[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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    But the committee cannot view the question of power as an original or open one. The time is too long, and the instances are too numerous, in which the power has been exercised, to allow of its being so considered. A list of some of the cases in which the power in question has been exercised, will be found appended to this report; but the committee will here allude to a class of cases involving the power to the extreme limit—cases in which the Government has even stood forth to assist private individuals, with money, in their efforts to make and perfect their discoveries and inventions: such, for instance, as the cases of Professors Morse, Page, and Espy. The committee being of opinion that this discovery is eminently meritorious, and its use by the Government of vast and incalcula- ble value and benefit, have concluded to recommend to the favor- able consideration of the Senate the accompanying provision, by way of amendment to the army appropriation bill. [This proposition gives $100,000 to the discoverer.] Views of the Chairman on An Examination of the Question~of AncBSthesia. While the question of anaesthesia, on the memorials of sundry persons, was under consideration by the Select Committee of the Senate, of which I was Chairman, a paper entitled An Examination of the auESTioN of anesthesia, prepared by the Hon. Truman Smith, a member of the Committee, and having thus a (juasi official character, was printed and circulated among the members of the Senate and House of Representatives. And as, in my opinion, that paper presents a one-sided and partial view of the question; such as might be expected of an advocate of easy faith in his client's cause, and strong indignation against all that oppose it; and consequently comes to a conclusion widely different from that which a calm and impartial consideration of the whole case would warrant, I deem it an act of mere justice to the person who I believe has the right, to present also the opinion which I have formed upon the same points after a care- ful examination. The writer of that paper gives the whole merit of the discovery of practical antesthesia to the late Dr. Horace Wells, of Hart- ford, Connecticut, and he denounces, in no measured terms, as pirates and impostors both the other claimants to that distinguish- ed honor. He is especially bitter and abusive of Dr. Morton, whose character is above all reproach, and whose claim to the contested prize is supported by very strong evidence, while he shows some little forbearance towards Dr. Jackson, who has failed in making out his claim. The strength of his denuncia- tions against the respective parties, and the degree of villany which he imputes to them is in direct proportion to the strength of their proofs.