returned to my office delighted with the use of what I had given him and urged me to tell him what it was. Frequently after this Dr. Morton called upon me for similar aid and constantly importuned me to tell him what the mixture was that he was using. Finally he and I entered into an arrangement for the manufacture, use and sale of the mixture, and applied for a patent with the name of 'Letheon.' After this Dr. Morton petitioned the United States Congress for a large sum of money, of the nature of a pension, for the discovery of the anesthetic effects of this preparation by inhalation. Incensed at this action of Dr. Morton, I annulled my contract with him, disputed his claims before Congress, and set up my own claim to this discovery.

"This action of Dr. Morton before Congress brought forward Dr. Horace Wells, a dentist of Hartford, Connecticut, another claimant for the first discovery of anesthesia by inhalation of 'Nitrous Oxide Gas,' on the 11th of December, 1844.1"

Both gentlemen were deeply interested in their recital of their most important experience. Surprise and profound thought rested upon the face of Dr. Jackson, for much that Dr. Long related was news to him.

He was a spare made man, some 5 feet 9 inches in height, and of a dark and swarthy complexion, and apparently about 40 years of age. Dr. Long was a larger, taller, and more robust man, very nearly 6 feet tall, and spare made. His complexion was florid, his hair and beard a dark auburn, and his eyes were very dark blue. He was born in Danielsville, Madison county, Georgia, on November 1, 1815. He graduated from Franklin College (the State University) in August, 1835. Those of his class who became most prominent in after years were Francis S. Bartow, who was a member of the First Confederate Congress, was colonel of the Eighth Georgia Regiment in the Confederate army, and as commander of a brigade was killed at the battle of Manassas, on July 22, 1861; and Charles W. West, who at one time was a professor in the Medical College at Augusta, Ga., and later a professor in the Medical College at Savannah, Ga.

The interview between Doctors Jackson and Long occupied the entire day. Careful scrutiny and comparison were necessary. Much documentary evidence, such as books of entry, letters, certificates and affidavits were submitted and

These several claims before the United States Congress having become known to Dr. Long at the time he had requested the Honorable William C. Dawson, then one of the Senators from Georgia, to have inserted in the proceedings then before Congress respecting this subject matter his name as claimant to this discovery wherever the names of Morton, Jackson and Wells appeared.

each particular one was carefully inspected. It was a tiresome day's work. Besides this interview with Dr. Long, Dr. Jackson contemplated a visit to the gold mines in Northeast Georgia, and determined to leave Athens on the following day. On his return he would see Dr. Long again. As the route of Dr. Jackson to the gold mines would take him through the town of Jefferson, where Dr. Long practiced his profession for a number of years, and where he used sulphuric ether as an anesthetic in a surgical case for the first time in 1842, and where live many witnesses to his first use of an anesthetic in surgery, Dr. Long gave Dr. Jackson the names of physicians and other citizens of Jefferson, and of Jackson county, wishing Dr. Jackson to see and talk with them on this subject of his discovery. Among the names given Dr. Jackson was that of James M. Venable, from whose neck a tumor was taken in 1842 while he was under the influence of ether.

After some days Dr. Jackson returned to Athens and called again on Dr. Long at the old drug store. Long and earnest conversation respecting this claim for the discovery of anesthesia by the inhalation of sulphuric ether occupied the time of these eminent men, both pleasing and instructive. Late in the afternoon as he bade each one of us good-bye, standing in the doorway of that old drug store, Dr. Jackson said: "Well, Dr. Long, you certainly have the advantage of us other claimants to the first discovery and use of the anesthetic effects of sulphuric ether; but I think that we have the advantage of first publishing it to the world.”

If performing operations in the presence of the physicians, medical students and many other citizens of high character; the discussion of this subject with physicians, editors and the faculty of medical colleges; the publication as to this discovery in newspapers, and a medical journal-if all this does not make a case of "publishing this discovery to the world," then Dr. Jackson's statement is true in every particular.