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American dentist (1819–1868) who pioneered the use of inhaled ether as a surgical anesthetic. ALS signed “W. T. G. Morton,” two pages on two adjoining sheets, 5 x 7.75, June 18, 1855. Handwritten letter, in part: "You promised to come up and see me in May…but I will excuse you if you will come now. It has recently occurred to me how you could make a little money and I now remember you were quite right in saying that I told you so but the thought never came into my mind again until a day or two since." In fine condition, with a short, unobtrusive tear to the bottom edge.
Two years after starting his own dental practice, Morton famously demonstrated the usage of ether as a reliable painkilling chemical at Massachusetts General Hospital on October 16, 1846, when he successfully and painlessly extracted a tumor from the neck of Edward Abbott. Upon receiving a patent for his inhalant, Morton was confronted with claims that others had first discovered the surgical benefits of ether. To legitimize his findings and to seek a ‘national recompense’ of $100,000, he applied to Congress three different times. On Morton’s fourth attempt he hired attorney Horace Cornwall to expedite research, but due to travel costs and mounting legal bills, he was forced to pay Cornwall in modest installments. On April 19, 1854, Morton’s bill ‘to recompense the discoverer of practical anesthesia’ passed the Senate, but a rapid turnaround by the House caught Morton by surprise and unprepared, and resulted in the bill’s prompt dismissal. Morton never did receive full satisfaction for his claims, and he and his family spent many years in nearly destitute circumstances.
From the personal collection of a lifelong collector, teacher, and traveler with a passion for world history. His collecting years ranged from the 1970s to the present day, meaning that several of the premier pieces have not been on the market in decades.
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