The moment the news arrived in the Isle of Jersey, I addressed to the Jersey Times, the London Medical Times, London Critic, London Morning Chronicle, Lancet, etc. etc.

Painless Surgical Operations Produced By Inhalation

To the Editor of the Medical Times.

Sir, - Monopoly is opposed to the spirit of the age, more particu"larly with a subject, the application of which must tend to the "alleviation of much human suffering. As I can without doubt prove "that, prior to the arrival of the Acadia steamer in Liverpool on the "16th of December last, at a public lecture on the 10th of the same "month, I did declare that I had oftentimes produced unconsciousness "by the inhalation of 'Narcotic and Stimulating Vapours,' so that "surgical operations might be performed without pain to the patient "during that condition, - I urge this claim now in consequence of an "advertisement that the use of inhalation for surgical operations "was being patented. This is indeed most preposterous! I, as the "rightful claimant, now give it cheerfully and freely to all who desire "to use it. In the year 1842 I tried the experiment on more than "twenty persons: in fine, the unconscious state lasted from half an hour "to two hours,* whereas the recent experiments in America do not pro"duce unconsciousness for a longer period than two to five minutes. "I would not have it supposed that mesmerism is in any degree inter"fered with in consequence of the production of unconsciousness by "inhalation. In the list of nervous diseases - neuralgia, paralysis, "headaches, epilepsy, palsy, etc. - mesmerism must be resorted to. "Moreover, the whole credit of inhalation' is due to mesmerism,' and "the state induced is, in every way, a similar one.

In the year 1843, "I published a Work simultaneously in Philadelphia, New York, and

Boston, wherein, at pages 26, 27, and 28, I distinctly and unequi"vocally declare, that unconsciousness can be produced by the inha That is, I could not restore the patient to a perfect state of consciousness in some cases under two hours; in one instance, the nervous congestive state induced was so deep, that I was fearful of a fatal result.

lation of narcotic and stimulating vapours.

More than a thousand copies were sold, and my experiments by "inhalation were the topic of conversation from one end of the "United States to the other. There was hardly an editor who had not "a joke on the 'bowl of molasses experiment,' as it was called at the "time. I have fortunately several copies with me. Dr. Elliotson, in "the third number of the Zoist, refers to it.

I know, then, that you will render me every facility of vindicating "that which is most dear to every man - reputation - and the priority of "having produced a condition, whose application must tend to the "alleviation of much human suffering.

I am, yours respectfully,

Robert H. Collyer, M.D.

St. Heliers, Jersey, January 2nd, 1847."

Even at this period, I had never heard of Horace Wells, who was in Paris engaged in the purchase of pictures, which was his business, he having entirely abandoned all idea of using anaesthetic agents, since his first discomfiture in Boston. On the 11th of February, 1847, Mr. Wells wrote a letter, which was published in Galignani's Messenger, which will be found in the Appendix. I am reluctantly obliged to state, that it is an entire misrepresentation of the facts, which will be dwelt on hereafter.

It seems that in December, 1844, Mr. J. Q. Coulton visited Hartford, Connecticut, for the purpose of exhibiting the effects of protoxide of nitrogen, or laughing gas.* A Mr. Cooley inhaled the gas, which caused him to dance, and resort to other muscular exercises; he in so doing severely contused his ankles, so much so, that blood flowed freely from the wounds. He was unconscious of having received any injury at the time.** Mr. Horace Wells,*** dentist, being one of the audience, took notice of the circumstance that Mr. Cooley had experienced no pain, and suggested to him the idea, that teeth might be extracted during the excitement caused by inhaling the nitrous oxide gas. Mr. Wells the next day had a tooth extracted from his own head.

* There were many persons entirely ignorant of chemistry, who travelled in various parts of the United States, administering the laughing gas. A Mr. Preston, of New York, in 1841 made this his business.

** Vide my lecture delivered in Providence, March 16th, 1843: - "Men in strife "receive bruises and wounds, and are not sensible of the fact at the time, in con"sequence of the excitement of brain producing a deadness of the outer surface, or, "in other words, a withdrawal of the nervous force, to supply the increased action "of the central portions of the brain. Any excitement would produce the same "results." etc.

*** Neither Mr. Wells nor Morton had received a medical education, and were entirely ignorant of physiology.

This is Mr. Coulton's account of the transaction. As he it was who administered the gas, no doubt it may be relied on as perfectly correct, but it is diametrically opposed to the account published by Wells himself in Galignani's Messenger in February, 1847, but which agrees with the published statement of Dr. Ellsworth, in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal of December 16th, 1846, and that of Dr. Marcy, December 30th, 1846. Had not these gentlemen, in order to advance themselves, published these contradictory letters, Mr. Wells never would have sent this unfortunate letter to Galignani's Messenger, wherein he says:-"Reasoning from analogy, I was led to believe that surgical operations "might be performed without pain, by the fact, that an individual when "much excited, etc." Vide Letter in Appendix.

Of course, no one can know who has not investigated the matter how this is at variance with the facts. It is most important, as showing a total absence of memory on the part of Wells. He entirely ignores having derived the idea from Mr. Coulton's exhibition of the gas, and the wounding of Mr. Cooley. Mr. - now Dr. G. Q. Coulton - thought so little of it at the time of Mr. Wells's experiments, that he did not adopt it until the year 1863, or 19 years subsequently!