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The Wells Memorial Tablet 
 
 UNVEILED IN HARTFORD. CONNECTICUT 
 DECEMBER 11, 1894 
 
Notes on the History 
 of Anaesthesia 
 
 The Wells Memorial Celebration 
 at Hartford, 1894 
 
 Early Record of Dentists 
 in Connecticut 
 
 By James McManus, D. D. S. 
 
 Hartford 
 
 Printed by Clark & Smith 
 
 1896 
 
Edition limited to 200 copies of which this is 
 
 
 No. 
 
 To of 
 
 with the compliments of 
 
32 |ratl direct, 
 
 Jartfari), cfonn. 
 
 The History of Anaesthesia was prepared at the request of 
 the Connecticut Valley Dental Society and was read at the 
 union meeting with the Connecticut State Dental Association 
 held in Hartford, in May, 1893. The Fiftieth Anniversary 
 Celebration and the placing of the Memorial Tablet was no- 
 ticed at the time in the city newspapers, but the full speeches 
 of the distinguished guests were not given to the public. The 
 banquet was a notable one, and the remarks made by Drs. 
 Colton, Ellsworth, Russell, Hon. Henry Barnard, LL. D., and 
 the letters from the Hon. A. E. Burr and Dr. Samuel A. 
 Cooley were historic and from personal knowledge of the man 
 at the time of the discovery. The presence of the Governor- 
 elect, the Hon. O. Vincent Coffin and his Honor, Mayor Braiu- 
 ard, and the addresses by President Smith of Trinity College, 
 Dr. Henry P. Stearns, and Dr C. C. Barker of Meriden, each 
 and all are now put on record in a permanent form for future 
 reference. 
 
 I have taken great pleasure in the thought that my friend, 
 Mr. Charles T. Wells, would be pleased to have the record in 
 book form, and, without asking his permission, most affection- 
 ately dedicate this little book to him. 
 
 The Early Record of Dentists in Connecticut will, I trust, be 
 of some little interest to the friends who receive this book. 
 
 James McManus, D. D. S. 
 October 1, 1896. 
 
THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA 
 
 THE history of modern anaesthesia has been given to 
 the world by many writers, for both medical and 
 literary magazines, as well as through the newspapers, 
 in such a careless, ignorant, and untruthful manner, 
 that it is not to be wondered at that the public is be- 
 fogged and uncertain as to who should be given the 
 credit and honor as the discoverer. 
 
 At the meeting of the Connecticut Valley Dental Society 
 held at Greenfield, Mass., in 1892, the members passed 
 a vote requesting me to write an historical sketch of 
 modern anaesthesia, and in response to that invitation I 
 prepared a concise and condensed statement, relating 
 incidents and experiments that led up to, and the facts 
 regarding the discovery of, anaesthesia. 
 
 In looking up the records of the centuries we find 
 mention made of various medicines that have been used 
 for the purpose of rendering patients insensible to pain 
 while undergoing surgical operations. 
 
 Homer mentions the anaesthetic effects of nepenthe. 
 
 Dioscorides and Pliny allude to the use of mandragora. 
 
 Lucius Apuleius, who lived 125 a. d., and whose works 
 were republished in the fourteenth century, says that if 
 a man has to have a limb mutilated, sawn, or burnt, he 
 may take half an ounce of mandragora wine, and whilst he 
 sleeps the member may be cut off without pain or sense. 
 
2 THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA 
 
 A Chinese physician who lived in the third eentury, 
 named Hoatho, gave his patients a preparation of hemp, 
 whereby they were rendered insensible during- surgical 
 operations. 
 
 The soporific effects of mandrake are mentioned by 
 Shakespeare, as well as other draughts, the composition 
 of which are not given. 
 
 After the lapse of centuries, Dr. B. W. Richardson, of 
 London, procured specimens of mandragora root and 
 had wine made from them, which he found by testing to 
 have the properties ascribed to it by the ancient writers. 
 
 Theodorie, in a surgical treatise as early as the thir- 
 teenth century, gives directions how to prepare a "spon- 
 gia somnifera " for inhalation before operations. 
 
 Dr. Simpson makes the statement that ether was known 
 in the thirteenth century, that its formation was described 
 in the sixteenth century by Valerius Cordus, and was 
 first named "ether" by Frobenius in 1730. 
 
 A German work published in 1782 by Meissner men- 
 tions the case of Augustus, King of Poland, who under- 
 went an amputation while insensible by the use of a 
 narcotic. 
 
 Herodotus refers to the practice of the Scythians of 
 inhaling the vapor of a certain kind of hemp to produce 
 intoxication, and on September 3, 1828, M. Gerardin 
 read to the Academy of Medicine of Paris a letter de- 
 scribing surgical anaesthesia by means of inhaling gases. 
 
 The ancients did know of and used the narcotics 
 named, and possibly with all the success that is claimed 
 by these writers ; but the compormds they made, and 
 the manner of administering them, were not generally 
 known outside their circle or territory, and after years 
 their use was practically abandoned. For centuries, 
 opium and alcoholic stimulants were the only agents 
 
THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA 3 
 
 that the surgeons could rely on, to help their patients 
 endure the pain of an operation. 
 
 It is on record that the ancient Greeks, Romans, and 
 Arabians were familiar with and employed many vola- 
 tile substances that they found acted more promptly 
 when inhaled than when taken into the stomach, and 
 after the discovery of oxygen by Priestly and Scheele 
 in the middle of the last century, experiments were 
 made with gases by physicians for the cure of diseases, 
 especially of a consumptive type. A medical institute 
 was established at Bristol, England, in 1798, and Sir 
 Humphry Davy was appointed superintendent. While 
 there he made a study of the effects of nitrous oxide, 
 or laughing gas, and after making many experiments, 
 the results of which were published in 1800, in his vol- 
 ume of " Researches in Nitrous Oxide Gas," he states 
 that April 1 1, 1799, he made his first inspiration of pure 
 nitrous oxide gas, and for a year after he made an ex- 
 haustive study of the gas, and also many experiments 
 with it, both on himself, and medical and other friends. 
 He states on page 276 that one day while suffering pain, 
 caused by cutting a wisdom tooth, he found that while 
 breathing gas he got relief from pain. He also says 
 that he once imagined that the pain was more severe 
 after the experiment than before. On the last page but 
 one of his book he made this suggestion : "As nitrous 
 oxide gas appears capable of destroying physical pain 
 it may probably be used to advantage during surgical 
 operations, in which no great effusion of blood takes 
 place." 
 
 The closing paragraph in his book states: "That 
 pneumatic chemistry in its application to medicine is an 
 art in infancy ; weak, almost useless, but apparently 
 possessed of capabilities of improvement. To be ren- 
 
4 ' THE HIS TORN' OF ANAESTHESIA 
 
 dered strong and mature, she must be nourished by 
 facts, strengthened by exercise, and cautiously directed 
 in the application of her powers by rational scepticism." 
 Many of the famous surgeons of Europe must have been 
 more or less familiar with his published work, yet there 
 is no record that any surgeon dared to act on his sug- 
 gestion or that anyone had confidence enough in his 
 statement to advise any sufferer to do so. Sir Hum- 
 phry Davy lived for many years after the publication 
 of his book, attaining both wealth and distinguished 
 honors, and it is only fair to presume that he did not 
 even think that he had made a great discovery, for if 
 he had, he certainly would have put it to a trial. 
 
 The anxiety that oppressed the surgeon was in no 
 way lessened by the suggestion of Sir Humphry Davy 
 and the dreaded operating day at the hospital often 
 taxed the moral and physical courage of the surgeon to 
 a greater degree than it did the agonized yet hopeful 
 patient that awaited the operation. It was only a few 
 years previous to 1844, that the celebrated French sur- 
 geon, Velpeau, published the following hopeless state- 
 ment in his work on surgery : "To avoid pain under 
 incisions is a chimera, which is no longer pursued by 
 anyone. A cutting instrument and pain in operative 
 surgery are two words which never present themselves 
 separately to the mind of the patient ; and of which he 
 must of necessity admit the inevitable association." 
 
 This statement was accepted by many as authoritative 
 and final ; and the few, who still hoped that some agent 
 would yet be found that would lessen the horrors of 
 surgical operations, were looked upon by the majority 
 of surgeons as idle dreamers ; and for this reason, every 
 surgeon was ambitious to rank as a rapid operator. 
 "The quicker the surgeon, the greater the surgeon," 
 
THE HISTORY OF ANESTHESIA 5 
 
 was the professional and popular belief during the first 
 half of the present century. 
 
 Fortunately the number of severe surgical cases are 
 comparatively few, while we all know that every member 
 of the human family, sooner or later, must submit to hav- 
 ing one or more teeth extracted. As the demands for 
 dental operations were of daily occurrence, the dental 
 practicioner had constant evidence that all patients showed 
 more or less fear and dread of the operation, and the 
 great need for some safe agent to give relief, was con- 
 stantly impressed on the mind of the dentist. 
 
 We have the testimony of Linus P. Brockett, M. D., 
 of Hartford, Connecticut, that in the summer of 1840, 
 while conversing with Dr. Wells, he found him deeply 
 impressed with the idea that some discovery would yet 
 be made by which dental and other operations might be 
 performed without any pain. 
 
 For more than forty years medical and scientific men 
 were experimenting with the gas, the chemical and 
 medical professors as well as popular lecturers gave 
 entertainments with it, and always with watchfulness 
 over their subjects for fear that in their excitement they 
 might injure themselves, which they not infrequentlv 
 did, and were not conscious of at the moment ; and all 
 these years the onlookers and lecturers could not see the 
 great blessing that laughing-gas was offering to them, 
 and tempting some one to lift to a nobler use than that 
 of a mere means of amusement. 
 
 Professor G. 0. Colton gave a course of lectures on 
 chemistry and natural philosophy in Hartford early in 
 December, 1 844 ; to popularize as well as amuse the 
 audiences at these lectures the exhibition of the effeets 
 of laughing-gas on willing subjects was made a special 
 feature of the entertainments. Dr. Horace Wells, well 
 
6 THE HISTORY OF AN.KSTIIKSIA 
 
 known in Hartford as a skilful dentist, attended with 
 his wife the lecture given the evening of December 10, 
 1 844. Dr. Wells inhaled the gas ; the effect not being 
 as pleasant as his wife wished for, she reproached him 
 on the way home for taking it and making himself ri- 
 diculous before a public assembly. Dr. Wells went to 
 that lecture to see, hear, and learn. He inhaled the 
 gas, and subsequently watched its effect on others. 
 
 The exciting incident to him at the evening's enter- 
 tainment was when Mr. Samuel A. Cooley, a well known 
 Hartford man, gave a lively exhibition of the effects of 
 the gas by running and jumping about and falling, 
 striking his legs against the wooden settees, and acting 
 apparently perfectly unconscious of possible danger. 
 After the effects of the gas had passed off, Dr. Wells' 
 asked him if he was not hurt, and he replied that he did 
 not know it at the time, but on looking at his legs found 
 them bleeding from the injuries he had received. Dr. 
 Wells, turning to Mr. David Clark, said, "I believe a 
 man, by taking that gas, could have a tooth extracted 
 or a limb amputated and not feel the pain." 
 
 Before leaving the lecture hall Dr. Wells asked Mr. 
 Colton whether one could not inhale the gas and have a 
 tooth extracted without feeling any pain, and he replied 
 that he had not given the subject any thought ; that he 
 had been giving the laughing-gas for over a year and 
 such an idea had not occurred to him, and he could not 
 express an opinion. Dr. Wells then said that he was 
 inclined to try the experiment on himself and have a 
 troublesome tooth extracted if he would bring a bag of 
 the gas to his office the next day. Late that evening 
 •Dr. Wells called on Dr. Riggs to tell him that he had 
 attended the lecture of Professor Colton and with others 
 had inhaled the gas, that Mr. Cooley had injured him- 
 
THE HISTORY OF ANESTHESIA / 
 
 self and was not conscious of it at the time, adding "if he 
 did not feel pain, why cannot the gas be used in extract- 
 ing- teeth ? " A long: discussion followed as to whether 
 it would be right or safe for them to make such an ex- 
 periment with possible danger staring them in the face, 
 but Dr. Wells was so confident and fearless that he 
 agreed to take the gas and have a tooth extracted the 
 next day if Dr. Riggs would perform the operation. As 
 requested, the next morning Professor Colton brought 
 a bag of the gas to the office of Dr. Wells. There were 
 present Professor Colton, Drs. Wells and Riggs, and as 
 onlookers a Mr. Colton and Mr. Samuel A. Cooley, the 
 star performer at the entertainment the night previous. 
 Dr. Wells sat down in the operating chair, took the bag 
 into his hands and inhaled the gas until he was insensi- 
 ble, when Dr. Riggs extracted an upper wisdom tooth. 
 Dr. Wells remained unconscious a short time and on 
 recovering exclaimed, "I did not feel it so much as 
 the prick of a pin. A new era in tooth-pulling. It is 
 the greatest discovery ever made," and remarks of a 
 similar nature, being, naturally, perfectly delighted 
 with his successful experiment. The not improbable 
 value of nitrous oxide gas, as suggested by Humphry 
 Davy in 1800, proved a certainty December 11, 1844, 
 when the first surgical operation was successfully per- 
 formed on Dr. Horace Wells while under its influence. 
 On that day modern anaesthesia was given to the world, 
 and nitrous oxide gas proved to be a blessing to suffer- 
 ing humanity and the forerunner of all other anaesthetics. 
 I will read to you brief extracts from testimony given 
 under oath before authorized officials, commencing with 
 Professor Colton, who stated that Dr. Horace Wells 
 came to him to learn how to prepare the gas, that he 
 gave him full information and advised him to go to 
 
8 THE HISTORY OF A.N/ESTHESIA 
 
 Boston for necessary apparatus, as he could not furnish 
 it. A few weeks after leaving Hartford he saw a para- 
 graph in the papers announcing that Dr. Wells was 
 extracting teeth without pain, and he stated on several 
 occasions in connection with that paragraph how and 
 when the discovery originated. Dr. J. M. Riggs testi- 
 fied that, "We were so elated by the success of this 
 experiment that we turned our attention to the extraction 
 of teeth by means of this agent, and continued to devote 
 ourselves to this for several weeks almost exclusively." 
 
 Dr. E. E. Marcy testified that while a student at 
 Amherst College he had inhaled the gas, and also the 
 vapor of sulphuric ether, and knew that the operation 
 and effect of these substances were nearly similar, but 
 he did not know that one or the other would produce 
 insensibility to pain until Dr. Wells made the announce- 
 ment. At the invitation of Dr. Wells he called at his 
 office and witnessed the gas given and a tooth extracted, 
 the patient showing neither excitement nor the slightest 
 consciousness of pain. Dr. Marcy then suggested to 
 Dr. Wells the use of sulphuric ether, his impression 
 being that it possessed all the anaesthetic properties of 
 the gas, was equally safe, could be prepared with less 
 trouble, was less expensive, and could always be kept 
 on hand. Dr. Marcy said he would prepare some ether 
 and give him some of it, and also would make a trial of 
 it himself in a surgical case that he expected to operate 
 on in a few days. A few days later the ether was given 
 to the patient alluded to, and an encysted tumor the 
 size of an English walnut was cut from his head. Dr. 
 Wells was present, the operation was successful, and 
 conclusively proved the anaesthetic properties of ether 
 vapor. Dr. Wells then told of a conversation held with 
 Dr. Riggs regarding the effects of both ether and gas, 
 
THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA 9 
 
 and gave the opinion of Professor Rodgers, of Wash- 
 ington (now Trinity) College, that the vapor of ether 
 was much more dangerous than that of the gas. 
 
 "At the urgent request of Dr. Wells I read what I 
 could easily procure in relation to both articles and gave 
 as my opinion that, as the gas was more agreeable and. 
 easy to inhale than the ether, it was, upon the whole, 
 more safe, and equally efficacious as an anaesthetic." 
 Dr. P. W. Ellsworth was also asked respecting the com- 
 parative safety of nitrous oxide gas and sulphuric ether, 
 and he gave his opinion in favor of the gas, and advised 
 Dr. Wells to confine himself to that agent. With ample 
 evidence to substantiate his claim, a few weeks later, in 
 January, 1845, Dr. Wells went to Boston to make gen- 
 erally known and to demonstrate his great discovery. 
 He obtained permission of the elder Dr. Warren to 
 address his class in the medical college, and at the close 
 "of his remarks he gave the gas to a boy and extracted 
 a tooth. The boy made an outcry and the students 
 hissed and cried humbug, although the boy on recovering 
 said he did not know when the tooth was drawn. The 
 first and only trial allowed Dr. Wells was denounced as 
 a failure. If the surgeons of the Massachusetts General 
 Hospital or any of the medical or scientific men of Bos- 
 ton or the country ever knew of the suggestion made 
 by Sir Humphry Davy, they evidently had forgotten 
 it, or had no faith in his statement. Nor were they 
 willing to treat seriously any attempt to investigate the 
 anaesthetic properties of the gas. 
 
 Dr. William T. G. Morton had been a student of 
 dentistry with Dr. Wells in 1841 and 1842, but was 
 
 Note: — Copied from The Boston Atlas, Wednesday morning, Oct. 23, 1S44 : 
 Copartnership Notick. This certifies that the Copartnership of Wells 
 & Morton has been dissolved by mutual consent Oct. 18th, 1S44. 
 
 Horace Wells. 
 
IO THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA 
 
 living- in Boston at this time, and renting an office of 
 Dr. C. T. Jackson. 
 
 In conversation with Dr. Wells, these gentlemen both 
 tried to discourage him, having no faith in his statements, 
 and advised him to give up the use of the gas. Dr. Jack- 
 son, noted then as a chemist, treated the subject as lightly 
 as did the medical students, calling it a humbug. That 
 a dentist from a country town could appear in Boston 
 and announce to the world that he had made such a 
 ' grand discovery was not to be credited, and Dr. Wells 
 soon learned that not one of the influential medical or 
 scientific men in that learned city could be induced to 
 interest themselves in investigating the properties of the 
 gas or lend him any assistance whatever while he re- 
 mained in that city. They preferred to hiss and cry 
 humbug rather than to give Dr. Wells a second chance 
 to prove the value of his discovery. He returned to 
 Hartford greatly depressed and in poor health, but in a 
 short time was able to resume his practice. During that 
 and the following year he continued to give the gas 
 freely, and when not able from any cause to attend to 
 the patients, he would bring or send them to the office 
 of Dr. Riggs to have him give the gas. 
 
 In the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal of June 1 8th, 
 1845, there was an article written by P. W. Ellsworth, 
 M. D., of Hartford, Connecticut, on the " Modus Oper- 
 andi of Medicine," in which he states that " the nitrous 
 oxide gas has been used in a number of cases by our 
 dentists and has been found to perfectly destroy pain 
 and no unpleasant effects follow its use." The unjust 
 assumption of the Boston surgeons, that he had made a 
 complete failure in the single experiment allowed him, 
 and their contemptuous treatment of him and his claims 
 gave a set-back for two years to the general introduction 
 
THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA II 
 
 of surerical anaesthesia, and millions of sufferers were 
 deprived of the use of a safe anaesthetic for nearly twenty 
 years. At this time Hartford had no hospital or medical 
 journal to push the introduction of this discovery, and 
 for a time Hartford people alone realized that such a 
 discover}- had been made. 
 
 Dr. Win. T. G. Morton, while studying dentistry, 
 lived in Farmington, Conn., and made frequent visits 
 to Hartford as a student to recite to Dr. Wells. He was 
 present when Dr. Wells gave his demonstration before 
 the surgeons and class in Boston, and had frequent talks 
 with him while he remained in the city. During the 
 summer of 1845, he visited Hartford and called with 
 Dr. Wells on Dr. Riggs to talk about the gas and he 
 wanted them to give him some and tell him how it was 
 prepared. Dr. Wells referred him back to Dr. Jackson, 
 who, he said, could prepare it for him, or tell him how it 
 should be done as he knew all about it. In the summer 
 of 1846, Miss Elizabeth Williams, of Hartford, met Dr. 
 Morton in Stafford Springs, Conn. ; learning that he was 
 a dentist, she told him her experience with the gas and 
 that Dr. Wells had extracted a tooth for her on the 6th 
 of March, 1845. He asked her about the effect and 
 operation of the gas, and gave no intimation to her that 
 he had any knowledge of the gas, or any other anaes- 
 thetic. Drs v Wells, Riggs and Terry continued to give 
 the gas in their practice with success, and they were 
 greatly surprised, when they learned that Drs. Jackson 
 and Morton were heralded in the Boston papers in the 
 fall of 1846, as the discoverers and inventors of a com- 
 pound which they stated, by breathing into the lungs, 
 induced so deep a slumber as to enable them to perform 
 the most painful surgical operations with entire uncon- 
 sciousness on the part of the patient. Dr. Morton made 
 
12 THE HISTORY OF ANESTHESIA 
 
 his so-called discovery September 30th, 1846, when he 
 extracted a tooth for Mr. Eben. Frost, while he was 
 under the influence of his pretended compound. 
 
 He made known the result of his experiments to 
 Dr. Jackson, and they found, as Drs. Marcy and Wells, 
 of Hartford, had demonstrated nearly two years earlier, 
 that by inhaling the vapor of sulphuric ether it would 
 produce unconsciousness, and surgical operations could 
 be performed without pain while under its influence. 
 Soon after he called on Dr. Warren, who arranged for 
 him to test his compound on the 1 6th of October, when 
 he made his first experiment at the hospital in a surgical 
 case. Boston surgeons were at last convinced that 
 anaesthesia had been discovered, and Boston men were 
 the discoverers. The managers 'of the Massachusetts 
 General Hospital were now ready to claim for their 
 institution the honor and credit of first demonstrating 
 this great fact to the world, and Boston surgeons, Boston 
 newspapers, and the public, were now very much in- 
 terested and only too ready and anxious to assist the 
 assumed discoverers in introducing their pretended dis- 
 covery, and advising its use in general surgery. 
 
 Dr. Morton wrote to Dr. Wells, October 19, telling 
 him of his discovery, stating that he had patented it, 
 and wishing to know if he would not like to visit New 
 York and sell rights to use it. Dr. Wells replied to that 
 letter, October 20, that he would be in Boston soon, and 
 he and his wife took an early train the Saturday after, 
 arriving in Boston about midday. After dinner he 
 called on Dr. Morton, remaining with him about two 
 hours. On his return Mrs. Wells asked him if Dr. 
 Morton had discovered anything new, and he replied, 
 "No; it is my old discovery, and he does not know 
 how to use it." He said he perceived what it was on 
 
THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA I 3 
 
 entering his room ; he knew it was nothing" but ether. 
 ( )n being asked if he would assist in selling his patent 
 rights, he replied, " No, he would have nothing to do 
 with him." 
 
 Dr. "Wells and wife returned home on the following 
 Monday. 
 
 The statement made in the letter of Oetober 19, to 
 Dr. Wells, that he had patented his eompound, was not 
 true, and at the interview a few days later, in Boston, 
 it did not occur to him that Dr. Morton intended to de- 
 prive him of the credit of the original discovery, but 
 that he did claim the discovery and application of a new 
 and more convenient agent. The possible money value 
 that might accrue to them from the vigorous pushing of 
 the discovery set the doctor and dentist to figuring out 
 futures. They decided to apply for a patent, which the 
 Patent Office records say was done in the names of Drs. 
 C. T. Jackson and W. T. G. Morton, October 27, 1846 ; 
 but before the patent was granted, Dr. Jackson, fearing 
 he might be censured or even expelled from the Massa- 
 chusetts Medical Society if he took out a patent, made 
 an assignment, which apparently gave to Dr. Morton 
 all his right, title, and interest in the then assumed in- 
 vention, but for which act he obligated Dr. Morton to 
 pay him ten per cent, of all he made out of it, and later 
 on through his counsel, he demanded twenty-five per 
 cent, of all the profits both at home and abroad, which 
 Dr. Morton refused to give. 
 
 The patent was granted November 12, 1846. Circu- 
 lars were printed with the names of Drs. Jackson and 
 Morton as the discoverers and inventors of a compound 
 that later proved to be the well-known fluid sulphuric 
 ether, and they were distributed broadcast. Agents 
 were sent out to sell rights. The doctor, dentist, or 
 
14 THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA 
 
 anybody, qualified or not, who would pay the price, 
 could buy the right to use this wonderful and powerful 
 agent. 
 
 The scale of prices being, for cities of over one hun- 
 dred and fifty thousand inhabitants, two hundred dollars : 
 fifty thousand and under, one hundred and fifty dollars : 
 cities under five thousand, thirty-seven dollars, for a term 
 of seven years. 
 
 The following advertisement was published in the 
 Boston Evening Traveler of November 29, 1846, signed 
 by Drs. N. C. Keep and Wm. T. G. Morton : 
 
 ' ' The subscribers having associated themselves in the 
 business of dentistry, would respectfully invite their 
 friends to call on them at their rooms, No. 19 Tremont 
 Row. They confidently believe that the increased facil- 
 ities which their united experience will afford them of 
 performing operations with elegance and dispatch, and 
 the additional advantage of having them performed 
 without pain, by the use of the fluid recently invented 
 by Drs. Jackson and Morton, will not only meet the 
 wishes of their former patients, but secure to them ad- 
 ditional patronage." 
 
 This was a unique appeal to the Boston citizens for 
 patronage, equaling, if it does not far surpass, many of 
 the advertisements that are to be seen in the newspapers 
 of our day. 
 
 The physician or dentist that indulges in a much less 
 flagrant style of advertising to-day is barred out of both 
 medical and dental societies. 
 
 Soon after the extraction of the tooth for Mr. Frost by 
 Dr. Morton, Dr. Jackson sent a letter to a friend in Paris, 
 France, giving the particulars of his pretended discovery, 
 stating that he had persuaded a dentist in Boston to ad- 
 minister the vapor of sulphuric ether to his patients 
 
THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA I 5 
 
 when they wished to have teeth extracted, and they 
 suffered no pain during- the operation ; and later a sec- 
 ond letter, stating- that it had been used in the Massa- 
 chusetts General Hospital with great success. These 
 facts he wished his friend to communicate to the Paris 
 Academy of Sciences. Soon after the letters were sent 
 there was a falling out between the Boston discoverers. 
 The public then learned from their controversy of the 
 bitter feeling existing, and found, also, that each one 
 denied that the other had any just claim for the credit 
 of the discovery. 
 
 The Paris Medical Institute, in response to the letters 
 sent by Dr. Jackson, and with the knowledge only of 
 his claim and that of Dr. Morton, awarded to each one 
 the sum of two thousand five hundred francs ; to Dr. 
 Jackson for the discovery, of the principle, and to Dr. 
 Morton for the application of it. The Institute at the 
 time knew nothing of the claims of Dr. Wells. While 
 the controversy was going on so bitterly in Boston, Dr. 
 Wells decided, partly on account of his health, to take a 
 trip to Europe, and while there to interest, if possible, 
 and to present his claim as the discoverer of anaesthesia 
 to the English and continental surgeons. While in 
 Paris, he made the acquaintance of the American den- 
 tist, Dr. Brewster, through whose good influence the 
 subject was again and properly brought before the 
 French Academy of Medicine. On Dr. Wells' return 
 to this country he found the influence of medical and 
 scientific men, the professional journals, and newspapers 
 were all in favor of sulphuric ether, and the tide running 
 in favor of the claims of Drs. Jackson and Morton. 
 
 Late # in the year 1847 a new agent, chloroform, was 
 introduced by Professor James Y. Simpson, M. D., of 
 Edinburgh, Scotland, and that for a time seemed likely 
 
l6 THE HISTORY OF ANESTHESIA 
 
 to supplant sulphuric ether. Dr. Wells gave the nitrous 
 oxide gas on January i, 1848, to Henry A. Goodale, and 
 Dr. P. W. Ellsworth amputated his leg. Also, January 
 4, gave the gas to Mrs. Gabriel, and Dr. S. B. Beresford 
 removed a fatty tumor from her right shoulder. Dr. 
 Wells later in the month went to New York to visit the 
 hospitals and to urge his claims with the surgeons in that 
 city. The worry, annoyance and injustice done him by 
 the rival claimants, increased by the experiments he was 
 making with different anaesthetic agents, brought on 
 serious mental disturbance, and under these influences, 
 disheartened and despondent, he put an end to his suffer- 
 ings, January 24, 1848. 
 
 The following letter arrived soon after his death from 
 his friend Dr. Brewster, dated 
 
 " Paris, January 12, 1848. 
 
 " My dear Wells, — I have just returned from a meeting 
 of the Paris Medical Society, wdiere they have voted that to 
 Horace Wells, of Hartford, Connecticut, United States of 
 America, is due all the honor of having first discovered and 
 successfully applied the use of vapors or gases whereby surgi- 
 cal operations could be performed without pain. They have 
 done even more, for they have elected you an honorary member 
 of their Society. This w T as the third meeting that the Society 
 had deliberated upon the subject. On the two previous occa- 
 sions Mr. Warren, the agent of Dr. Morton, was present and 
 endeavored to show that to his client was due the honor, but 
 he, having completely failed, did not attend the last meeting. 
 The use of ether took the place of nitrous oxide gas, but chlo- 
 roform has supplanted both, yet the first person, who first dis- 
 covered and performed surgical operations without pain, was 
 Horace Wells, and to the last day of time must suffering hu- 
 manity bless his name. 
 
THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA 1 7 
 
 ' Your diploma and the vote of the Paris Medical Society 
 shall be forwarded to you. In the interim you may use this 
 letter as you please. 
 
 " Believe me ever truly yours, 
 
 " Brkwster." 
 
 Drs. Jackson and Morton from the start had persist- 
 ently stated that the nitrous oxide gas was a failure ; 
 that it was not an anaesthetic ; and they also as persist- 
 ently ignored the fact that Drs. Wells and Marcy had 
 used sulphuric ether with success, but had decided, in 
 consultation with Dr. Ellsworth, that as the gas was 
 more pleasant and agreeable to take, as w r ell as less 
 dangerous, it would be better to continue its use in den- 
 tal operations. The death of Dr. Wells left the field 
 open for them, and as the new agent, chloroform, was 
 making a very successful record, it soon became so pop- 
 ular that the use of gas was given up and by many 
 forgotten. 
 
 Hartford had no medical school, hospital surgeons of 
 national reputation, or professional journals to compete 
 with Boston, that had all these advantages, while the 
 great influence of Boston surgeons, Boston journals, and 
 Boston wealth were freely given to aid the Boston 
 claimants in their attempt to rob Dr. Wells of the honor 
 and credit of his discovery. Boston influence aided 
 them in their successful appeals to the rich and the pro- 
 fession for remuneration, and Boston money helped 
 them in wining and dining a memorable lobby influence 
 in its attempts to get through Congress a bill granting 
 them one hundred thousand dollars for the use of their 
 pretended discovery by the army and navy. Through 
 the efforts of the Hon. Truman Smith, United States 
 senator, and the members of Congress from Connecti- 
 cut the passage of this bill was defeated. 
 
1 8 THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA 
 
 vSoon after the introduction of chloroform, and the 
 death of Dr. Wells, the use of the gas was abandoned. 
 
 The surgeons and public were soon convinced that 
 chloroform and ether were uncertain and dangerous 
 agents. The frequent deaths reported, and the ill 
 effects that often followed their use, caused a feeling of 
 dread on the part of both patient and operator so that 
 comparatively few cared or dared to risk taking or 
 giving either of them. From 1848 until 1862, the long- 
 ing for a safe anaesthetic was universal. Again, Professor 
 Colton appeared before the public as a lecturer and ex- 
 hibitor of laughing gas. In his lectures he related the 
 history of the discovery of anaesthesia by Dr. Wells, 
 and after his lecture in "New Britain in 1862, he gave 
 instructions to Dr. R. C. Dunham, and he introduced 
 the use of gas in his practice there, and in Hartford, 
 and at a private entertainment to a specially invited 
 party in New Haven, June, 1863, he related the history 
 of the discovery of anaesthesia by Dr. Wells. 
 
 Our old friend, and for many years treasurer of this 
 Society, Dr. J. H. Smith was present, and then offered 
 to try the gas again if Professor Colton would administer 
 it. The professor said he would be very glad to do it, 
 as he wished to again demonstrate what could be done 
 with the gas. Their first patient was an old lady, for 
 whom they extracted seven teeth ; after recovering from 
 the effects of the gas, she was so pleased with the result 
 that she allowed Professor Colton to announce to his 
 next audience her name and that she had had seven 
 teeth extracted without pain, and without any ill or 
 unpleasant effects from the gas. In three weeks and 
 two days from that time Drs. Smith and Colton ex- 
 tracted over three thousand teeth. 
 
 Their success induced Professor Colton to abandon 
 
THE HISTORY OF ANESTHESIA I 9 
 
 the exhibition business and to establish the Colton 
 Dental Association in Cooper Institute, New York, de- 
 voted exclusively to the extraction of teeth with the gas. 
 
 In a pamphlet published by Dr. Colton in 1866 he 
 says, "Whatever credit I deserve in connection with 
 this matter is derived from the fact that I revived the 
 use of gas, after it had been condemned, dead and for- 
 gotten as an anaesthetic from 1848 to 1862. In this 
 revival and demonstration of the value of the gas as an 
 anaesthetic is not the world practically indebted to me 
 for its use ? If I had not revived it, by whom would it 
 have been done ? That poor Wells failed to convince 
 the world of its value does not militate in the slightest 
 degree against the honor he deserves as the discoverer 
 of anaesthesia. He did all that a man could do under 
 the circumstances." 
 
 Dr. Colton's great faith, and the co-operation and 
 good work done by Dr. Smith, encouraged the dental 
 profession to again take up the use of the gas, and from 
 that time on its use has been general all over the world. 
 It is only those who have had to undergo severe surgical 
 operations that can fully realize what a great blessing 
 the discovery and introduction of anaesthesia is to the 
 world, and it is only the surgeons now living that were 
 in practice over fifty years ago, that can fully appreciate 
 and realize the blessing this discovery is to the profession. 
 
 Several years after Dr. Wells had proclaimed and 
 demonstrated his discovery, Dr. Crawford W. Long, of 
 Georgia, discovered — that he had discovered — as early as 
 1842, the properties of Sulphuric Ether, and had per- 
 formed an operation on a patient while under its influ- 
 ence. This information was not given to the public 
 until December, 1849. He says, in referring to his delay 
 in making the fact known : "I leave it with an enlight- 
 
20 THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA 
 
 ened medical profession, to say whether or not my claim 
 to the discovery of anaesthesia is forfeited by not being 
 presented earlier ; and with the decision which may be 
 made, I shall be content." It is possible that many 
 surgeons in different parts of the world, at nearly the 
 same time, or in the remote past, may, with the aid of 
 some agent, have performed surgical operations pain- 
 lessly as claimed by Dr. Long, but failing to publicly 
 announce their success, the world gained no benefit. 
 Dr. Wells discovered, demonstrated and proclaimed the 
 fact at once ; and then within one month's time, traveled 
 over one hundred miles to Boston to make it generally 
 known. The public should not be allowed to forget 
 that the simple, honest Christian desire of this dentist, 
 was to give his discovery to all, to be "free as the air 
 we breathe." The motive that actuated Drs. Jackson 
 and Morton, when they put their assumed invention on 
 the market, was to get money. Its commercial value 
 was its dominant idea, and it was well worked up. Dr. 
 Jackson sneaking behind the cover of an assignment of 
 his rights, in order to hold his membership in the Med- 
 ical Society, demanded twenty-five per cent, of all the 
 profits, both at home and abroad, from Dr. Morton. 
 This resulted in a Kilkenny fight, each denouncing the 
 other as a fraud. A bitter controversy followed, each 
 claimant having friends enough to furnish the Medical 
 Journals and newspapers with lively reading for years 
 after. 
 
 Eighteen years after the death of Dr. Wells, there 
 appeared in the New York Medical and Surgical Reporter 
 of January 6, 1866, a report made by Dr. J. M. Car- 
 nochan, chief of staff in the New York State Emigrant 
 Hospital, of three surgical cases that he performed, the 
 patients being put under the influence of nitrous oxide 
 
THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA 2 1 
 
 o^as bv Dr. Colton. and February 10 of the same year he 
 reported four more operations upon adults, making in all 
 seven successful capital operations under the influence 
 of the gas. After the first operations he said, " I have 
 no hesitation in stating that the nitrous oxide gas as an 
 anaesthetic is far superior to either chloroform or ether ; 
 the operation being attended by no nausea or sickness, 
 and_ without the dangerous effects often incident to 
 chloroform and ether. It is not improbable that had 
 Wells lived and had the boldness to follow up his early 
 successful experiments, chloroform and ether would 
 never have been thought of as anaesthetics." In Dr. 
 Carnochan's second report, giving a resume of seven 
 capital operations under the influence of nitrous oxide 
 gas, he says, " I have also during this time used chloro- 
 form and ether in many operations, and my opinion in 
 regard to the superiority of the nitrous oxide gas as an 
 anaesthetic is still unchanged. I believe, however, that 
 there is great room for improvement in the mode of 
 administration of the gas." 
 
 The success attending the revival of the use of the 
 gas, and the testimony given by the surgeons in New 
 York and elsewhere, was simply a repetition of the suc- 
 cess attained by Dr. Wells while he was alive and able 
 to attend to his practice in Hartford. 
 
 The General Assembly of Connecticut in 1847 passed 
 resolutions in favor of Dr. Wells as the discoverer of 
 anaesthesia, and declared that he was entitled to the 
 favorable consideration of his fellow-citizens, and to the 
 high station of a public benefactor. The Court of Com- 
 mon Council of the city of Hartford passed resolutions 
 to the same effect. The physicians and surgeons of the 
 city united in a testimonial declaring their belief in the 
 justice of the claims of Dr. Wells. The Paris Medical 
 
22 THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA 
 
 Society, January, 1848, voted that to Dr. Horace Wells, 
 of Hartford, Connecticut, is due all the honor of having 
 first discovered anaesthesia. ' 
 
 The testimony of Professor Valentine Mott, M. D., of 
 New York, December 20, 1852, is that Dr. Wells is en- 
 titled to the credit and honor of the discovery. Profes- 
 sor R. D. Mussey, of Cincinnati, Ohio, in a letter to the 
 Hon. Truman Smith, United States senator from Con- 
 necticut, December 24, 1852, says, " I have long re- 
 garded Dr. Wells as entitled to the credit, and to the 
 pecuniary award if any such consideration is to be made, 
 for the invaluable discovery of anaesthesia." 
 
 Dr. C. H. Haywood, who was house surgeon in the 
 Massachusetts General Hospital at the time Dr. Morton 
 administered his pretended compound there, in a letter 
 to United States senator Truman Smith, concludes with 
 these words : " But before all let full and ample justice 
 be done to that noble genius which first conceived the 
 grand idea which has been the basis of all the experi- 
 ments and the father of all the discoveries. To the 
 spirit of Dr. Horace Wells belongs the honor of having 
 given to suffering humanity the greatest boon it ever 
 received from science." 
 
 In the early days it was difficult to prepare the gas in 
 large quantities or to keep it on hand any length of 
 time. Soon after the revival of its use in 1862, many 
 improvements were made in apparatus for making gas, 
 and, later, when the process was so perfected that 
 dealers could furnish the gas to the profession in liquid 
 form, in iron cylinders holding from one hundred to 
 fourteen hundred gallons to be used from as desired, 
 without danger of waste, loss of power or purity, all the 
 former objections to its use were removed. 
 
 Professor S. D. Gross, of Philadelphia, some years 
 
THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA 23 
 
 ago, when speaking- before the American Medical As- 
 sociation, said that " Dentistry is the most important 
 specialty in medicine : many people come into the world, 
 and go out of it, who never require the services of other 
 specialists ; but no child is born who does not sooner or 
 later require the services of a dentist." Terse and true 
 as this statement is, equally true is the statement that 
 modern anaesthesia, in all the varied modes of its ad- 
 ministration, is undeniably the result of a dentist's 
 heroic experiment and discovery. It is also sadly true 
 that it was two years after the discovery, and after re- 
 peated successful operations in the hands of Hartford 
 dentists, before Boston surgeons could be induced to 
 accept the fact that an anaesthetic had been discovered. 
 Dr. James Y. Simpson, of Edinburgh, Scotland, was 
 the only man connected with the introduction of anaes- 
 thesia who had a remarkably fortunate life. He was 
 eminently successful in his profession, acquired wealth, 
 was created a baronet, and was probably better known 
 all over the world for a while, than any one else con- 
 nected with the discovery. The last professional article 
 he gave to the public was written by dictation, while on 
 his sick bed, in reply to a bitter and unjust attack made 
 upon him by Dr. Jacob Bigelow, of Boston. It was 
 published in the Boston Gynaecological Journal for May, 
 1870. He writes : 
 
 "An American dentist works out to its practical results, 
 the suggestion published in England half a century before, by 
 Sir Humphry Davy, and which you seem to wish to efface 
 from anaesthetic records ; and he travels a long distance to 
 place the important result before the Medical School at Boston, 
 and some surgeons at the Massachusetts Hospital. There is a 
 slip in the single experiment allowed him. He is spurned and 
 hooted away. In doing this, the Medical School of Boston 
 thus delays the whole subject of artificial surgical anaesthesia 
 
24 THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA 
 
 for a couple of years. Was not the Medical vSchool of Boston, 
 then, in your violent language, ' chargeable with the continu- 
 ance of operative tortures,' for that period much more than Sir 
 Humphry Davy ? Did not your school stamp out — and thus 
 prevent for two years more the most beuificent discovery which 
 has blessed humanity since the primeval days of paradise ? ' ' 
 
 Sir Benjamin Ward Richardson says in his recent 
 monograph, "The Mastery of Pain " : 
 
 ' ' It was fortunate that ether came in before chloroform ; 
 because if chloroform had come in first, the number of deaths 
 from it would probably have put a stop to anaesthesia at once." 
 
 It is infinitely more fortunate that gas came in before 
 ether, for the demands for its use are more urgent and 
 general, and the deaths from it do not number more 
 than one in over a million. There is no doubt if Dr. 
 Wells had been a resident of Boston, an M. D., and a 
 member of the staff of the Massachusetts General Hos- 
 pital, his discovery in 1844 would have been quickly 
 accepted. As a stranger and a dentist, his claim as a 
 discoverer and the evidence he had to sustain it, as well 
 as the prediction made by Sir Humphry Davy many 
 years before as to the probable properties of the gas, 
 could not awaken enough interest in the minds of the 
 stupid, stubborn, and jealous men that he appeared 
 before to induce them to make another trial of the gas. 
 They condemned it as a humbug, and suffering human- 
 ity was deprived of the blessing of an agreeable and 
 safe anaesthetic, for over twenty years. 
 
 The record is now well up in the millions of successful 
 operations made while under the influence of the gas, 
 with evidence accumulating daily, all over the world, 
 that the gas is a safe and reliable anaesthetic, and with 
 abundant testimony to prove that Dr. Wells was the 
 first to submit to a surgical operation while under its 
 
THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA 25 
 
 influence. These facts cannot be blotted out by the 
 efforts of magazine writers that either ignorantly or 
 wilfully ignore, as does the inscription on the ether 
 monument that stands in the public garden in the city 
 of Boston, the claims of Dr. Horace Wells. 
 
 The monument in Boston commemorates the discov- 
 ery of anaesthesia by inhalation of ether as first proved 
 to the world at the Massachusetts General Hospital, 
 October, 1846. It is a beautiful work of art, with bas- 
 relief pictures that tell to the onlooker the great blessing 
 that some one had given to suffering humanity. The 
 inscription tells an untrue story, and the stranger seeks 
 in vain for the name of the world's great benefactor. 
 
 On Bushnell Park, in Hartford, there stands a monu- 
 ment erected by the State of Connecticut and the city 
 and citizens of Hartford, commemorating this great 
 discovery of anaesthesia first given to the world in Hart- 
 ford, in 1844, with the name inscribed and a portrait 
 statue of Dr. Horace Wells, to whom alone belongs the 
 honor of its discovery, and who gave it to the world to 
 be as free as the air we breathe. 
 
 It will be remembered that Dr. Carnochan was deci- 
 ded in his opinion as to the value of the gas in surgical 
 operations. He reported in January and February, 
 1866, seven successful operations, one case being the 
 removal of an entire breast and the glands of the axilla, 
 for cancer. The patient was a lady in feeble health, 
 suffering from disease of the throat and lungs and gen- 
 eral debility. In thirty-five seconds from the time she 
 began inhaling the gas she was in a profound anaesthetic 
 sleep. She remained insensible for sixteen consecutive 
 minutes, until the operation was completed, and, in 
 forty seconds from the time the bag was removed, awoke 
 to consciousness without nausea, sickness, or vomiting. 
 
26 THE HISTORY OF ANAESTHESIA 
 
 With the added testimony of leading surgeons in New- 
 York, that the gas was the safest of all the anaesthetics, 
 and with all the improvements for administering it, as 
 also the certainty of being able to get and keep it on 
 hand pure, is it not strange, to state it mildly, that sur- 
 geons should so persistently ignore the gas, and continue 
 to give ehloroform, ether, or both in eombination, when 
 about to perform simple operations, despite the fatal 
 record that has so often given publieity to that class of 
 cases? Dentists have proved the value of nitrous oxide. 
 In years to come, it is barely possible, the surgeons may 
 again wake up to its value and safety. 
 
The Wells Memorial Celebration 
 
 in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the 
 
 Discovery of Anaesthesia, 
 
 Held in Hartford, Connecticut, 
 
 December 10th and 11th, 1894. 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 \ T the 30th annual meeting of the Connecticut State 
 Dental Association, held in Hartford, May 16th, 
 1894, the following motion was carried : 
 
 " In view of the fact that Decemher 11th will he the semi- 
 centennial of the discover}', by Dr. Horace Wells, of Anaes- 
 thesia, moved that a committee of three be appointed to con- 
 sider the advisability of celebrating that anniversary in some 
 appropriate manner and, if necessary, the)- be empowered to 
 call a meeting of this Association at that time. 
 
 The President, Dr. C. C. Barker, appointed as the 
 committee, Drs. Geo. L. Parmele, Civilion Fones and 
 James McManus. 
 
 • In the "Bulletin" of the C. S. D. A. for June, 1894, 
 the committee made an announcement as follows : 
 
 " Your committee appointed at the last meeting to arrange 
 for a fitting celebration of the Discovery of Anaesthesia in De- 
 cember, 1844, propose to erect a memorial tablet to mark the 
 spot where the discovery was made and where the first opera- 
 tion was performed under an anaesthetic. As this discovery was 
 made by Horace Wells, a dentist, it seems fitting that the 
 money needed should be contributed by dentists only. We 
 ask you, therefore, to contribute, and will you kindly fill out 
 the enclosed blank and return it at once to Dr. Jas. McManus, 
 Treasurer of the Committee, 32 Pratt St., Hartford. In addi- 
 tion to the unveiling of the tablet, a banquet, with speeches 
 from prominent men connected with the event we propose to 
 celebrate, and a memorial meeting of our Association are con- 
 templated." 
 
 Geo. L. Parmeee, Chairman. 
 
 ClVIUON FONES, 
 
 Jas, McManus, Treasurer. 
 
30 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 The following 1 announcement was sent out in Novem- 
 ber : 
 
 . . . NOTICE . . . 
 
 The Wells Memorial Committee can report, that without 
 bringing a particular financial strain on any one the success of 
 the tablet is assured and it will be placed in position on Dec. 
 ioth. 
 
 It has been considered that the event should not be allowed 
 to pass without some social recognition and we have made ar- 
 rangements for a banquet to be held at Habenstein's, Hartford, 
 on Monday evening, Dec. ioth. 
 
 It is proposed to invite the Governor, the Mayor and rep- 
 resentative men from the various professions and to have the 
 dinner in every way worthy of the occasion. Evening dress 
 is requested. 
 
 As it will be necessary to know in advance just how many 
 gentlemen will be present you are advised to reply at once if 
 you care to attend. 
 
 On account of the size of the room where the dinner will be 
 
 4 
 
 held, the number must be somewhat limited and your applica- 
 tion for seat should be sent in as soon as possible. No applica- 
 tion can be considered after Dec. ist. 
 
 Admission will be by ticket procured in advance, the cost 
 of which will be five dollars. 
 
 Geo. L. Parmele, \ 
 
 Civilion Fones, Committee. 
 
 Jas. McManus, \ 
 
 The fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of anaesthesia 
 by Dr. Horace Wells in this city, December iith, 1844, 
 was formally observed by a banquet at Habenstein's Cafe, 
 Monday evening, December ioth, 1894. The banquet 
 was given under the auspices of the Connecticut State 
 Dental Association and was presided over by its Presi- 
 dent, Dr. Chas. P. Graham of Middletown, who also 
 acted as the Toastmaster. 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 Dr. Chas. P. Graham, President. 
 
 ON HIS RIGHT 
 
 Governor-elect O. Vincent Coffin. 
 Dr. G. Q. Colton, of New York City, 
 
 who administered the gas at the time 
 
 the discovery was demonstrated. 
 Pinckney W. Ellsworth, M. D., one of 
 
 the first surgeons to employ and 
 
 write of the discovery. 
 Guidon W. Russell, M. D., fifty-seven 
 
 years in practice. 
 Hon. Henry Barnard, L.L. D., of the 
 
 Connecticut Historical Society. 
 Judge Thomas McManus, of the City 
 
 Court. 
 
 John Dwyer, M. D. 
 Mr. E.S. Woods, the Sculptor, who de- 
 signed the Wells Memorial Tablet. 
 
 ON HIS LEFT 
 
 Mr. Chas. T. Wells, son of Dr. Wells. 
 Hon. Leverett Brainard, Mayor of the 
 City of Hartford. 
 
 Rev. George Williamson Smith, D. D , 
 President of Trinity College. 
 
 Henry P. Stearns, M. D, President of 
 Hartford Medical Society. 
 
 John Addison Porter, Editor of the 
 Hartford Evening Post. 
 
 Dr. C. C. Barker, Meriden, President 
 Connecticut Valley Dental Society 
 and ex-President of the Slate Denial 
 Association. 
 
 Mr. Rowland Swift, President of Amer- 
 ican National Bank. 
 
 The following gentlemen were also present 
 
 Dr. William J. Rider, Dental Com- Dr 
 
 missioner, Danbury. Dr. 
 
 Dr. James McManus, Hartford. Dr. 
 
 Dr. Edward S. Gaylord, New Haven. Dr. 
 
 Dr. R. C. Dunham, New Britain. Dr. 
 
 Dr. N. Morgan, Springfield, Mass. Dr. 
 
 Dr. Geo. A. Maxfield, Holyoke, Mass. Dr. 
 
 Dr. Win. H. Rider, Danbury. Dr. 
 
 Dr. E. M. Smith, Newtown. Dr. 
 
 Dr. J. Tenney Barker, Wallingford. Mr. 
 
 Dr. G. M. Grisvvold, Manchester. Mr. 
 
 Dr. M. M. Maine, South Manchester. Mr. 
 
 Dr. Alfred C. Fones, Bridgeport. Dr. 
 Dr. Daniel A. Jones, New Haven. 
 
 F. T. Murless, Jr., Windsor Locks. 
 A. E. Wales, New Britain. 
 Henry McManus, Hartford. 
 N. J. Goodwin, Hartford. 
 Joel F. Wright, Hartford. 
 Munroe Griswold, Hartford. 
 Edward Ebeile, Hartford. 
 L. C. Taylor, Hartford. 
 S. L. G. Crane, Hartford. 
 Ernst Schall, Hartford. 
 John M. Ney, Hartford. 
 R. A. Wadsworth, Hartford. 
 Charles McManus, Hartford. 
 
 The divine blessing was asked by Rev. Dr. Smith, of 
 Trinity College. 
 
32 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 MENU. 
 
 
 Little Neck Clams. 
 
 
 
 Sherry. 
 
 Consomme. 
 
 
 
 Sautrrne. 
 
 Lobster, A La Newburg. 
 
 Cream Sauce. 
 
 Terrapin Stew, 
 
 
 French Peas. 
 
 
 
 Champagne. 
 
 Roman Punch. 
 
 
 
 Cigarettes. 
 
 Roast Partridge. Currant Jelly. 
 
 Asparagus, on Toast 
 
 
 Rum Omelette. 
 
 
 Cream and Ices. 
 
 Cakes. 
 
 Fruit. 
 
 • 
 
 Coffee. Cheese. 
 
 
 Cigars. 
 
 After the enjoyment of the banquet, Dr. Graham 
 called upon Hon. O. Vincent Coffin, governor-elect, who 
 said that when he reflected in whose presence he was, 
 and of what were their achievements, and how many 
 there were of those to whom the world was a debtor, he 
 felt like closing his mouth and keeping it resolutely 
 shut. But when he reflected upon their generous hos- 
 pitality, and their high standing in the community, he 
 could do no less than to convey to them his earnest 
 greetings. Unfortunately, other imperative duties call- 
 ed him elsewhere, and he regretted that he could not 
 spend the whole evening in such congenial company. 
 He could only leave with them his best wishes and con- 
 gratulations upon the good work which they had ac- 
 complished. 
 
 Dr. Charles P. Graham : 
 
 We have come here to-night to commemorate the 
 fiftieth anniversary of the Discovery of Anaesthesia by 
 
THE WELLS .MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 33 
 
 Dr. Wells, and to pay our tribute of respect. Thousands 
 of human lives have been saved by the aid of this anaes- 
 thetic in surgical operations which otherwise would have 
 been lost. Dr. Horace Wells, a practicing- dentist of 
 Hartford, gave this great boon to mankind. The con- 
 troversy which has been going on for many years, it 
 seems to me, has been settled beyond question. 
 
 During the early part of December, 1844, Dr. G. O. 
 Colton, who we have with us to-night, visited Hartford 
 and gave an exhibition of the exhilarating effects of 
 nitrous oxide gas. Mr. Samuel Cooley, afterwards Col. 
 Cooley, I believe, tried the effects of the gas, but before 
 taking it thought that he would endeavor to frighten 
 those present. He became excited and violent, which 
 resulted in causing some injury to his limb. Dr. Wells 
 noticed this and asked if he felt any pain. Mr. Cooley 
 said he did not until after the effects of the gas had 
 worn off. 
 
 December ioth, Dr. Wells suggested to Dr. Colton 
 to bring a bag of the gas to his office, as he desired to 
 have a tooth extracted. Mr: Cooley was also present. 
 Undoubtedly this was the first surgical operation ever 
 performed by the use of anaesthesia. The claims of 
 Drs. Morton and Jackson concerning the administering 
 of anaesthesia and its effect time will not permit me to 
 give. We have others present who will give you more 
 intelligent information concerning the discovery by Dr. 
 Wells, and prove to you that there is no question but 
 that Dr. Wells is entitled to this honor. 
 
 The City of Hartford has honored this man both in 
 her legislative and executive departments. The people 
 of the United States, have honored this man through 
 their medical and dental societies. Other countries 
 have done the same thing. 
 
34 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 I would like to say just one word about this time, and 
 that is, that the members of this eommittee are deserv- 
 ing of the highest comment for their efficient work. 
 I want to say a word about Dr. McManus, and that is, 
 that he deserves the highest praise for his untiring 
 efforts to make this affair a success and commemorating 
 the fact that Dr. Horace Wells discovered this great 
 boon to mankind. 
 
 Now, gentlemen, we have with us to-night the son of 
 Dr. Horace Wells. (Great applause.) I think in our 
 efforts to honor this great man and his genius we are 
 particularly fortunate to have with us his immediate 
 descendent, Mr. Charles T. Wells. 
 
 Mr. Charles T. Wells : 
 
 I have a sort of sense of feeling of kinship in any 
 gathering of the Dental profession, and I take pride in 
 the fact that my father was a dentist, and a Hartford 
 dentist, and that he made the discover)' which resulted 
 in so much good to mankind. 
 
 You have a special right to celebrate this occasion, for 
 it belongs to your profession, and to this City of Hart- 
 ford, where he lived. It is a pleasure to me that after 
 this lapse of fifty years, which I can hardly realize, that 
 there are those living yet who knew my father intim- 
 ately and are familiar with the facts, and that some of 
 them are present here to-night. I remember my father 
 well, although I was quite young at that time. 
 
 I remember his office. I used to go there much, for 
 I liked to be with him. He was a man beloved by all. 
 You have paid him honor before by your various socie- 
 ties, and for that honor I thank you. It means very 
 much indeed to his only descendant. 
 
I 
 
 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 35 
 
 Toastmaster then introduces Mayor Brainard. 
 
 Mayor Brainard : 
 
 Mr. President and brother dentists — it seems proper 
 that I should call you brother dentists— for I have long 
 known some who are here to do honor to-night to a man 
 who has done so much for humanity. It was like Morse 
 with the telegraph, like Stevenson with the railroad, 
 like Fulton with the steamboat, and like Edison with 
 electric light. Dr. Wells made use of something that 
 existed but had not been discovered. 
 
 I appreciate, and I think we all ought to do honor to 
 him as being one man in the line of dentistry who has 
 done something for the patient. All the others were 
 for the dentists. 
 
 Dr. Wells, I think, is entitled to the high regard of 
 all mankind for what he has done to ameliorate suffering. 
 There are those here to-night who will tell you about it 
 and we shall be very glad to listen to them. 
 
 Proi-'. Gardner O. Colton, of Xew York : 
 
 Mr. President and Gentlemen : — I can say in the lan- 
 ofuatre of Antony that I am no orator, as the President is, 
 but as you all know me, a plain, blunt man, for I have 
 neither wit, nor words, nor worth, nor action, nor utter- 
 ance, nor the p6wer of speech. I only speak right on, 
 to tell you that which you yourselves do know. 
 
 Now the story is very simple. Just fifty years ago, 
 on the night of the ioth of December, 1844, I gave an 
 exhibition of the amusing effects of the gas, in this city, 
 at Union Hall. 
 
 By the way, I went into the office of the Hartford 
 Courant to-day and saw my advertisement occupying a 
 half a column of the old files of 1844. 
 
36 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 After giving a brief lecture on the properties of the 
 gas and its effects I invited twelve or fifteen gentlemen 
 to come on the stage. Among these gentlemen were Dr. 
 Wells and Mr. Samuel Cooley, afterwards called Colonel 
 Cooley. A number of the gentlemen inhaled the gas, 
 Dr. Wells among them. When Mr. Cooley got under the 
 influence he began to dance and dash around and ran 
 against some wooden settees and thereby jammed his 
 legs. Dr. Wells said to him, "You must have hurt 
 yourself." " (), no," said he. Well, after a while he 
 began to feel some pain, after the effects of the gas had 
 worn off, and then his leg began to bleed. He says, 
 "I did not know I was running against the bench." 
 ' ' I did not feel a particle of pain until the effects of the 
 gas passed off." When the audience was going out Dr. 
 Wells came to me and said, " Why cannot a man have 
 a tooth extracted and not feel it under the effects of the 
 gas?" I said I did not know. "Well," said he, "I 
 believe it can be done. Mr. Cooley did not know that 
 he hurt himself until the effects of the gas passed off." 
 
 Said he, " I have a big molar that is decayed and I 
 should be glad to have it pulled." The next day, on 
 the 1 ith, I took a bag of the gas*to his office, and I think 
 Mr. Cooley was present, at any rate Dr. Wells sent out 
 for a neighboring dentist, a Dr. Riggs, to come in and 
 draw his tooth. Then the word anaesthesia had not 
 entered his mind. I gave Dr. Wells some of the gas 
 and Dr. Riggs took out his tooth. Wells clapped his 
 haands and exclaimed, " It is the greatest discovery ever 
 made. I did not feel it so much as the prick of a pin." 
 That was the first tooth ever drawn without pain. 
 
 Dr. Wells wanted me to instruct him how to make 
 the gas, which I did, and then I went off about my ex- 
 hibition business. Dr. Wells tried it and found it sue- 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION T, 1 / 
 
 cessful and then went to Boston to make the discovery 
 known. He called upon this physician and that physi- 
 cian and this dentist and that dentist. Well, they all 
 laughed at him. Had no faith whatever. Among others 
 was his pupil, Dr. Morton. Then he got permission to 
 address a class at college. Dr. Warren said to the class, 
 there is a gentleman here by the name of Wells who 
 pretends that he has found something to destroy pain. 
 If any of you wish to remain and hear him you can do 
 so. Well, one of the class told me that about one-half 
 of the class did remain and at the close of his remarks 
 he gave the gas to one of the boys. The boy hollared 
 out, although lie said tliat lie did not feel any pain, but the 
 students considered it a failure and they hissed and 
 hurt the feelings of Dr. W'ells. He returned to Hart- 
 ford and used the gas all of 1845. 
 
 Now there was Bishop Brownell and his two daughters, 
 and about thirty or forty respectable and representative 
 citizens of Hartford who afterwards gave their deposi- 
 tions that during 1845 Dr. Wells administered the gas 
 to them without unpleasant effects from it. At the end 
 of 1845, or the beginning of 1846, Dr. Wells' health 
 began to fail and he went to Europe, and when he got 
 to Paris he presented his claim to the Academy of Science. 
 The Academy honored him with the decoration of M. D., 
 which he felt proud of. Now during his absence Dr. 
 Morton, his former pupil, went to Dr. Jackson, knowing 
 that Dr. Wells was an honest man and one who would 
 not attempt to pass a humbug off on the public, to learn 
 to make the gas. Dr. Jackson said that the gas exhil- 
 arated and made people lively and buoyant and he sug- 
 gested the idea of trying ether, so Dr. Morton brought 
 some ether and tried it on a boy. Even in the use of 
 ether Dr. Wells ante-dated Dr. Morton by nearly two 
 
3<"> THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 years. Now his experiment with ether was made on 
 the 30th of September, 1846. He gave the ether to a 
 boy by the name of Eben Frost. He drew teeth without 
 pain. He reported the ease to Jackson. Then they in- 
 stituted a series of experiments and finding it successful 
 they applied for a patent. But the patent was delayed 
 and Dr. Jackson being a man of science he thought 
 probably it might turn out to be a humbug, so he takes 
 an agreement from Dr. Morton that Morton should give 
 him ten per cent, and then assigned his interest to him. 
 When Dr. Wells returned to this country, to his aston- 
 ishment he found that Morton had got a patent and 
 claimed the honor of being the discoverer of anaesthesia. 
 Then followed a very exciting discussion between Mor- 
 ton and Wells in the Boston Medical Journal. That dis- 
 cussion so worked on Dr. Wells that the honor was going 
 to be taken from him that he became deranged and 
 committed suicide. Everybody knew that he was a 
 Christian gentleman, incapable of doing anything like 
 that when in his right mind. No one had used the gas 
 save Dr. Wells. Dr. Wells discovered the thing and 
 then Morton set up the claim that nitrous oxide was not 
 an anaesthetic at all, that you could not produce insensi- 
 bility. This went on from 1848 to 1863, when I again 
 appeared before the publie as a lecturer and an exhibitor 
 of the effects of laughing-gas. At a private entertain- 
 ment given in New Haven, I told of Dr. Wells and his 
 experience and remarked that I could never get a dentist 
 to try it. Dr. J. H. Smith, a dentist of New Haven 
 was present and said ' ' I will try it if you will give the 
 gas." While at his office next day a wealthy lady came 
 in who had been trying to have the Doctor administer 
 chloroform, but he would not do it unless she would 
 bring her physician. I talked with the lady a little 
 while and finally said she, " I will take the gas." 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 39 
 
 That afternoon I took a bag of the gas there and I 
 administered it to her, got her pretty well under its 
 influence, and Dr. Smith took out the tooth. The first 
 thing she said on waking up was, " Do not go Doctor, 
 I want to give you my thanks. You may say that I 
 have had seven teeth extracted without pain." I did 
 so. Then I went on with my exhibitions. I made an 
 arrangement with Dr. Smith that I should furnish the 
 gas and he should extract the teeth, and divide the pro- 
 ceeds for one week, but before the week was out we 
 made a new arrangement and continued three weeks 
 and two days, and extracted over three thousand teeth. 
 Well, thinks I, this is better business than lecturing, 
 and I determined to go to New York, and at the sug- 
 gestion of Air. P. T. Barnum, I established an institution 
 and called it the Colton Dental Association, because my 
 name had been so long identified with the gas. 
 . I had three partners, making four of us, equal part- 
 ners. The agreement was to divide every Saturday 
 night. Well, on the first Saturday night we had nothing 
 to divide. It went on for weeks and months, and took 
 everything to pay expenses. 
 
 Drs. Hurd and Smith, partners, said we cannot leave 
 a good business to come here. They left. Dr. John 
 Allen, one of the parties to the partnership, did not in- 
 terrupt them. Then Dr. Allen and I were the Colton 
 Dental Association. It went along for some time, some- 
 times we took in $50 to divide up Saturday night, after 
 paying expenses, and finally Dr. Allen said to me, "here 
 you are, slaving yourself to death for nothing. You take 
 it all." Well, then I was the Colton Dental Association. 
 I then moved to the Cooper Institute, and it was three 
 weeks before I could convince the Trustees of that in- 
 stitution that my business was legitimate. But I finally 
 
4-0 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 got the certificate of a physician and they rented me the 
 rooms. I have been there thirty-one years. We com- 
 menced business on the 15th of July, 1863. About nine 
 months after that, on the 4th of February, 1864, at the 
 suggestion of the Hon. Truman Smith, I began to take 
 the names of our patients. Got a few reams of paper, 
 made a place for the name, residence, and number of 
 teeth, and on the margin left a space to number the 
 names, so I could state at any time just how many I had 
 given gas to. The numbers have been kept regularly 
 ever since. Before I left New York we had reached 
 186,500, and never had an accident from the effects of 
 the gas. That is, I do not think there has been a death 
 from the effects of the gas that could legitimately be 
 ascribed to the gas. I have had all sorts of people ; 
 have given it to at least fifty with valvular disease of 
 the heart. It has no action on the heart whatever. It 
 increases the action of the heart probably fifteen times 
 a minute. This is no more that to walk a block. I take, 
 I suppose, twenty gallons of gas every day myself in 
 showing people how, in order to have them commence. 
 Four large breaths fill my lungs full, because that is the 
 way to take it. 
 
 I think that I have added ten years to my life by taking 
 this gas every day for the last thirty- one years. People 
 do not think I am eighty-one, but I am, or shall be in 
 two weeks from now. 
 
 Gurdon W. Russell, M. I). : 
 
 Mr. President and Gentlemen : — I wish to say first, 
 that I have never seen or heard of any such careful his- 
 tory of the discovery of anaesthesia as has been given us 
 to-night by Dr. Colton. All of us are very much obliged 
 to him and I certainly am. 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 41 
 
 I knew Dr. Wells when he was here in Hartford prac- 
 ticing. I was then a young member of the medieal 
 profession, and felt an interest in these things that 
 appeared to us as novelties. But Dr. Wells had such 
 a way with him. He was evidently such a man of genius, 
 he was evidently one of those brilliant men who conceive 
 things which are sometimes too deep for most of us, and 
 I have no doubt had a clear and distinct view of that 
 great discovery, which has brought to him such recog- 
 nition and to our town such honor. He went in and 
 out among us as a quiet, unobstrusive gentleman in his 
 profession. He made this discovery evidently just as 
 Dr. Colton has described it. He perceived in it, I have 
 no doubt, how far that- discovery might extend and en- 
 deavored to convince others of its utility. He practiced 
 it here, then went to Boston, where, unfortunately he 
 did not succeed as well as he had hoped. He was so 
 sensitive of his failure that he felt mortified and dis- 
 couraged, but not disheartened. 
 
 He had that element of courage which enables great 
 men to do great things. He was determined to succeed. 
 He saw how beneficial this discovery might be. I give 
 to him all credit, and I wish to add to his honor what 
 little I cam 
 
 I came here not to tell a long story, but to say that I 
 believe Dr. Wells was the actual discoverer of anaesthesia. 
 That is what we must stick to. He was, if there is any 
 truth in evidence, and if we can believe reliable men, the 
 first man to bring into practical use in surgery, anaesthe- 
 sia. What others may have done in the way of using 
 other agents are subsequent and secondary to this timely 
 discovery. It rests with him and that he made this dis- 
 covery we are all agreed. 
 
42 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 Pinckney W. Ellsworth, M. I). : 
 
 Mr. President and gentlemen : — I ought not to be here 
 to-night, the pressure of eighty years is making consid- 
 erable impression on me, but I feel so great an interest 
 in the subject of anaesthesia, and particularly in regard 
 to Dr. Wells, that I am exceedingly glad to be with you. 
 I have more than a professional interest in Dr. Wells, 
 he was my personal friend. During the time of a year 
 or two previous to his death, he occupied the same 
 building with myself. He lived in the humble south 
 part and I in the equally humble north part. It is a 
 little remarkable how many interesting events have 
 occurred within a short distance of where he lived, how 
 many of the honorable interests of Connecticut have 
 centered near that spot. Within thirty or forty rods of 
 the house was the hall in which the Charter of Connec- 
 ticut was hidden for many years. On this spot the 
 message from the King taking away certain privileges 
 of the Colonists w r as read. 
 
 Great improvements have been made in regard to 
 anaesthesia. It is a very singular thing that so many 
 investigators of the use of anaesthesia should have died 
 so .suddenly. Wells became deranged and died ; Mor- 
 ton became deranged and after several attempts at suicide 
 was pulled out of the water and died in the hospital. 
 Jackson became deranged, or his mind became impaired, 
 and he died. 
 
 I can testify, as I have done heretofore, that there is 
 not the slightest doubt in my mind as to whom the honor 
 of this discovery belongs. It belongs to Horace Wells. 
 The discovery of anaesthesia by Wells, I have no doubt, 
 has done away with half the terror of operations. I have 
 talked this matter over with Dr. Wells, and he did pre- 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 43 
 
 cisely what I advised him to do. I advised him to go 
 to Boston and see his old student, Morton, and get him 
 to introduce him to some of the medical men of Boston, 
 and that while there he would be able to get it introduced 
 to the world and get it perfected. 
 
 Dr. Horace Wells will be accepted and acknowledged 
 by the world as the discoverer of anaesthesia. 
 
 Henry P. Stearns, M. D. : 
 
 I deem myself especially favored in being present on 
 this occasion. I am glad to mingle my congratulations 
 with yours, that we no longer need to discuss the ques- 
 tion of priority in the discovery of anaesthesia. This 
 has been settled, at least by all who have examined the 
 evidence. Our mission to-night is one of rejoicing in 
 the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of one of 
 the most triumphant discoveries ever vouchsafed to the 
 human race. 
 
 In looking back, as we may do to-night, upon the 
 history of modern anaesthesia, it is interesting to observe* 
 that it coincides in many ways with that of other dis- 
 coveries, especially in the delay and difficulties attending 
 its recognition. Nearly every great discoverer has been 
 a prophet crying in the wilderness. His message has 
 come to deaf ears and unbelieving hearts. For exam- 
 ple, Copernicus v while observing the apparent movement 
 of the planets through holes in the roof of his house, 
 conceived the idea and afterwards worked out the de- 
 monstration of its truth, that the sun and not the earth 
 was the center of the solar system. This was long before 
 he was fifty years of age, but he could not proclaim his 
 discovery or publish his demonstration with safety to his 
 life until after he was seventy. And finally, after the 
 
44 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 longest of waiting, his mind gave away, so that when 
 his work was finished and placed in his hands he failed 
 to recognize it as his own, and after a few hours of stam- 
 mering incoherent words, he died, never having had the 
 satisfaction of any public recognition of the great work 
 of his life. 
 
 All are familiar with the sad ending of Columbus, 
 who gave another continent to the world ; he died in 
 ignorance of the fact that it was another continent which 
 he had discovered ; that another had appropriated his 
 discovery and named it after himself ; that he died in 
 poverty, neglect and seeming disgrace, his very burial 
 place being unhonored during long years afterward. 
 Other cases with similar experiences will suggest them- 
 selves to your mind. 
 
 Our Wells, therefore, in the circumstances of his death, 
 in his failure to secure public recognition as a discoverer, 
 in the fact that he never himself realized its full signifi- 
 cance as a blessing to the race, was only keeping company 
 with his own kin. lie simply walked in the path of 
 others in passing to his seat among the immortals. 
 
 Some one has said that all things come to him who 
 waits, but the greatest of discoverers have failed to wait 
 long enough in this world. They have hitched their 
 wagons to the stars, and have fallen into the dust from 
 which they have passed to the heavens. The bright 
 way they have trod has been one of difficulty. 
 
 vSome have assumed that Wells' discovery was after all 
 a secondary affair, because Sir Humphry Davy had 
 offered the suggestion fifty years before that the pain 
 attending surgical operations might be relieved by the 
 use of nitrous oxide. But, if this is true, then the dis- 
 covery of the law of gravity by Sir Isaac Newton was of 
 secondary importance, because Copernicus had suggested 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 45 
 
 the existence of such a law in very close and definite 
 terms years before Newton demonstrated it. If this 
 view is correct then the fact that other Europeans had, 
 hundreds of years before the time of Columbus, visited 
 this continent and founded colonies on it, made his dis- 
 covery a secondary affair. Yet the representatives of 
 the Nations when they met in Chicago last year said 
 very little in reference to those old pioneers, but they 
 said and thought a great deal about Columbus. 
 
 The fact is that it is true of all these men alike, that 
 they were almost certainly in ignorance of the sugges- 
 tions and deeds of their predecessors, and each one for 
 himself demonstrated his discovery. 
 
 In one respect, however, the discovery of Wells dif- 
 fered from that of Copernicus and others. While the 
 discoveries of these men were wonderful and brilliant, 
 yet they contributed little or nothing to the happiness or 
 longevity of the race. Men would live as long, be as 
 happy, and suffer as little if they still supposed the earth 
 was the center of the solar system, or were still in 
 theoretical ignorance of the law of gravity, and the 
 movements of the planets. 
 
 On the other hand, language fails to convey an ade- 
 quate conception of the beneficence which has come 
 through the discovery of Wells. That these sensitive, 
 suffering bodies of ours may pass through necessary ex- 
 periences in soundest slumber, which would otherwise 
 be attended with unutterable agony, is a boon so great 
 and unique that it stands alone on the page of history. 
 
 Mr. Chairman, and Gentlemen, I am glad to join with 
 you here to-night in binding another wreath of laurel 
 upon the memory of him whom we have honored on this 
 fiftieth anniversary of his marvelous and beneficent 
 discovery. 
 
46 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 Rev. G. Williamson Smith, D. I)., 
 
 President of Trinity College : 
 
 Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Connecticut State 
 Dental Association. I esteem it a great honor that I am 
 permitted to be present with you as the representative 
 of one of those institutions which stand for the improve- 
 ment of all relating to human nature. Nothing that is 
 general for the improvement of mankind, or the allevia- 
 tion of suffering is foreign to us who are engaged in our 
 quiet, and yet, I believe, important occupation. 
 
 I feel it a high honor also that I am to be here as the 
 representative of that calling which has its duties among 
 those who suffer, for, as you know, we of the clergy 
 who are engaged in our ordinary occupations of admin- 
 istering to people are often called upon to act with the 
 physician, the surgeon and the professional man whose 
 business it is to administer to men for the ills that flesh is 
 heir to. I feel on both these accounts that I have a sort of 
 right to be here, and yet, I feel all the more grateful to 
 you for the courtesy that I am here to represent those 
 who are so much interested in this field, and again I 
 thank you because I feel I can claim affinity with you 
 all as one of the race which has been so much benefitted 
 by the man in whose honor we are assembled this even- 
 ing. Now it very seldom happens that people who are 
 gathered together represent all mankind. If we meet 
 together to honor a soldier, we feel that the soldiers are 
 most interested, or if we meet to honor a great man or 
 author we feel -somehow that he belongs to them more 
 than to us, not so is it with all who are assembled here 
 to honor Horace Wells, We feel that everyone who 
 lives upon the earth is interested in what he has done, 
 not simply referring to the calling of the soldier or 
 author, or any profession, but to universal mankind. 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 47 
 
 I remember on one occasion I was present at the 
 Academy of Science when a consignment of mummies 
 had been received from Egypt. Said I, " those Egyp- 
 tians knew a great many things, but not all things. He 
 said, " thev knew everything except steam and electric- 
 ity." I said. " there is one thing they did not know. 
 They did not know how to fill teeth." " Did not know 
 how to fill teeth ? " said he, ' ' look here," and he drew out 
 a small case and in it was a simple black tooth. In the 
 tooth was a cavity and in the bottom something shone 
 like gold. " There is a tooth I took out of one of these 
 mummies, showing that the Egyptians knew how to fill 
 teeth four thousand years ago." But they did not know 
 the secret of anaesthesia. ■ At that time I was not aware of 
 the importance of this discovery in relation to teeth, be- 
 cause then my teeth were all sound, but since that time I 
 have had occasion to know that the Egyptians lived before 
 their time. Now, Mr. President, there are benefactors 
 and benefactors of the race. In Trinity College we 
 go over the records of those who have done great things 
 in the world of science and politics, but we try to give 
 men a knowledge of those who have contributed largely 
 to human welfare, and among the names of those who 
 have done much for us and for all generations there is a 
 name that is dear to the people of Hartford, and clear 
 to all those who value the blessings that have been con- 
 ferred by the discovery of Dr. Wells. 
 
 I am glad to be able to sit this evening by the 
 side of a man of whom I have heard for many years. 
 The Spaniards have a word " Hidalgo," meaning " the 
 son of something." I have had the honor to sit beside a 
 gentleman this evening who is the son of something that 
 will last, something that has been a benefit to suffering- 
 humanity, something that is not going to pass away and 
 
48 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 fade as do the records of most men who have achieved 
 great things on the battle-field ; but something which 
 interests every son of man, for there is not one so high as 
 not to feel the need of ministration, no man so low as not 
 to appreciate what has been done for him by anaesthesia. 
 Dr. Colton has told us of the hundreds of odd thous- 
 ands that have been benefited by anaesthesia. We have 
 heard of the hundreds from other sources, and yet that 
 does not begin to touch one hundredth part of the 
 amount of suffering which has been relieved by the 
 discovery of this man in whose honor we are assembled 
 here to-night. Of the names that will be remembered 
 when the names of others have been forgotten, those 
 who minister to the universal wants of mankind will 
 stand highest, and among them I do not know of any 
 that ought to stand higher than the name of him who 
 from this time forth will have contributed to the allevia- 
 tion of human suffering in one of its most poignant forms. 
 I feel quite unequal to tell you how all the associations 
 connected with this name and this work press upon me 
 this evening. There is the historic background of those 
 people whom it did not help. Why, before us the mil- 
 lions and untold millions who never heard of the name 
 of this benefactor profit from day to day by his discovery. 
 It seems to me particularly proper that the Dental 
 Association, which is regarded as a branch of the great 
 medical profession, that they, in whose interest this 
 discovery has been made, should take up the name of 
 this gentleman and push it to the forefront, and I gather 
 from that, pardon me gentlemen, for in my character as 
 a clergyman of course I must draw a moral from every- 
 thing, when any man in any business that God gave 
 him to do on this earth does that business honestly and 
 in the fear of God, it makes no difference in the eyes of 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 49 
 
 the world whether he is a great man or a small man. 
 He is the man who will benefit mankind. 
 
 I suppose there is no name to-day that ought to stand 
 higher, or to receive more blessings from men than that 
 of this man Wells who has conferred so great a benefit 
 upon mankind. 
 
 Hon*. Henry Barnard., L.L. 1)., of Hartford : 
 
 Mr. President and Gentlemen : I will not trespass 
 upon the kindness or eourtesy of this company by mak- 
 ing any long remarks. I came here with a profound 
 interest in the fame, and the just fame, of Horace 
 Wells. It was my pleasure to know him, not intimately, 
 but to know him more than I know many of his pro- 
 fession, but of all the men and of all the contributions 
 that have been made for the progress and aid of human- 
 ity, I have for half a century regarded him as among 
 the foremost. And, since we have before us to-night 
 one of the facts of the benefit of that agent which he 
 employed in the prolongation of human life, I might as 
 well state that I have been carried four years beyond the 
 limit of age reached by our honored guest, Dr. Colton. 
 
 Seventy years ago I had administered to me this gas 
 which has produced such glorious effects, but I never 
 knew until to-night that 'it was due to that early inhal- 
 ation that the rife waS prolonged. For the time being 
 it had, I thought, quite the contrary effect. I happened 
 to be a student of Monson Academy, of which my friend 
 opposite was also a member. The principal or preceptor 
 of the Academy was Benjamin Silliman, who in early 
 practice in Yale College always gave a day to laughing- 
 gas, and when he became principal of the Academy it 
 was one of the first things that he did. In the course of 
 
5<D THK WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 the year he gave an exhibition of the effects of nitrous 
 oxide. Very few ventured, however, to take it. As I 
 was then a lad some twelve years of age, and thought 
 somewhat courageous, I was pushed forward to take it. 
 I am very sorry to say that it very nearly became the 
 death of me. I fell on the ground and lay insensible, 
 and as they pushed away the crowd and fresh air came 
 in and I began to revive I had an exhibition of what not 
 all the preaching I ever heard since gave me. Such an 
 impression was made on my mind as I began to regain 
 consciousness. Every point of the heavens seemed open 
 to me. Whenever I hear anything of the last judgment 
 I confess it reminds me of the time when I took the gas. 
 
 This is a great agent, and all I say to dentists is, know 
 something of the constitution of those to whom you 
 administer it. It now stands like the other departments 
 of the medical profession and every other great profes- 
 sion, on the basis of general intelligence, general edu- 
 cation, and the more education the better for the dentist 
 as a man and the better off the world for its practice. 
 
 Now as I look around to-night and see this company 
 so intently occupied, looking so pleasant, it seems as if 
 it were impossible for them to cause so much pain. It 
 is an honorable profession, but when we look at the 
 benefits which one of their number has given to the 
 world the profession stands up in a very different light. 
 It seems to me that after all that has been said we do 
 not grasp at the great thing Wells did. It was not any 
 one thing, an experiment, a gas, it was the suspension 
 of pain. And no matter what the agent, 'whether the 
 present or the future, the experience was the thing and 
 the application of that principle by Wells that constitutes 
 the glory. The same thing had happened vSir Isaac 
 Newton. Others had seen an apple fall, but he grasped 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 5 I 
 
 the situation. So it was with others and the tea-kettle. 
 They had seen compressed steam lifting the lid, but it 
 required Watts to get the experience which was to carry 
 on the great revolution in all of the mechanical arts and 
 sciences. 
 
 Do not leave the profession where you find it. Carry 
 it forward with all the instruments or improvements you 
 can make. Carry it forward until it shall come when 
 there shall be no pain there. 
 
 Dr. Charles C. Barker, of Meriden, 
 
 President of the Connecticut Valley Dental Society : 
 
 Mr. President and Gentlemen : I cannot refrain from 
 expressing my pleasure in commemorating with you in 
 this fitting manner the fiftieth anniversary of that noted 
 epoch in human history which introduced the era of 
 anaesthesia. We live in that era, thank Heaven, and 
 Heaven's ministry through Horace Wells, that devoted 
 and noble servant of mankind. 
 
 The progress of our race along the pathway of knowl- 
 edge has been marked by many an epoch — footsteps of 
 attainment — but few of them have been more notable 
 than the one we celebrate to-night. When I look back 
 over the track I am often amazed how lately some of those 
 vital truths and principles which we now know to be 
 most intimately connected with our well being and com- 
 fort — how recently — they have been discovered. The 
 men of ancient times seem to have had a penchant for 
 star gazing rather than for a study of themselves and 
 their world. 
 
 This perhaps was natural enough, but the result was 
 that charts of the heavens were drawn long before a 
 map was made of our earth. 
 
52 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 Copernicus perceived the movement and rotation o* 
 the celestial bodies a long time before Harvey discover- 
 ed the circulation of the blood. Why, it is only about 
 one hundred and twenty-five years ago that any real 
 knowledge was attained concerning the vital element 
 upon which all animal life depends. Until that time 
 the air we breathe was considered to be a simple, homo- 
 geneous, undecomposable body, instead of a mixture of 
 gases. 
 
 Joseph Priestley demonstrated that its vitalizing prin- 
 ciple was oxygen. It is undoubtedly true, as it has been 
 characterized "The capital discovery of the last age." 
 (Draper.) 
 
 Its effects have been far reaching — our boat rides to- 
 night on a wave set in motion by its influence — with 
 this new knowledge the chemistry of that day was over- 
 thrown. New views of physiology prevailed ; the old 
 metaphysical physiology — the more of which a man 
 read, the less he knew — was forever exploded. How 
 could there be any true perception of physiological pro- 
 cess and function without a recognition of that prime 
 factor in all life — Oxygen ! 
 
 A mental contrast between what is now understood, 
 and what before was unknown, will help us to more 
 clearly sense the value and importance of this epoch 
 and cause us to wonder how men lived so long without 
 knowing it. Priestley also detected that chemical 
 union of oxygen and nitrogen in certain proportions 
 which has become known throughout the civilized 
 world as Nitrous Oxide Gas ; but did not apprehend its 
 physiological effects ; it remained for him whose fair 
 fame we celebrate this evening to grasp the fact of its 
 benign power over the sensory nerves, and to give the 
 blessing and boon of his great discovery to the world. 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 53 
 
 And so we live in the anaesthetic era. It is indeed 
 impossible to present a correct estimate or even an ap- 
 proximate valuation of the benefits derived. They are 
 simply incalculable. 
 
 What suffering has been alleviated ! How many lives 
 have been saved and prolonged ! What a burden of 
 woe has been lifted ! The cloud which brooded like a 
 nightmare has been largely dissipated. Dentists and 
 surgeons can testify more clearly of this than others, 
 but the whole round world knows much of it ; and fifty 
 years of cumulative experiment and test have brought 
 the conclusion on the part of learned and scientific men 
 that ' ' Nitrous Oxide was the first anaesthetic ; and the 
 safety and certainty of its effects, and the promptness 
 with which persons recover from its use, render it per- 
 haps the most important of all anaesthetics, because des- 
 tined to relieve a greater aggregate amount of pain, 
 until greater safety, than any other agent." (Edward R. 
 Squibb, M. D., before the Medical Society of the State 
 of New York.) And that "the safest anaesthetic" he 
 said " was undoubtedly nitrous oxide." (Dr. Horatio 
 C. Wood, at the recent International Medical Congress, 
 Berlin.) 
 
 Who are the world's greatest benefactors ? Let me 
 answer directly and briefly. We all know that the 
 Christ — the anointed Jesus — stands over alone and 
 without a peer 'in his appointed field ; but I speak of 
 merely human service. 
 
 Not the warriors who too often have bathed the 
 world in blood only to increase its anguish. Not the 
 statesmen, great though their service has been in pre- 
 serving governmental equilibrium in critical times, but 
 those who, in the language of Wendell Phillips, "Se- 
 cure the world's progress, treble its powers over nature, 
 
54 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 wear away its restraints, lift off its burdens, and double 
 its sunshine." 
 
 If it be true of Watt — who found out the power re- 
 siding in the vapor of water, and gave us the steam en- 
 gine and its prodigies, — if it be a fact, as Dr. Draper 
 says, that "the assertion is true, that James Watt, the 
 instrument maker, conferred on his native country more 
 solid benefits than all the treaties she ever made, and 
 all the battles she ever won ", then what shall we say of 
 Horace Wells ? Should not a ehaplet encircle his noble 
 brow ? The achievements of modern dentistry and 
 modern surgery had not been possible except for the 
 way he opened. But for that the sweets and blessings 
 of life would have been denied to millions whose disa- 
 bilities have thereby been removed. 
 
 We, as dentists, feel especial and pardonable pride 
 that he was a royal brother in our chosen profession. 
 He was a dentist ; Hartford was his dwelling place ; in 
 this goodly city he practiced ; and here the wonder of 
 his great discovery was first known and felt. It is a 
 bright laurel in the city's history. 
 
 We gladly place the tablet to-day that all who here- 
 after pass by may know that here is the historic spot 
 where men first began to experience immunity from 
 pain. It is a very pleasant thing for the citizen of Con- 
 necticut, as he passes leisurely through the beautiful 
 walks of Bushnell Park, approaching and at last entering 
 the stately Capitol, to find here and there preserved to 
 us, in enduring marble and bronze, the features and 
 form of many distinguished men, noted in the annals 
 of our good old Commonwealth ; but among them all, 
 Horace Wells stands ever as a peer in his service to 
 humanity. Like Abou Ben Adhem, in the poet's dream, 
 he ranks as " One who loved his fellow men." 
 
the wells memorial celebration 55 
 
 Judge McManus : 
 
 Air. President and Gentlemen of the Dental Society : 
 I came here to night after some absence from the city 
 and had prepared in my own mind a little something to 
 say, which I thought perhaps might be suitable, but as 
 one after another of the speaker.^ has addressed you I 
 discovered that they had appropriated all I had prepared, 
 and I am obliged to rely upon such suggestions as may 
 occur to me while speaking. As I stand here and 
 look upon the members gathered around I see an honor- 
 able gentleman who spoke to us a little while ago. He 
 is now over seventy but will live to be a hundred. I 
 remember him telling me a story a few years ago about 
 his experience in his profession, and I will tell it to you, 
 although as Lieutenant Governor Sumner would say, it 
 is apropos of nothing. When he was in the medical 
 college, the students came down to dinner one day and 
 one says to another, " By the way Joe, you cut off the 
 wrong leg of that fellow in No. 1 7 this morning. " ' ' The 
 deuce I did, now I have got to go and cure the other." 
 I remember meeting a friend of mine, a famous poli- 
 tician, who had been to a gathering the previous evening 
 and I asked him what he said. He replied that he had 
 made the effort of his life — he kept still, and I do not 
 know but what I had better make a similar effort. But, 
 I have learned a great deal here and I feel indebted 
 largely, and I think everybody here should feel indebted 
 to the President of the Valley Dental Association for the 
 address which he made to-night. It is not only replete 
 with information but absolutely classic. I have not 
 heard in years anything more elegant and fitting than 
 his address to-night. 
 
 It has been my pleasure and it has been my duty in 
 
56 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 life, years ago, to associate with men who have marched 
 up to the booming, belching cannon's mouth without a 
 tremor, but of all these men I do not think there was 
 one who would dare go into the office of one of you 
 without meditating retreat. 
 
 I was requested in 1891 to draw up a law for the pur- 
 pose of establishing the dental profession of this .state 
 upon a proper basis, and I examined the laws of the 
 different states of the Union relating to your profession, 
 and with the assistance of Gen. Graham and other em- 
 inent dentists we prepared a statute culled from all, but 
 better, we think, than any one of them. While perhaps 
 some of you know a little of the doings of the legislature 
 of 1 89 1, many have probably forgotten all about it. On 
 the first day of the session, through Senator Clark, that 
 law was presented to the State Senate. I think that this 
 law and one other were all that were presented to the 
 legislature that year. The legislature met, one board 
 Democratic and the other Republican, but could not 
 agree on anything, and after thinking awhile they called 
 in the advice of eminent members of that profession to 
 which I have the honor to belong. After several weeks, 
 these lawyers, finding that they could not agree, applied 
 to the courts. We must have more information, said 
 the Judges, and more information was given. Then the 
 court said, you must go back to the legislature, and then 
 the legislature said, we can do nothing unless you go 
 back to the court, and I think they finally decided that 
 the only power they had was to pay themselves and to 
 adjourn. They paid themselves and adjourned, and 
 nothing was done during that year. Connecticut spent 
 two years in a legislative trance. 
 
 In 1893 the law was passed, and, with the exception 
 of one single verbal blunder, made by the clerks, and 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 57 
 
 which will be speedily rectified, the law is perfect. You 
 can now keep your profession clear of such men as 
 ought not to belong to it, and yet every man worthy of 
 belonging to it can get admission. I do not know of 
 any profession or calling so admirably protected, inside 
 and outside, as is the dental profession of Connecticut, 
 and it is a very fitting thing that you join here together 
 in honoring the memory of one of your own body, a 
 man who has done so much, not only for your profession 
 but for the entire human race. 
 
 He has enabled you, and all of the medical profession 
 to guard against the terrors that formerly awaited those 
 who were unfortunate enough to require your services. 
 Pains are annihilated, terror is banished, every dread 
 has disappeared, with the exception of one, and I do 
 not think it possible, even if the world should last twen- 
 ty thousand years longer, for any man to invent anything 
 that will be a panacea against it. This is their unspeak- 
 able dread of your professional bills. I do not know 
 of anything that will cure that. The man is not born, 
 nor will he be ever, who can discover or invent an an- 
 aesthetic that will protect humanity against that. 
 
 Dr. Jas. McManus : 
 
 Mr. President and Gentlemen : I thank you for the 
 very flattering remarks which introduced me and I can 
 say to-night, with you all, that I only express your 
 opinions when I say how much we regret the fact that 
 Dr. Parmele, Chairman of this Committee, and Dr. 
 Civilion Fones of Bridgeport, are both unable to be 
 present with us to-night. Dr. Parmele had special 
 charge and direction of this part of the work, and up to 
 this noon he expected to be with us. Unfortunately he 
 
58 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 is quite ill and has not been able, and any little delay 
 that has occurred in the exercises to-night in getting 
 ready for the banquet is due to the fact that he is not 
 with us, and that I have tried as far as in my power to 
 do that which he would have been better able to 
 perform. 
 
 I merely want to say to you that his suggestion and 
 desire was that when we closed our exercises here to- 
 night, that those who remained to the close shall walk 
 around to the D. F. Robinson building on Main street, 
 and unveil the tablet, so that the citizens of Hartford 
 to-morrow, on the fiftieth anniversary of the discovery 
 can have that tablet to look at. I wish to say in relation 
 to the tablet that when this movement was started it 
 was started as a local affair, without any design to go 
 outside the state, but it so happened that in May last 
 the Dental Society of New York and a Dental Society 
 of Philadelphia passed resolutions regarding the cele- 
 bration of the fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of 
 anaesthesia. The three movements were started at the 
 same time, and when the other parties found that we 
 were going to do something in Hartford they then fav- 
 ored holding a National celebration, and at the meeting 
 of the Southern and American Dental Associations at 
 Old Point Comfort it was decided that there .should be 
 a National celebration of the event. As a member of 
 the Committee from Connecticut I was for holding the 
 celebration here, but as there were several colleges of 
 Dental Surgery, Medical Associations and Dental Asso- 
 ciations in Philadelphia, and as it was a Medical and 
 Dental center that all could very easily reach, I said we 
 would waive the rights of Hartford. We will join with 
 you in Philadelphia, but that we retained the right to 
 hold a celebration in Hartford on the evening of the ioth. 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 59 
 
 We decided that we would put up a memorial tablet, 
 and our first idea was that we would simply put up a 
 small tablet. We decided to send out circulars to a few 
 dentists in every state of the Union, to only a few, and 
 those few representative dentists, asking their co-oper- 
 ation. Before deciding really what to do we called upon 
 our friend, Mr. Woods. We told him what we thought 
 we could do and asked him to give us an estimate. He 
 gave us an estimate, and I went down to Old Point 
 Comfort and started the movement. We have raised 
 money enough to pay for that tablet and no one has paid 
 anything toward it but reputable practicing dentists. 
 The list comprises many of the best men in this country, 
 professors and men of long years in practice. I have 
 received letters and contributions from Portland, Maine, 
 to Portland, Oregon. I received contributions from 
 twenty-nine states of the Union. The contributions 
 are all, with the exception of a very few, one dollar 
 contributions, for that was all we asked. We did hope 
 for a little more from Connecticut men, but in our 
 circular it limited the contributions to one dollar, and 
 the responses were satisfactory. While it made con- 
 siderable work in the way of writing, returning receipts, 
 etc., the letters we received thanking us for giving them 
 an opportunity to contribute, were very gratifying. 
 
 The tablet is placed there by the contributions of over 
 two hundred and seventy American Dentists, nearly 
 two-thirds of those contributions being from outside of 
 Connecticut, so that no one can say that it is a local 
 affair or a friendly act. It is the expression of the 
 dentists of the United States. That is what it means. 
 It has been paid for by the practicing dentists and no 
 one else. There is only one person that is not a dentist 
 that has done anything towards that tablet, and that 
 
60 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 man has done magnificently, and that is Mr. Woods. 
 He lias given us and the city the largest and finest 
 tablet, a most artistic one, that will stand on a public 
 building outside to the public gaze in this country 
 to-day. It is artistic in the highest degree and some- 
 thing that you will all be proud of, and something 
 which I hope the city will accept as the contribution of 
 the Dentists of the United States. Mr. Woods has done 
 nobly by us. I am sorry to say that we have not been 
 able to pay him what he deserves. 
 
 The arrangement made by Dr. Parmele, as Chairman 
 of this Committee, was, that as we closed our exercises 
 here to-night we should go down and unveil it. I thank 
 you for the assistance which you have given me in 
 working this thing up. It has been a success in every 
 respect. 
 
 Dr. James McManus then moved that the tablet be 
 presented to the city of Hartford and the members voted 
 unanimously to make the presentation. After a rising 
 vote of thanks had been presented to Enoch S. Woods, 
 the sculptor, the party marched up Pratt street and down 
 Main, stopping at the front of the building of the D. F. 
 Robinson estate on which the tablet is erected. Here 
 at 12 -.40 o'clock Sculptor E. S. Woods cut the cord that 
 held the veil and the son of Dr. Wells, Charles T. Wells, 
 of this city, unveiled the tablet. 
 
 Dr. James McManus in a brief and fitting speech pre- 
 sented the tablet to the city, and Mayor Brainard made 
 a patriotic response accepting the tablet in behalf of the 
 city and assuring the Connecticut Dental Association of 
 the approval of his action by the Common Council. The 
 unveiling and presentation to the city at this hour of the 
 night made the scene extremely impressive. 
 
 As a memorial celebration of a national character was 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 6 1 
 
 to be held in Philadelphia under the auspices of the 
 American Dental Association, it was decided to make 
 the Hartford gathering' a state and city celebration ; with 
 the exception of Dr. G. O. Colton, who was one of the 
 trio at the birth of the discovery, no efforts were made 
 to call together friends from other states. It was a mis- 
 take not to have the national celebration held in Hartford, 
 for there were so many then living in the city who were 
 familiar with the incidents and actors in the discovery 
 that would have gladly taken a part in the memorial 
 celebration. 
 
 The gathering at the Hartford banquet was notable 
 from the fact that there were present Drs. Colton, 
 Ellsworth, Russell, Barnard, and by letter, the Hon. 
 A. E. Burr, gentlemen all over eighty years old, who 
 were personally acquainted with Dr. Wells at the time 
 he made his discovery. 
 
 The following letters of regret were read : 
 
 From the Hon. Luzon B. Morris, Governor of Connecticut. 
 
 STATE OF CONNECTICUT. 
 
 Dec. ioth, 1894. 
 
 Geo. L. Parmele, 
 
 Chairman. 
 Dear Sir : 
 
 I regret that I shall not be able, on account 
 of my business engagements, to meet with you this 
 eveninof in honor of the discovery of Anaesthesia. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 Luzon B. Morris. 
 
62 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 From General Joseph R. Havvley, United States Senator from Connecticut. 
 
 Washington, Nov. 28, '94. 
 Dear Doctors : 
 
 My official duties forbid the acceptance of the Con- 
 necticut State Dental Association's invitation to the 
 dinner in Hartford, Dec. 10th, in celebration of the 
 50th anniversary of the discovery of Anaesthesia. I re- 
 gret this very much, but I am determined D. V., to 
 attend the national gathering in Philadelphia, that I 
 may contribute my mite toward doing justice to the 
 memory of Dr. Wells and vindicate Connecticut's claim 
 for the first place in this, as in many other fields of 
 invention and discovery. 
 
 Sincerely yours, 
 
 J. R. Hawley. 
 
 From Charles Dudley Warner, Esq. 
 
 Hartford, Dec. 8th, '94. 
 
 Chairman of Committee, 
 My dear Sir : 
 In my hurried preparation for going abroad I cannot 
 attend the dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of 
 the discovery of Anaesthesia by Dr. Horace Wells. I 
 regret this, for I should like to add the small testimony 
 of my presence to the gratitude of mankind to one of its 
 greatest benefactors, and my indignation at the all too 
 successful efforts to deprive him of his honors. The 
 case is so plain that it is difficult to understand how the 
 world could have been so largely deceived. But we 
 know that Dr. Wells was a modest, unassuming man, 
 who resorted to no arts to advertise himself, or gain 
 prosperity or notoriety, while the ambitious Morton 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL < ELEBRATION 63 
 
 seized upon his discovery and by persistent pushing got 
 his name attached to it in the public mind and in the 
 histories of the times. The case is not an isolated one 
 in history, even in the history of Connecticut. Fitch, 
 who first applied steam to the movement of vessels, has 
 not the general credit of his invention. But truth some- 
 times does prevail in this world, though it needs a little 
 more pushing than a lie, and I hope and believe that if 
 you continue your efforts the name of Horace Wells 
 will have some day no rival in this great discovery. 
 
 Yours sincerely, 
 
 Chas. Dudley Warner. 
 
 From Charles J. Hoadley, LL. D., State Librarian. 
 
 Connecticut State Library. 
 
 Hartford, Nov. 16th, 1894. 
 Gentlemen : 
 
 I thank you most cordially for the invitation to be 
 present at the dinner to be given in celebration of the 
 fiftieth anniversary of the Discovery of Anaesthesia and 
 regret that I am unable to accept it. 
 
 I have some recollection of the talk at the time of Dr. 
 Well's discovery, and have never seen reason to doubt 
 his claim to the honor. 
 
 Very respectfully yours, 
 , Charles J. Hoadley. 
 
 Messrs Geo. L. Parmele, \ 
 
 Civilion Fones, -Committee. 
 Jas. McManus, J 
 
 Letter from Hon. Alfred E. Burr, Editor Hat/ford Times. 
 
 Hartford, Conn., Dec. iSth, 1894. 
 
 Dr. McManus : 
 
 I thank your committee for the card inviting my pres- 
 ence at the banquet this evening in honor of the great 
 
64 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 discovery of Dr. Horace Wells fifty years ago. But I do 
 not deem it prudent to go out this evening as I still feel 
 the effects of my late severe illness, in which I found 
 something of the terrible pain that follows the surgeon's 
 knife when the gas is set aside. I remember the earnest 
 manner in which Dr. Riggs, on bringing a communica- 
 tion for publication, told the story about his pulling one 
 of Dr. Well's teeth. Both of them felt that there would be 
 danger in putting one into an entire state of unconscious- 
 ness by the gas. It might be fatal. But Dr. Wells had 
 seen results at Mr. Colton's exhibitions, had heard Dr. 
 Cooley's story and he decided to have a test made upon 
 his own person. He put a bag of the gas to his face 
 and held it there till he knew nothing. Then Dr. Riggs 
 pulled the tooth. On returning to consciousness and 
 looking upon the tooth that had been pulled without in- 
 flicting the least pain, Dr. Wells exclaimed, " It is a 
 success." There and at that moment in that personal 
 and practical test was the announcement made of the 
 real discovery by Dr. Horace Wells that in surgical 
 operations there need be no pain. And this discovery 
 stands foremost among all the advances and discoveries 
 in the history of medical and surgical science hardly 
 excepting even the discovery of the circulation of the 
 blood. 
 
 Yours Resp'y, 
 
 A. E. Burr. 
 
 Letters were also received from Dr. Samuel A. Cooley, 
 Lieut. Governor E. Cady, General Wm. B. Franklin, 
 Col. A. A. Pope, Chas. Hopkins Clark, Richard Burton, 
 Dr. C. T. Stockwell, Springfield, Mass. 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 65 
 
 LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS 
 
 TO THE 
 
 WELLS MEMORIAL TABLET AT HARTFORD. 
 
 CONNECTICUT. 
 
 Hartford. — Geo. L. Parmele, Jas. McManus, Charles McManus, Henry 
 McManus, L. C. Taylor, N. J. Goodwin, John N. Wells, E. R. Whiiford, J. 
 F. Wright, F. W. Dunham, Edward Eberle, Monroe Griswold, Chas. K. Bryant, 
 J. F. Doebler, H. J. Fisk, L. H. Fisk, Chas. H. Riggs, S. L. G. Crane. 
 
 Manchester. — G. M. Griswold. 
 
 South Manchester. — M. M. Maine. 
 
 New Haven. — Edward S. Gaylord, Daniel A. Jones, Mrs. Jones, W. II. 
 Metcalf, F. W. Brown, A. B. Smith, Robt. T. Ehnie, W. T. Holmes. 
 
 New London. — Edward Prentis, R. W. Browne, A. W. Crosby, W. W. 
 Sheffield, F. S. Norkett, J. R. Linsley, A. A. Bishop. 
 
 Meriden.— C. C. Barker, P. A. Powers, R. K. MacVean, D. C. McMahon, 
 J. J. Flanagan, L. T. Doolittle. 
 
 Branford. — David W. Johnson. 
 
 New BRITAIN.— R. C. Dunham, A. E. Wales, P. J. McDonald, C. B. 
 Erichson. 
 
 NAUGATUCK. — W. E. Gerrish. 
 
 Niantic. — J. G. Champlin. 
 
 Norwalk. — Win field H. Baldwin. 
 
 Bridgeport. — Civilion Fones, Alfred C. Fones, A. E. Fones, C. W. Strang, 
 C. B. Adams, G. F. Williams, W. L. Ferris, J. S. Cairoli, G. F. Barden, L. E. 
 Sage, C. F. Gibbs. C. B. Baker, Frederick Hindsley, C. H. Porter. 
 
 Danbury.— Wm. J. Rider, W. H. Rider, J. C. Whaley, S. W.'Chipman. 
 
 Danielsonville. — O. C. Sharpe. 
 
 Ansonia. — M. C. Hitchcock. 
 
 Bristol. — L. L. Beach, J. S. Wilson. 
 
 MOODUS. — Russell Arnold. 
 
 Middletown. — O. S. Watrous, A. P. French, A. H. Fagan, C. P. Graham. 
 
 Windsor Locks.— F. T. Murlless, F. T. Murlless, Jr. 
 
 Wallingford. — J. T. Barker. 
 
 Thompsonville. — B. H. Thornton. 
 
 Saybrook. — B. W. Leonard. 
 
 SOUTHINGTON. — A. J. Cutting. 
 
 Jewett City. — II. Dryhurst. 
 
 Putnam. — A. H. Strahan, W. H. Sharpe. 
 
 Lakeville. — G. L. Hurd. 
 
 Rockville. — W. H. Loomis, W. C. MacGeorge, Geo. W. Allen, R. R. 
 Roberts. 
 
66 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 Winstkd.— S. S. Tulier, G. C. Hubbell, F. E. Roys. 
 West Winsted. — W. T. Smith, Robert M. Burwell. 
 
 CALIFORNIA. 
 
 San Francisco. — W. J. Younger, C. L. Goddard. 
 
 DELAWARE. 
 
 Wilmington. — C. R. Jefferis. 
 Middletown. — T. H. Galpin. 
 Laurel.— J. M. Hitch. 
 
 IOWA. 
 Iowa City. — W. O. Kulp, A. O. Hunt, Dental Department, Univ. Iowa. 
 
 ILLINOIS. 
 
 Chicago. — Truman W. Brophy, A. W. Harlan, Louis Ottofy, J. N. Crouse, 
 L. L. Davis, Frank H. Gardiner, C. N. Johnson, J. S. Marshall, Geo. H. 
 dishing. W. V. B. Ames, Eugene S. Talbot, L. P. Haskell. E. D. Swain. 
 
 INDIANA. 
 
 Fort Waynf. — Seneca B. Brown. 
 
 KANSAS. 
 
 Topeka. — A. H. Thompson. 
 
 KENTUCKY. 
 
 Louisville.— Francis Peabody, C. L. Seymour, B. O. Doyle, J. W. Wal- 
 lace, H. B. Tilleston, E. M. Kettig, C. E. Dunn, J. II. Baldwin, W. S. Smith, 
 C. G. Edwards. 
 
 LOUISIANA. 
 
 New Orleans. — George J. Friederichs, J. Rollo Knapp, Joseph Bauer. 
 
 MAINE. 
 
 Augusta. — E. J. Roberts. 
 Portland. — D. W. Fellows. 
 
 MARYLAND. 
 
 Baltimore. — M. W. Foster, William 1!. Finney, B. Holly Smith, T. Solers 
 Waters, W. S. Twilley. 
 
 WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 II. B. Noble, Williams Donnally, II. C. Thompson, M. F. Finley, Daniel 
 McFarlan. 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 67 
 
 MASSACHUSETTS. 
 
 Boston. — Jacob L. Williams, Eugene H. Smith, Thos. Fillebrown, Dwight 
 M. Clapp, John T. Codman, Waldo E. Boardman. 
 Cambridge. — R. R. Andrews. 
 Worcester. — C. Frank Blevin. 
 New Bedford. — E. V. McLeod. 
 Shelburne Falls. — E. A. Stebbins. 
 Ware.— W. O. Barrett. 
 Northampton. — W. H. Jones, J. N. Davenport. 
 
 PlTTSFIELD. — S. S. StOWell. 
 
 Springfield. — C. T. Stockwell, N. Morgan, J. Searle Hurlburt, J. K. 
 Wiley. 
 
 Hoi.YOKE. — O. H. Hastings, G. A. Maxfield. 
 
 MISSOURI. 
 
 St. Lotus. — H. J. McKellops, A. H. Fuller, E. S. Chisholm, A. J. Prosser, 
 J. G. Pfaff, DeCourcey Lindsley, L. A. Young, P. H. Morrison, J. B. Nevvby, 
 Emma Eames Chase, Geo. W. Applegate, Geo. A. Bronson, F. F. Fletcher, 
 J. B. Vernon, Wm. M. Conrad, Walter B. Bartlett, H. J. Cassett, H. H. 
 Keith, Wm. E. Lange, J. E. Gusheider, M. R. Windhoist, J. W. Wick. 
 
 Kansas City. — J. D. Paiterson. 
 
 Macon.— T. W. Reed. 
 
 MICHIGAN. 
 
 Detroit. — George L. Field. 
 
 NEW HAMPSHIRE. 
 
 Nashua. — Geo. A. Bovvers. 
 Manchester. — C. W. Clements. 
 
 NEW JERSEY. 
 
 MONTCLAIR. — S. C. G. Watkins. 
 
 Newark. — Chas, S. Stockton. 
 
 Central Dental Association of Northern New Jersey. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 New York City. — Wm. Carr, E. A. Bogue, Frank Abbott, New York Col- 
 lege of Dentistry, M. L. Rhein, G. S. Allen, C. F. W. Bodecker, F. Has- 
 brouck, Benjamin Lord, V. II. Jackson, John T. Metcalf, J. Morgan Howe, A 
 L. Northrup, S. G. Perry, J. Bond Littig, Chas. E. Francis, Benjamin C. Nash, 
 J. H. Mayer, W. W. Walker. 
 
 Brooklyn. — Wm. Jarvie, Chas. D. Cook, A. N. Chapman, H. G. Mirick. 
 
 Buffalo. — Wm. C. Barrett, Theo. G. Lewis. 
 
 Albany. — E. C. Baxter. 
 
68 THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 Elmira. — F. B. Darby. 
 Syracuse. — S. B. Palmer. 
 Yonkers. — R. A. Fones. 
 
 NORTH CAROLINA. 
 
 Raleigh. — V. E. Turner. 
 
 OHIO. 
 
 Cincinnati. — J. A. Callahan, H. A. Smith. 
 
 Cleveland.— C. R. Butler, S. B. Dewey, H. L. Ambler, W. H. Whitslar. 
 Kent.— L. P. Bethel. 
 
 OREGON. 
 
 Portland. — Geo. H. Chance. 
 
 PENNSYLVANIA. 
 
 Philadelphia. — Edwin T. Darby, Thos. C. Stellwagen, Alonzo Boice, E. H 
 Roberts, C. N. Peirce, J. D. Thomas, Robert Huey, James E. Garretson, S. H. 
 Guilford, Wilbur F. Liteh, J. Foster Flagg, Henry I. Dorr, Jas. Truman, D. 
 D. Smith, J. Ashley Faught, Louis Jack, W. G. A. Bonwill, C. J. Essig, Theo- 
 F. Chupein, E. C. Kirk, Daniel N. McQuillen. 
 
 Pittsburgh. — J. G. Templeton. 
 
 Erie.— W. E. Magill. 
 
 RHODE ISLAND. 
 
 Newport. — C. A. Brackett. 
 
 Woonsocket. — A. W. Buckland. 
 
 Providence — Wm. Barker, G. G. H. Ames, F. N. Seabury. 
 
 SOUTH CAROLINA. 
 
 Columbia. — Thos. T. Moore. 
 Spartanburgh. — Thos. J. Calvert. 
 Charleston. — L. P. Dotterer. 
 
 TENNESSEE. 
 
 Nashville. — W. H. Morgan, H. W. Morgan, Gordon White, R. P. Free- 
 man, J. Y. Crawford. 
 
 TEXAS. 
 WACO— W. R. Clifton. 
 
 VERMONT. 
 
 Burlington. — Jas. Lewis. 
 
 St. Johnsbury. — Geo. F. Cheney. 
 
THE WELLS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION 69 
 
 VIRGINIA. 
 
 Farmvii.le. — W. W. H. Thackston. 
 Staunton. — Jas. Johnson. 
 
 WASHINGTON, (State.) 
 Tacoma. — W. E. Burkhart. 
 
 The tablet was designed by E. S. Woods, Sculptor, 
 Hartford, and cast in bronze by Mr. Mossman of Chico- 
 pee, Mass. It measures 5 feet by 2 feet 5 inches, and 
 is said to be the largest out-door memorial of the kind 
 heretofore erected in the United States. 
 
EARLY RECORD OF DENTISTS 
 IN CONNECTICUT 
 
 THE promoters of the Columbian Dental Congress 
 arranged to secure, if possible, a complete history 
 of dentistry in the United States for the previous one 
 hundred years. Committees were appointed in each 
 state and circular letters of instruction were sent to 
 them with printed forms for distribution to the dentists 
 asking for answers to the several questions contained 
 therein that if fully complied with would have given 
 valuable information for the future historian. Acting as 
 one of the committee for Connecticut I sent out the cir- 
 culars with many private letters but received less than 
 fifty replies ; so that I was forced to look up as best I 
 could the information desired. From the oldest news- 
 paper in the state, The Connecticut Courant, and the early 
 dental journals I gathered such material as I could and 
 sent in a report which I had hopes would be published 
 in the Transactions, but owing to lack of funds, the his- 
 tories of the different states were not included in the 
 published reports of the Congress. As I had given time 
 and spent some money in getting material for this re- 
 port and having become quite interested in the subject, 
 I decided to continue the work so that I might give to 
 the profession in printed form a brief but fairly accurate 
 record of the earlier men who practiced dentistry in 
 Connecticut. 
 
72 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 1800, vScpt. 29th. We find in the Hartford Courant 
 of Sept. 29th, 1800, the advertisement of Dr. Richard 
 C. Skinner, Surgeon Dentist from New. York respect- 
 fully informing the Hartford public that he has arrived 
 and will continue in Jacob Ogden's house until Oct. 10th. 
 " The most majestic formed person, possessing the pro- 
 portions, features, symmetry and complexion of a Venus, 
 or Adonis, with all the fascinating charms of the Graces ; 
 by exhibiting a set of irregular, black or rotten teeth, 
 will, in a great measure, lose the wonderful effect their 
 charms and accomplishments would otherwise inspire." 
 
 1801. June 22nd. Hudson & Goodwin, proprietors 
 of the Courant advertise a restorative powder for the 
 teeth and gums. 
 
 1801. Oct 5th. Dr. R. C. Skinner has for sale his 
 Treatise on the Human Teeth. Expects to visit Hart- 
 ford the first of October, when he will be happy to 
 attend to such applications as may be needed for his 
 professional services. Oct. 19th. Dr. Skinner informs 
 the public that in consequence of the Yellow Fever in 
 New York, he will continue in Hartford until the 24th, 
 on which date he will positively depart for his own home. 
 
 1802. Oct. 11th. Dr. Skinner, Surgeon Dentist, 
 respectfully informs the Ladies and Gentlemen of Hart- 
 ford and its vicinity that he positively departs for New 
 York on Monday the 1 8th inst. He presents the warmest 
 effusions of a grateful heart to those persons who have at 
 any time honored him with their patronage, and assures 
 them it is one of the most pleasing consolations of his 
 life that he has in all cases endeavored to merit the 
 unequivocal approbation and gratification of those per- 
 sons who have been pleased to employ him. The ex- 
 tensive and successful practice he has enjoyed in New 
 York and Connecticut for twelve years past justifies the 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 73 
 
 presumption that he has given general satisfaction in 
 his professional capacity. Should any case occur how- 
 ever contrary to this expectation, he will even feel it 
 not only a pleasure but an indisputable duty to exhibit 
 an accommodating disposition and accede to all reason- 
 able requests, by giving every applicant even more than 
 the full value of his fee. 
 
 1804. June 27th. Dr. J. B. Porter expects to spend 
 a few clays in the city. Engages to perform business 
 in the dental line, in its various branches. Dirty, yel- 
 low and black teeth often make an unwholesome breath. 
 Artificial teeth may be placed without pain in the oper- 
 ation or effects. Ladies may be waited on in their 
 houses or at his rooms opposite Mr. Lee's tavern. 
 
 1805. July 17th. William Bradley, Dentist, intends 
 practicing here a few weeks. Flatters himself able to 
 give perfect satisfaction, for his experience and instruc- 
 tion was received from those eminent in the profession. 
 Those who wish to be attended at their houses, leave a 
 line at his room in the west end of Mr. Ransom's house. 
 
 1805. Dec. iSth. Dr. Skinner is the only operator in 
 America who substitutes or sets artificial teeth. After 
 the first operation his old customers will only be charged 
 one-half the rate. 
 
 1813. Nov. 23rd. R. Denah informs the ladies and 
 gentlemen of Hartford and its vicinity that he has taken 
 a room in Mr. Perkins' house on Main St., where he 
 will continue for three weeks. He makes and inserts 
 artificial teeth in the most improved manner, without 
 pain in the operation. He cleans, mends, plugs and 
 extracts teeth, in the best manner, No one is obliged 
 to pay unless satisfied. 
 
 1815. June 14th. T. Hardyear, Dentist, taken a 
 room at Edward Perkins', Pearl street. Flatters himself 
 
74 RECORD OF CONNEETICUT DENTISTS 
 
 that his improved method of inserting artificial teeth 
 will meet with the same patronage received elsewhere. 
 Cavities filled with gold, silver, and tin foil. Tooth 
 brushes and paste for sale. 
 
 1815. Nov. 7th. Dr. Carr, Dentist, will be at Edward 
 Perkins' boarding house for two or three weeks. 
 
 1815. Dec 19th. David Greenleaf was born in South 
 Coventry in 1765. He removed to Hartford in 1790, 
 and was engaged in the goldsmith's business ; later he 
 commenced the practice of dentistry. In the Hartford 
 Coiiraiit, Dec. 19th, 181 5, he advertised as follows: 
 D. Greenleaf wishes to inform the public that he has 
 erected a convenient room over Seth Whiting's Hard- 
 ware Store, where ladies and gents can be supplied with 
 handsome and durable artificial teeth with little or no 
 pain. Also fills hollow and decayed teeth. 
 
 Again, Dec. 14th, 1 8 19 : D. Greenleaf, Dentist, will 
 continue in business over the office of the Couraiit. 
 
 It is reported that he accummulated a large fortune. 
 He died in 1835. His .son, Dr. Chas. Greenleaf, was 
 born in Hartford in 1788. He was for years a very 
 successful practicioner, having an office for a time in 
 the Catlin building, corner Main and Asylum streets, 
 and after the Exchange building was built he removed 
 there to rooms No. 1 State street, where he continued 
 until his death in 1843. His sons, James M. and David 
 were born in Hartford and after his death they continued 
 in business in the same rooms until 1852, when Dr. David 
 Greenleaf went west, settling for a time in Peoria, 111. 
 Dr. David died in California in 1893. Dr. James con- 
 tinued in business until his death in 1877. 
 
 1817. July 29th. C. V. Jerome Smith, Dentist, will 
 continue in the city a short time. Room over Mr. Col- 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 75 
 
 ton's confectionery store. Open in the morning at sun- 
 rise, for the accommodation of those who cannot attend 
 at other hours. 
 
 1819. Oct. 26th. Dr. Hawley, Dentist, of New 
 York, will stay in the city a short time. Recommended 
 by Professors of the Medical Institute, New Haven. 
 
 From 1 8 19 on, there seems to have been no new ad- 
 vertisement or notice of any new arrival, the Drs. 
 Greenleaf evidently holding the field until June 22nd, 
 1830, when we rind the advertisement of Dr. J. W. 
 Crane, Dentist, Exchange Building. 
 
 1828. Dr. Zerah Hawley located in New Haven. 
 
 1829. F. L. Morell, Surgeon Dentist, from Paris, 
 France, made a visit to New Haven about 1829, and had 
 his office in the Tontine Hotel, later he occupied an 
 office in the building corner of Chapel and Orange streets 
 and decided to make New Haven his home. Dr. Morell 
 is remembered for his neatness, sympathy and skill as 
 an operator. He practiced in New Haven for more than 
 twenty years when he returned to his native country. 
 
 1830. Dr. John J. Stone located in New Haven and 
 remained for several years. 
 
 1832. Dr. Jerome B. Wheat was born in Glaston- 
 bury, Conn., April, 1809 ; commenced to practice at the 
 age of 17 years ; removed to New Haven in 1832, and 
 was the first Dentist to own his home, which was 
 situated on Chapel street, next west of the Center 
 Church Chapel. Dr. Wheat received instruction for a 
 time from Drs. Brewster and D. C. Ambler of New 
 York. Owing to ill health he removed to Philadelphia 
 and practiced there for four years, returning to New 
 Haven where he carried on a large and successful prac- 
 tice for many years. Among his students while in New 
 
76 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 Haven was Dr. Chas. C. Allen, of the famous Allen 
 family of Dentists. Dr. Wheat claims that he was the 
 original inventor of the Dental vuleanite plates and that 
 he ean prove that he had several sets inserted in his 
 patients' mouths before Cummings knew of the exist- 
 ence of such an article, but the promptness of Cum- 
 mings in obtaining a caveat deprived him of his right 
 as the inventor. Dr. Chas. Merritt, now of New York, 
 writes me that in 1837 he considered Dr. Wheat to be 
 the best filler of teeth in New England, and only 
 equalled by Drs. Harwood and Tucker, of Boston. 
 Later, Dr. Wheat removed to New York City, where he 
 practiced for a few years, retiring from active practice 
 in 1882 ; died in New Haven, 1894, aged 86. 
 
 1830. Charles C. Allen, M. D., commenced to prac- 
 tice dentistry in Norwich about 1830, remaining there 
 until 1845, when he removed to New York, No. 13 Park 
 Place, and was associated with Dr. Geo. E. Hawes for 
 several years. Dr. Allen was editor of the New York 
 Dental Recorder from 1847 until 1852. Died 1857. 
 
 1839. Dr. Wm. H. Allen,, studied with Drs. Hawes 
 and Allen in New York in 1839. After completing his 
 studies he located in Norwich, remaining until the 
 winter of 1849, when on account of ill health he spent 
 the winter in the Southern states, and for the same 
 cause he went to Montevideo, Buenos Ayres, and prac- 
 ticed for part of the year 1852. On regaining good 
 health he returned to Norwich and practiced with 
 marked success for seventeen years. At the request of 
 his brother, Dr. Charles C. Allen, he removed to New 
 York City in 1856, and was associated with him up to 
 the time of his death in 1857. Dr. Allen obtained 
 several patents for inventions that were noticeable for 
 their simplicity of construction, he having a special 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS jy 
 
 talent for mechanical work. Dr. Wm. H. Allen early 
 in his career gained a national reputation for his skill in 
 restoring broken down and worn teeth to their normal 
 length and contour with gold. He was one of the incor- 
 porators, and for several years was President of the 
 Board of Trustees of the New York Dental College, and 
 he also delivered the first clinical lecture in that institu- 
 tion. He was President of the First District Dental Society 
 of New York, a life member of the State Dental Society, 
 corresponding and associate member of several other 
 societies, and was President of the American Dental 
 Association in 1863. Died 1882. 
 
 1845. Dr. A. W. Allen practiced in Norwich in 1845. 
 Removed to New York in 1863. Died 1869. 
 
 1844. Dr. E. M. Allen practiced in Norwich in 1844, 
 went South in 1845, returned to Norwich in 1866 for 
 one year, returned to the South where he is still living 
 in Marietta, Georgia. 
 
 1830. Dr. David Knapp located in Danbury. 
 1830. Dr. Wm. P. Stevens located in Danbury. 
 1830 = 67. Alfred T. Sizer practiced in New London. 
 1830 = 34. Dr. John W. Crane was born in Connec- 
 ticut, graduated from the Castleton Medical College, 
 Vermont, and practiced medicine for a time in Hartford, 
 later studied /dentistry with Drs. Cogswell and Flagg ; 
 in Boston ; returning to Hartford, he practiced dentistry 
 until 1834, when he removed to New York City and 
 opened an office in Park Place. He was the writer of a 
 paper on filling teeth, published in vol. 8 of the Ameri- 
 can Journal of Dental Science. New York, 1847 ; also a 
 work entitled " Yade Mecum " or brief remarks on the 
 Treatment of Teeth, Eyes, etc. Dr. Crane was a skill- 
 ful operator and an ingenius mechanic and was in prac- 
 
78 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 tice for forty years. He died in Hartford, April iith, 
 1870. His son, Dr. John W. Crane, Jr., was born in Con- 
 necticut and has practiced in Paris, France, for the past 
 thirty-five years. He has been very successful and was 
 one of the founders of the American Dental Society of 
 Europe, holding for a time the office of President. 
 
 1833. Dr. David A. Keyes located in Danbury. 
 
 1834. Dr. L. Parmele was born in Connecticut. He 
 commenced to practice as early as 1834 in Walling- 
 ford ; later he opened offices in Berlin and Meriden, 
 where he practiced for some years, when he removed to 
 New York and was in the office of Dr. J. Smith Dodge, 
 remaining with him for some months, when he removed 
 to Washington, D. C. About 1850 he returned to Con- 
 necticut and located for a few years in Middletowm, also 
 giving certain days in the week to New Britain, temoved 
 to Hartford about 1859 and continued in practice until 
 his death, Aug. 25th, 1877. Dr. Parmele was one of 
 the original members of the State Dental Association. 
 He was a skillful operator and a first class mechanical 
 workman. He was a thorough student and well quali- 
 fied to instruct students both in theory and practice. 
 
 Dr. Joseph H. Smith studied with Dr. Parmele in 
 1856 and afterwards located in New Haven, practicing 
 there for over thirty years. 
 
 18*58. Dr. Chas. P. Graham wasa student in 1858, 
 locating in Middletown, where he has practiced for the 
 past thirty-three years. 
 
 1858. Dr. Robert Gilbert studied with Dr. Parmele 
 in 1858 ; was south during the war ; returned north and 
 practiced in Hoboken, near New York City. 
 
 1837. Dr. H. P. Judd was born in Southington, 
 Conn. Studied dentistry with Dr. L. Parmele in 1837, 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 79 
 
 remaining with him for several years. Practiced for a 
 time in Waterbury and Southington. Returned and 
 practiced for years in Meriden. 
 
 1840. Dr. Henry Benton was born in Guilford, 
 Conn., in 1820; studied with Dr. Parmele in 1840; 
 commenced to practice in Meriden ; removed to Guil- 
 ford and continued in practice until 1892. He was 
 elected to the Legislature from the town of Guilford in 
 1 87 1 . Died April 15th, 1894. 
 
 1854. Dr. Wm. Babcock, born in Saybrook, Conn, 
 studied with Dr. Parmele in 1854; removed to Albion, 
 Michigan. 
 
 1856. Dr. Wm. H: Dibble ; studied with Dr. Parmele 
 in 1856 ; practiced for some years in Middletown. 
 
 1859. Dr. J. A. Dibble ; studied with Dr. Parmele 
 in 1859 ; practiced for several years in New Haven, and 
 removed to Colorado. 
 
 1861=69. Dr. J. A. Kelley studied with Dr. L. Par- 
 mele in 1 86 1. Practiced for a short time in Hartford, 
 then removed to New York. 
 
 1870. Geo. L. Parmele, M. D., I). M. D., studied 
 with his father for several years, and graduated from 
 the Long Island Hospital College in 1869, and later re- 
 ceived the Dental Degree from Harvard University in 
 1870. Practiced for one year in Paris, France ; and for 
 the past twenty- four years has practiced in Hartford. 
 Dr. Parmele has been an active society man for many 
 years. He is a member of the American Academy of 
 Dental Science, Boston, the Odontological Society of 
 New York, was at one time President of the Connecticut 
 Valley Dental Society and for seventeen years has been 
 the Recording Secretary of the State Dental Association. 
 He was appointed by Governor Morris in 1893 a member 
 
8o RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 of the Board of Dental Commissioners and was elected 
 by the Board to act as the Official Recorder. He was re- 
 appointed by Governor (). Vincent Coffin, July, 1895. 
 
 1834. Dr. Foster P. Abbott practiced in Danbury. 
 
 1834. Dr. Elam Beardsley practiced in Oxford. 
 
 1834. Dr. C. W. Green practiced in Bridgeport. 
 
 1834. Dr. H. Crane practiced in Hartford. 
 
 1835. Dr. W. S. Crane practiced in Hartford; died 
 i860. 
 
 1835. Dr. Aaron Gibbs practiced in Bridgeport. 
 
 1835=40. Dr. Crocker practiced for five years in 
 New London. 
 
 1835. Dr. Wakefield, London Dentist, for a short 
 time in Hartford. 
 
 1835. Dr. E. E. Crofoot was born in Conn., in 181 1 ; 
 commenced the practice of Dentistry in Middletown in 
 1835 ; removed to Hartford in 1840, and was associated 
 for a few years with V. Cnyler, M. D. About 1854 he 
 engaged in the manufacture of porcelain teeth, which 
 he carried on for a few years. Later he resumed the 
 practice of dentistry, and was notably one of the most 
 skillful mechanical dentists in this country. He made 
 a specialty of fine gold work, with carved teeth for each 
 case, and he taught many students the art of carving 
 and baking porcelain teeth : notably Mr. Jas. Wright, 
 Drs. John Cody and Daniel Dwyer. Dr. Crofoot was 
 the first Treasurer of the Conn. State Dental Association. 
 Died April, 1889 ; aged 78 years. 
 
 1836. Dr. Horace Wells; his parents were of Con- 
 necticut birth. Soon after their marriage they removed 
 to Hartford, Windsor County, Vermont, where Horace 
 Wells was born. Much of his early education was ac- 
 quired in Amherst, Mass., andWalpole, N. H. In later 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 8 I 
 
 years he taught one district school and many writing 
 schools. He early showed great inventive genius and 
 mechanical talent, and while living in Hartford was 
 well known as quite an inventor. He constructed several 
 machines that would probably have paid if properly 
 pushed on the market. 
 
 In the year 1834 he commenced the study of dentistry 
 in Boston, Mass. After acquiring the best professional 
 education attainable at that time he opened an office 
 in Boston. In 1836 he removed to Hartford, Conn., 
 and soon acquired a reputation for marked ability 
 and skill as a dentist. He had several students, among 
 them, Drs. John M. . Riggs and W. T. G. Morton. 
 Dr. Wells wrote a treatise, entitled an "Essay on 
 Teeth." He also gave lectures on Ornithology, in 
 which he was well informed. 
 
 The facts relating to his discovery of Anaesthesia are 
 given in the paper published in this pamphlet, as read 
 at the Union Meeting of the Conn. Valley Dental So- 
 ciety and the Connecticut State Dental Association, held 
 at Hartford, May, 1893. 
 
 1836. Dr. Charles Merritt was born in Redding, 
 Conn., May 1st, 18 14. Commenced the study of den- 
 tistry at the age of 19 years with his brother who was 
 practicing at that time in Pittsburgh, Penn. After the 
 death of his brother, he returned to Connecticut and 
 practiced in different towns until the Spring of 1837, 
 when he decided to locate in Bridgeport. Bridgeport 
 had at that time 4,500 inhabitants. Dr. Aaron Gibbs 
 had been in practice there about eight months, and, 
 learning that Dr. Merritt intended to locate there, he 
 offered to sell out to him and Dr. Merritt bought his 
 practice. 
 
 Dr. Gibbs had been a student with Dr. C. W. Green, 
 
82 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 a graduate in medicine and a native of Connecticut, 
 who had the reputation of being a skillful dentist having 
 spent parts of the years 1834-35-36 practicing in Bridge- 
 port. Dr. Merritt had the field for about five years, 
 when Dr. W. M. Curtis located in the town remaining 
 for fifteen years. He died in 1889 in Vermont. In 
 1837, Dr - D - L - Porter studied with Dr. Merritt, re- 
 maining with him until 1840, when he went to New- 
 burgh, New York. He returned to Bridgeport, remain- 
 ing in practice until 1848, when, on account of a 
 permanent lameness, he felt obliged to give up operating 
 at the chair. He secured the services of the late Dr. J. 
 M. Crowell of New York to come to Bridgeport, and 
 give him instructions how to carve and bake block teeth. 
 After experimenting for a time he commenced in 1857 
 manufacturing single and gum teeth. He employed a 
 number of hands and was very successful making what 
 were considered at that time to be the best and most 
 natural looking porcelain teeth in the market. Dr. 
 Porter died suddenly of heart disease in 1 868 and the 
 business was abandoned. Dr. Merritt continued to 
 practice in Bridgeport until 1865, when he removed to 
 New York City, leaving for a time the Bridgeport office 
 in charge of his sons Drs. Chas. G. and John P. Merritt. 
 They are now associated with their father in New York 
 city but go back to Bridgeport part of the time to take 
 care of their patients in that city. Dr. Charles Merritt 
 is probably the oldest practicing dentist in the country. 
 He is still in good health, and attends to the office duties 
 several hours daily. 
 
 1836. Dr. Linus T. Pratt practiced in Hartford. 
 
 1836. Dr. J. W. Crane practiced in Hartford. 
 
 1837. Dr. D. L. Porter practiced in Bridgeport. 
 1837. Vernon Cuyler, M. D., practiced in Hartford 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 83 
 
 until 1 84 1, when he became a partner with Dr. E. E. 
 Crofoot. 
 
 1838. Dr. Chas. Greenleaf practiced in Hartford. 
 1838. Dr. J. Weed practiced in Hartford. 
 
 1838. Dr. Foster P. Abbott was born in Danbury 
 in 1 8 1 5 ; practiced a few years in Danbury previous to 
 1840, when he removed to Derby, Conn., where he con- 
 tinued to practice until his death, March 5th, 1863. 
 His son, Dr. J. J. Abbott, for the past thirty-two years 
 has practiced in Danbury. 
 
 1839. Dr. Robert Patton practiced for nearly fifty 
 years in Ellington ; was elected a member of the House 
 of Representatives in 1868, and in 1880 was elected a 
 member of the State Senate. Died Dec. 28, 1891 ; 
 aged 75 years. 
 
 .1839 = 41. Dr. J. W. Clowes commenced to study 
 dentistry in the fall of 1838, in the office of Dr. J. Smith 
 Dodge, New York City, remaining with him until the 
 fall of 1839, when he went to Baltimore to attend the 
 first course of lectures given in the Baltimore College of 
 Dental Surgery under Professors Hayden, Harris, Bond 
 and Bailey, in 1840. 
 
 The members of that memorable class were Robert 
 Arthur, R. Covington Makall, J. B. Servier, Mr. Paine 
 and J. W. Clowes. 
 
 June 10th, 1842, Dr. Clowes opened an office on State 
 street, New London, and continued practicing in that 
 city until the fall of 1849, when he went to Columbus, 
 Georgia, to spend the winter ; returning he located in 
 New York City, in the Spring of 1850. 
 
 The honorary degree was conferred on Dr. Clowes by 
 the Faculty of the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery 
 in 1846, and the record of the past fifty-six years tells of 
 
84 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 earnest efforts, conscientious and skillful work, that has 
 gained for him respect, reputation, many grateful 
 patients and well-earned honors, that his brother prac- 
 titioners gladly accord to him. Dr. Clowes is the only 
 surviving dentist of that first class of the Baltimore Col- 
 lege of Dental Surgery, and at the age of y^ years he 
 still continues in active practice in New York City. 
 
 1840. Dr. John M. Riggs was born in Seymour, 
 Conn., Oct. 25, 18 10. He graduated from Washington, 
 now Trinity College, in 1837, and soon after commenced 
 to study dentistry with Dr. Horace AVells, and continued 
 to practice in Hartford until his death. He was associ- 
 ated in 1842 with C. Kirtland for a short time, and in 
 1865 with Dr. Daniel Dwyer for twelve years. On the 
 1 1 th of December, 1844, he extracted a tooth for Dr. 
 Horace Wells while he was under the influence of 
 Nitrous Oxide Gas administered by Prof. G. Q. Colton. 
 This was the first application of anaesthesia in surgery, 
 antedating by nearly two years Dr. Morton's use of sul- 
 phuric ether. 
 
 Dr. Riggs gave a clinic before the Conn. Valley Den- 
 tal Society, at Northampton, in June, 1867, and also 
 gave a description of his method of treating and operating 
 for the condition now known as Pyorrhoea Alveolaris, 
 but which for a time was called by his name, " Riggs' 
 Disease." 
 
 Dr. Riggs was a member of the Conn. Dental Asso- 
 ciation ; elected President in 1 867 ; also a member of 
 the Conn. Valley Dental Society. He was given the 
 Honorary degree by the Baltimore Dental College in 
 1879. He died in Hartford, Nov. 1 1 th, 1885; aged 79 
 years. 
 
 1840. Dr. D. W. Peterson practiced in Winsted. 
 
 1840. Dr. O. C. Crosby practiced in New Haven for 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 85 
 
 many years ; was the inventor of a pin machine, a paper 
 folder, a fish hook machine, a rufrler and tucking ma- 
 chine and was enQfaofed for a time in the manufacture of 
 porcelain teeth. 
 
 1840. Dr. W. H. Allen practiced in Norwich. 
 
 1840. Dr. Henry Benton practiced in Meriden and 
 Guilford and was representative from the town of Guil- 
 ford in [871. Died April, 1894. 
 
 1841. Dr. S. S. Tuller was born in Simsbury, Conn., 
 in 18 16. Commenced to practice in the Town of Granby 
 in 1 841, giving- to the neighboring towns stated days in 
 each month for twenty-six years. Staid one week in each 
 month in Unionville. Removed to Winsted in 1867. 
 For a while was obliged on account of ill health to take 
 a rest, spending a few months in the West. With that 
 exception he practiced in Connecticut for fifty-five years 
 until his death Jan. 3rd, 1896. 
 
 1841. Drs. Cuyler and Crofoot practiced in Hartford. 
 
 1841. Dr. W. M. Curtis practiced in Bridgeport. 
 
 1841. Dr. Asa Hill was born in Norwalk, Conn., 
 Nov. 20th, 181 5. He studied dentistry with Dr. David 
 P. Knapp, of Danbury, and later commenced to practice 
 in Norwalk, where he continued up to the time of his 
 death. Dr. Hill received the honorary degree from the 
 Baltimore Dental College in 1847. ^ ie was one of the ed- 
 itors of the New York Dental Recorder during the years 
 1851-52-53, and was associated with the late Dr. W. W. 
 Allport in the editorial management of the Peoples' Jour- 
 nal published in Chicago, 111., in 1863. He introduced 
 to the profession the plastie compound for filling teeth 
 known as, ''Hill's Stopping" in 1847, an d patented it in 
 1 848. As early as 185.1, Dr. Hill suggested electric or gal- 
 vanic anaesthesia in dental and surgical operations ; but 
 
86 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 its first practical application was by J. B. Francis in Phila- 
 delphia. It was experimented with for some time, both 
 in dental and medical practice, but soon lost its popular- 
 ity, it being found uncertain in action and generally 
 unreliable. Dr. Hill was the first president of the Con- 
 necticut State Dental Association, organized in 1864. 
 In May, 1866, Dr. Hill sent a petition to the president 
 and faculty of Yale College asking them to consider his 
 plea for the establishment of a dental school in connec- 
 tion with the medical department of Yale College. Dr. 
 Hill was a member of the General Assembly of Con- 
 necticut as a representative from Norwalk in 1856. He 
 died in Norwalk, 1874. 
 
 1842. Dr. J. A. Pelton ; was born in Portland, Conn. 
 Commenced to practice dentistry in Haddam, Conn., 
 in 1842; removed to Willimantic in 1843. At that time 
 there was no other dentist in the eastern part of the 
 State. He removed to Middletown in 1845, an d con- 
 tinued in active practice there until the time of his 
 death in 1 894. Dr. Pelton was a successful mechanical 
 workman, when that meant ability to work with gold 
 and silver. Accurate adaptation in the mouth and the 
 use of spiral springs, were the only aids to keep in place 
 upper and lower sets of teeth that could be depended on 
 previous to the introduction of the air chamber by Mr. 
 Gilbert in 1848. Dr. Pelton was among the first to 
 test and prove the great value of this invention to both 
 the patient and dentist. Dr. Pelton was among the 
 first to give anaesthetics in his practice, and continued 
 to do so for years with uniform good success. Dr. Pel- 
 ton died August 26th, 1894, leaving an honorable record 
 of fifty-two years' practice in the State of Connecticut. 
 
 1842. Dr. Merriman practiced for a few years in 
 Middletown ; later removed to New York City. 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 87 
 
 1842. Dr. Jas. M. Greenleaf practiced in Hartford. 
 
 1842. Dr. L. W. Rogers practiced in New London. 
 
 1842. Dr. J. A. G. Comstock practiced in New 
 London. 
 
 1842. Dr. Main, traveling dentist; later practiced in 
 New York. 
 
 1844. Dr. Wm. B. Hurd practiced in Danbury and 
 Derby. Dr. Hurd was a student of Dr. Knapp in 
 Danbury in 1 844 ; later was an assistant, and then taken 
 into partnership. Dr. Hurd practiced for five years in 
 Derby and for five years in Danbury ; removed in 1854 
 to AVilliamsburgh, now Brooklyn, New York. Dr. Hurd 
 was elected an honorary member of the Conn. State 
 Dental Association in 1865. 
 
 1845. Dr. Stevens practiced in Essex. 
 .1845. Dr. Richardson located in Middletown. 
 
 1845. Dr. J. B. Terry located in Hartford. 
 
 1845. Dr. David Greenleaf located in Essex. 
 
 1846. Dr. J. H. Reed, with Dr. W. S. Crane, lo- 
 cated in Hartford ; later removed to New Haven. 
 
 1846. Dr. R. B. Curtiss studied with Dr. Chas. 
 Merritt in Bridgeport in 1 846 ; removed to Winsted and 
 practiced there until his death in 1866. Dr. Curtiss was 
 one of the early members of the Conn. State Dental As- 
 sociation : 
 
 Dr. D wight Smith, a native of Winsted, studied with 
 Dr. Curtiss; removed to New York City. 
 
 1846. Dr. Samuel Mallet was born in Redding. 
 Conn. ; was a student with Dr. Porter of Bridgeport, 
 in 1846; later he located in New Haven, having an 
 office on Chapel street. Dr. Mallet practiced with good 
 success for about thirty years; was one of the original 
 
8.8 RECORD OK CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 members of the Conn. State Dental Association, and was 
 elected President in 1869. 
 
 1847. Dr. A. H. Fagan located in Middletown ; 
 practiced forty-eight years in Connecticut ; died 1895. 
 
 1847. Dr. W. G. Munson practiced in New Haven 
 as early as 1847, continuing for about twenty-three 
 years. He was also known as a landscape painter of 
 much merit. 
 
 1847. Dr. C. Bullock practiced in Hartford. 
 
 (Copy of advertisement.) 
 
 1847. Hiram Preston, Dental Surgeon, practiced in 
 Hartford. " Invites all who would have dental oper- 
 ations performed in a style not to be surpassed, to favor 
 him with a call at No. 12 State street." 
 
 Dr. M. Waldo Hanchett was associated with Dr. 
 Preston from 1850 to 1854. Dr. Hanchett while prac- 
 ticing in Syracuse, N. Y., in 1848, invented and intro- 
 duced the first dental chair that could be easily raised 
 and lowered, the back and seat tipped forward, and 
 back with changeable head rest, and nearly all the good 
 points of the chair of our day. 
 
 Jan. Sth, 1857. The following announcement was 
 published in the daily papers : Hiram Preston, Dentist, 
 over No. 18 State street, continues the practice of den- 
 tistry as heretofore ; he will also give lessons to dentists 
 who have had some experience, and who wish to become 
 more perfect in practice. He will be assisted as here- 
 tofore by Mr. Jas. McMahus, who has been with him 
 during the last nine years, and who as a dental operator 
 deserves a high place among the very best in the city. 
 For the satisfaction of such, if any there be, who may 
 live at a distance, he deems it proper to insert the 
 following testimonial relative to his capacity : 
 
 " Having employed the professional services of Hiram 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 89 
 
 Preston, Dentist, of this city, and being well acquainted with 
 his skill as a practical operator, we believe him qualified to 
 give instruction to those who wish to become masters' in every 
 department of this important, but nice, and difficult art." 
 H. Allen Grant, M. D. George Sumner, M. D. 
 
 S. B. Berresford, " Benjamin Rogers, " 
 
 A. \V. Barrows, " M. W. Wilson, 
 
 J. S. Butler, " P. W. Ellsworth, " 
 
 D. Crary, " J. C. Jackson, 
 
 A. Welch, " G. W. Russell, 
 
 Wm. Porter, " John F. Wells, 
 
 S. C. Preston, 
 
 A. Rising, M. D. ( Suffield. 
 E.Hall, " East Hartford. 
 
 M.Woodruff, " New Britain. 
 
 vS. L. Childs, " East Hartford. 
 
 S. A. Wilson, " Windsor. 
 
 Albert Morrison, " Windsor. 
 
 1858. " The Hartford livening Press, June 1st, 1858, 
 announced the news that Dr. Preston has been success- 
 ful in extracting teeth without pain by the use of a gal- 
 vanic battery. In one hand the patient holds a con- 
 ductor of moderate strength, the other conductor being 
 attached to one handle of the forceps ; when the forceps 
 are applied the current passes through the tooth, be- 
 numbing the nerves and deadening the pain. The 
 effect is produced at the moment it is needed, and con- 
 tinues not an instant longer than the operation. The 
 doctor has this forenoon pulled three teeth in this man- 
 ner, and, the patients assure him, without pain." 
 
 Oct. 1 1 th, 1858. Dr. Preston announces that he has 
 secured Mr. James McManus as a partner in business, 
 and also states the firm are using Electricity in an en- 
 tirely new way for preventing pain while drawing teeth. 
 Oct, 27th, 1858, Dr. Preston claims to have invented 
 
90 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 and adopted a new method whieli is originally and ex- 
 clusively his own. The new way is to apply a piece of 
 wet sponge on each side of the tooth to be extracted, 
 the sponges being connected with electric wires to be 
 held by the patient or an assistant. In an editorial 
 notice the record of forty-eight cases are given, forty- 
 four completely successful, the other four partially so. 
 
 During the twenty odd years that Dr. Preston prac- 
 ticed in Hartford he taught a number of students who 
 later either were associated with him in business, or 
 opened offices in Hartford. Among the number were 
 Drs. Chas. O. Hall, Jas. McManus, Wm. Blatchley, 
 Daniel Dwyer, JohnL. Hitchcock and several others, who 
 received shorter terms of instruction from him, for he 
 was known to be an unusually skillful and expert oper- 
 ator, as well as a superior mechanical workman. He 
 wrote a series of letters giving instruction and advice as 
 to care and operations on the teeth that appeared in the 
 city papers and were afterwards published in book form 
 in 1848, and dedicated "To that portion of the com- 
 munity who think." 
 
 1848. Dr. James McManus, born in Hartford, July 
 1 6th, 1836 ; entered the office of Dr. Hiram Preston in 
 1 848, continuing with him as a student, assistant and part- 
 ner during twenty years, when Dr. Preston retired from 
 business and removed to Syracuse, N. Y. Drs. McManus 
 and L. D. Pelton issued a call Sept. 15th, 1864, to the 
 dentists of Connecticut to meet at Hartford in Central 
 Hall, Oct. 20th, 1864, to assist in organizing a State 
 Dental Association. Dr. McManus was elected the 
 Recording Secretary, holding that office for several 
 years and has continued an active member since its 
 organization. In 1870 he inaugurated the movement 
 that resulted in placing a bronze statue of Dr. Horace 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 9 1 
 
 Wells, the Discoverer of Anaesthesia, on Bushnell Park ; 
 was elected President of the State Association in 1871, 
 and acted as chairman of the committee that was ap- 
 pointed in 1890 to secure the passage of a Dental Law ; 
 was appointed by Governor Morris, July, 1893, one of 
 the Board of Dental Commissioners which office he de- 
 clined. Dr. McManus has been a member of the Amer- 
 ican Dental Association for thirty-two years, the Con- 
 necticut Valley Dental Society, the Boston American 
 Academy of Dental Science, the New York Odonto- 
 logical Society, the Seventh International Medical Con- 
 gress, London, England, Honorary Member American 
 Dental Society of Europe, the Ninth Medical Congress, 
 Washington, D. C, the Columbian Dental Congress, 
 Chicago, 111., and President of the Northeastern Den- 
 tal Society of New England. Dr. McManus graduated 
 from the Philadelphia Dental College in the Class 
 1864-65, and is practicing in Hartford. Has associated 
 with him his sons Charles McManus, D. D. S., Philadel- 
 phia Dental College, 1888 ; Henry McManus, D. D. S., 
 Philadelphia Dental College, 1890. 
 
 1853. Dr. Chas. O. Hall, a native of East Hartford, 
 Conn., entered the office of Dr. Hiram Preston as a 
 student and assistant in 1853, remaining for several 
 years. Attended the Baltimore College of Dental Sur- 
 gery and graduated in i860 ; returned to Hartford and 
 practiced for a short time ; later located in Nice, France, 
 where he practiced for nearly thirty years, giving oc- 
 casional months in Paris, France, and the summer 
 months in Switzerland. Dr. Hall was one of the pioneer 
 American dentists in Europe and sustained a very high 
 reputation as an all around dentist as well as a cultured 
 gentleman. He died at Nice, Nov. 29th, 1893, aged 
 61 years. 
 
92 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 185(>. Dr. Wm. Blatcliley was a student in 1856-57 
 with Dr. Preston and after opened an office in Hartford 
 and practiced successfully nearly twenty years. 
 
 1858. Dr. Daniel Dwyer was a student in 1858 with 
 Drs. Preston and McManus, remaining two years ; after 
 with Dr. E. E. Crofoot for three years and later was as- 
 sociated with Dr. John L. Hitchcock in Collinsville, 
 Conn., until 1865, when he became a partner with Dr. 
 J. M. Riggs in Hartford, continuing with him for about 
 twelve years. When the partnership was dissolved, Dr. 
 Dwyer carried on the business at the office on Asylum 
 St. In 1882 he went to the Baltimore College of Den- 
 tal vSurgery and graduated in 1883. Dr. Dwyer was a 
 first class man in every department of dentistry ; was a 
 member of the American Dental Association, State and 
 local societies, ever ready to work and give a helping 
 hand to every movement for the good of the profession. 
 He was highly respected by the citizens of Hartford and 
 vicinity. He died Nov. 7, 1891. 
 
 18(50. Dr. John L. Hitchcock commenced the study 
 of dentistry in i860 with Drs. Preston and McManus, re- 
 maining three years ; then removed to Collinsville, 
 Conn., and was associated with Dr. Daniel Dwyer for 
 several years, when he returned to Hartford and practiced 
 until 1882. He attended the Baltimore College of Dental 
 Surgery and graduated in 1883. He then returned to 
 Hartford staying a few years, when he removed to New 
 York city, where he still continues in practice. 
 
 1 848 = 51. Dr. Gilbert Warren practiced f ron 1 848-5 1 
 in New London. 
 
 1848. Feb., 1848, Levi Gilbert, a confectioner liv- 
 ing in New Haven, obtained a patent for atmospheric 
 pressure plates, in which the following is claimed : — 
 
 ' ' My invention is the application of atmospheric pressure to 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 93 
 
 plates used in dentistry ; the plate being single and a chamber 
 being sunk in the central part of the upper surface of the plate, 
 in which a vacuum can be formed by the tongue."' 
 
 Upon the publication of this patent many claimants 
 for priority of this invention made themselves known. 
 He eventually abandoned his patent. "A committee 
 was appointed by the Penn. Society of Dental Surgeons 
 to investigate the merits of the Gilbert plate and in 
 their report they recommended that a certificate of 
 approval of the central cavity plate should be awarded 
 by the Society to Mr. Gilbert, which action and re- 
 commendation was ratified. . . . The construction 
 of cavity plates was the first application of the veritable 
 principles of atmospheric pressure in dentistry, and it 
 has become an integral part of mechanical dentistry." 
 
 1848. Dr. T. P. Abell located in Middletown ; re- 
 mained there about five years, then removed to Chicago, 
 Illinois. 
 
 1848. Dr. Wm. Jarvis Rider studied with Dr. Wm. 
 B. Hurd in Danb.ury in 1848 ; Dr. Rider still resides in 
 Danbury and has been in practice for forty-six years. 
 He has been an active member of the State Dental Asso- 
 ciation, holding different offices and for two terms its 
 President. He was one of the active workers in secur- 
 ing the passage of a dental law in Connecticut and was 
 appointed by the Governor, July, 1892, one of the State 
 Dental Commissioners. His son, Wm. Harvey Rider, 
 M. D. S., is associated with him in Danburv. 
 
 1848. The following named dentists were practicing 
 in New Haven, in 1848: Drs. E. B. Cowles ; Samuel 
 Mallett, W. G. Munson, E. E. Crofoot, Edward B. Mil- 
 ler, Wm. M. Thompson, C. O. Crosby, Louis J. Morrell, 
 Jerome B. Wheat. 
 
94 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 1848= 1850. Dr. Gilbert Warner ; practiced in New 
 London. 
 
 1849. Dr. Edwin Hyde Dunham practiced in Wil- 
 limantic ; and in Middletown, Conn., after 1850, for 
 several years. 
 
 1849. Dr. Amos Blake practiced in Waterbury for 
 some years previous to 1850, giving up his office to his 
 brother, Edward W. Blake, who succeeded him in 1852. 
 
 1850. Dr. Bailey practiced in Colchester. Drs. 
 Bailey and Newton practiced in Waterbury previous to 
 1850. Dr. A. Newton removed to Hartford in 1851. 
 
 1850. Dr. R. G. Reynolds, practiced in Waterbury 
 for a time; removing to New York in 1852. 
 
 1850. Dr. M. Waldo Hanchett, in company with Dr. 
 H. Preston; practiced in Hartford. 
 
 1850. Dr. Geo: H. Waters was born in Woodstock, 
 Conn., Feb. 27th, 1824; commenced the study of den- 
 tistry March, 1849, in the office of Dr. Joseph Beals, of 
 Greenfield, Mass. In 1850, located in New Britain, re- 
 maining there until Oct. 1st, 1852, when he removed to 
 Waterbury. In the past forty-two years he has resided 
 in that city, and by honest and skillful work he has 
 gained the respect and esteem of the community ; and 
 though his record stands " Three score years and ten, 
 with good health and .spirits, he is able and still en- 
 joys continuing in active practice." 
 
 1850. Dr. S. Tomlinson practiced in Plainville. 
 
 1851. Dr. Daniel A. Jones practiced in Danielson- 
 ville. Studied dentistry with Dr. R. B. Curtiss in Win- 
 sted about 1 8 5 1 . Commenced to practice in 1852 and for 
 a time made Winsted his home, arranging to make regular 
 visits to the towns of Otis, New Boston, New Hartford 
 and Ansonia. In 1855 he decided to locate in Daniel- 
 sonville, and he practiced there until his death in 1864. 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 95 
 
 1854. Mrs. Emeline Roberts Jones, wife of Dr. 
 Daniel A. Jones, was born in Winchester, Conn. She 
 commenced to study dentistry with her husband in 1854 
 and for a time received instruction from Dr. R. B. Curtiss 
 of Winsted. She continued as an assistant from May, 
 1855 until 1859, when she became a partner in the busi- 
 ness with her husband, and for years was known in 
 Danielsonville as a skillful dentist. After her husband's 
 death in 1864, she carried on the business until she re- 
 moved to New Haven where she continues in active 
 practice. Mrs. Dr. Jones ranks to-day as the pioneer 
 woman dentist of this country if not of the world. 
 There may have been other women who assisted in 
 dental offices previous to 1855, but she was the first 
 woman in this country to open independently an office 
 and offer her services to the public as a competent dentist. 
 
 1889. Dr. Daniel A. Jones was born in Barkham- 
 stead, Conn. Studied dentistry with his mother for 
 three years before entering the Harvard Dental School. 
 Received the Harvard degree in 1 889, and the medical de- 
 gree of Yale College in 1890. Has practiced in New 
 Haven the past seven years, and for several years has 
 been Treasurer of the Conn. State Dental Association. 
 
 1830. Dr. Elisha K. Cook practiced in Norwich. 
 
 1850. Dr. C. Bullock practiced in Hartford, 
 
 1850. Drs. Hiram Preston and M. Waldo Hanchett 
 practiced in Hartford. 
 
 1850. Dr. L. Parmele practiced in Hartford. 
 
 1851. Dr. Asa Newton, with Dr. J. B. Terry, prac- 
 ticed in Hartford. 
 
 1852. Dr. S. L. G. Crane, with Dr. W. S. Crane, 
 practiced in Hartford. 
 
96 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 1852. Dr. Henry J. Stevens practiced in New Haven. 
 
 1852. Dr. Albert W. Crawford practiced in Putnam. 
 
 1852. Dr. W. W. Sheffield was born in North Ston- 
 ington, Conn., in 1828; studied dentistry with Dr. J. 
 A. G. Comstock of New London, and Dr. Charles C. 
 Allen of New York City. He was one of the original 
 members of the Conn. State Dental Association; served 
 as president one year, 1868, and was for years an active 
 and efficient member. He graduated from the Ohio 
 Dental College in 1865, and has been in practice in the 
 city of New London for the past forty-four years. 
 
 1852. Dr. Reynolds practiced a few years in Water- 
 bury ; removed to New York. 
 
 1853. Dr. Charles O. Hall practiced about ten years 
 in Hartford. 
 
 1853. Dr. Henry A. Nettleton, born in Woodbury, 
 Conn., 1828 ; studied with Drs. Abbot and Tuttle in 
 Derby, has been in practice forty-one years; the past 
 thirty-seven years in Derby, Conn. 
 
 1854. Dr. C. H. Davis practiced in Hartford. 
 1854. Dr. A. Schoonmaker has practiced over forty 
 
 years in Bethel, Conn. 
 
 1854. Dr. R C. Dunham was born in Mansfield, 
 Connecticut, 1827; studied dentistry with Dr. Edwin 
 Dunham, Middletown, remaining with him four years. 
 Dr. Dunham was one of the original members of the State 
 Association ; served one year as President, 1873, and has 
 practiced in the State forty-three years, residing the past 
 thirty-nine years in New Britain, Conn. Died 1895. 
 
 1855 = 60. Dr. Louis Betts practiced about five years 
 in New London. 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 97 
 
 185-5. Dr. Ezra Styles practiced in Norwich. 
 »1855. Dr. Theodore Roberts born in Danbury, in 
 1827 ; has practiced thirty-nine years in New Canaan. 
 
 1855. Dr. James M. Greenleaf practiced in Hartford ; 
 office Exchange corner. 
 
 185(5. Dr. H. L. Burpee practiced a few years in 
 Hartford. 
 
 185(5. Dr. John Cody, born in Hartford; studied 
 with Dr. E. E. Crofoot, remaining with him about ten 
 years, having charge of the mechanical department. 
 He was especially skillful in the carving of block teeth 
 and was a fine worker in gold and silver. He opened 
 an office in 1856 and conducted a successful business 
 until his death in 1876. 
 
 1856. Dr. Perrine practiced for several years in 
 New London, then removed to New York City. 
 
 1856. Dr. R. Wentworth Browne studied dentistry 
 with Dr. W. W. Sheffield in New London, Conn. He 
 graduated from the New York College of Dentistry in 
 1867. He was one of the original members of the State 
 Association and served one year, 1878, as President. 
 Gov. Morris appointed him one of the Board of Dental 
 Commissioners, July, 1893. He was re-appointed by 
 Gov. O. Vincent Coffin in July, 1895. He has resided 
 in New London the past thirty-eight years and is in 
 active practice. 
 
 1856. Dr. Isaac Woolworth practiced medicine for 
 some time in Westfield, Mass ; later studied dentistry 
 and commenced in 1856 to practice in Meriden. He 
 removed to New Haven in 1 860. Dr. Woolworth was 
 one of the original members of the State Association ; 
 was elected President in 1872. He read several inter- 
 esting papers before the Association and was an earnest 
 and active member until his death in 1879. 
 
98 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 1857. Dr. Joseph H. Smith was born in Middletown, 
 Conn.; studied for a short time in 1856, with Dr./L. 
 Parmele in Middletown. Dr. Smith opened an offiee in 
 New Haven in 1857 and for several years gave special 
 attention to artificial work. He gave tip the use of rub- 
 ber for plates when the vulcanite company insisted that 
 a record should be kept of all cases made, and a royalty 
 paid for the same, and turned his attention to making 
 continuous gum work. He was quite successful in com- 
 bining materials for gum body and was skillful in carv- 
 ing and baking block teeth for metal work. Familiarity 
 with this line of work led him to engage in the manu- 
 facture of Smith's Oxy-chloride of Zinc in 1862, which 
 he did under the personal instruction and following the 
 formula given to the profession in the Dental Cosmos, 
 August, 1 86 r , by Dr. John T. Metcalf of New Haven. In 
 June, 1863, Dr. Smith attended a lecture given by Prof. 
 G. Q. Colton in New Haven and witnessed him give the 
 laughing gas. *He then arranged with Prof. Colton to 
 extract teeth for patients if the professor would give the 
 gas, and they were so successful that in the month of June 
 Dr. Smith extracted 1785 teeth. The record made in 
 this public manner revived confidence in the gas as a 
 safe anaesthetic and since that time its use is well nigh 
 universal. Dr. Smith was secretary and treasurer of 
 the American Dental Convention for several years ; also 
 a member of the American Dental Association, presi- 
 dent of the Connecticut Valley Dental Society, one of 
 the original members of the State Dental Association, 
 was for a few years its recording secretary and later held 
 the office of treasurer. Died 1893. 
 
 ' 1857. Dr. C. M. Hooker practiced in Hartford for 
 about twelve years. He was a fine operator and a skill- 
 ful mechanic. He invented an automatic mallet, and 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 99 
 
 for several years gave special attention to the adminis- 
 tration of anaesthetics. 
 
 1857. Dr. H. L. Sage, Bridgeport, commenced the 
 practice of dentistry in 1857. Dr. Sage is remembered as 
 a careful, conscientious and skillful operator ; a thought- 
 ful student, giving much of his time to investigating the 
 properties of various drugs that he thought might be of 
 value as dental medicines and obtundents. He put on the 
 market in 1873 the preparation known as Carvacrol, which 
 was considered of value by many operators. He was 
 one of the original members of the State Dental Asso- 
 ciation and was elected president in 1870. He was a 
 member of the American Dental Association. Died 
 March 17, 1880. 
 
 1857. Dr. Joseph Dennis Riggs was born in Wood- 
 bridge, Conn., 1833. Studied dentistry with Dr. C. O. 
 Crosby, New Haven, remaining with him three years, 
 and has practiced in New Haven for the past thirty-nine 
 years. 
 
 1857. Dr. Edward C. Arnold practiced in Moodus 
 and Hartford. 
 
 1858. Dr. Henry D. Sydleman was born in Pres- 
 ton, Conn. Studied dentistry with Dr. W. W. Sheffield, 
 
 'New London, and has practiced for the past thirty-eight 
 years in the city of Norwich, was a member of the State 
 Dental Association for several years. 
 
 1858. Dr. Sidney L. Geer was born in Scotland, 
 Conn. Studied dentistry with Dr. Elisha K. Cook of 
 Norwich. He was one of the original members of the 
 State Dental Association and has practiced for the past 
 thirty-six years in Norwich. 
 
 1858. Dr. Elisha Keyes Robbins was born in Ash- 
 ford, Conn. Studied dentistry with Dr. Joshua Bailey, 
 
IOO RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 Colchester, Conn. Has practiced forty years, thirty- 
 seven years in Connecticut. 
 
 1858. Dr. Charles F. E. Blood has practiced in New 
 London for the past thirty-nine years. 
 
 1858. Dr. Walter A. Candee practiced in Bristol. 
 1851). Dr. R. Treat Payne was born in Prospect, 
 
 Conn,, 1838. Studied dentistry in 1859111 the office of 
 Dr. Walter A. Candee, Bristol, Conn., after one year 
 entered the office of Dr. Asa Hill of Norwalk, remain- 
 ing with him until he enlisted in the 27th Regiment of 
 Connecticut Volunteers, nine months' service until 
 Aug. 1, 1863. Opened an office in Stamford, Conn., 
 and continued in practice until July, 1879. Was a 
 member of the State Dental Association and president 
 in 1876— '77 ; later graduated from the Baltimore College 
 of Dental Surgery and removed to New York City in 
 1880. 
 
 1859. Dr. William Allender practiced in New 
 London. 
 
 1859. Dr. F. C. Buckland practiced in Manchester. 
 
 1859. Dr. C. L. Smith practiced in New Haven. 
 
 1859. Dr. Russell Arnold, Moodus, studied with Dr. 
 Edward C. Arnold, has been in practice thirty-seven 
 years, the past thirty-four in Connecticut. 
 
 1859. Dr. S. L. G. Crane studied dentistry with his 
 father, Dr. W. S. Crane, was in company with him and 
 has been in practice thirty-eight years in Hartford. 
 
 1859. Dr. John T. Metcalf commenced to practice 
 dentistry in Nantucket, Mass., in 1840, remaining there 
 for nineteen years, when he removed to New Haven in 
 1859. While in New Haven he made experiments in 
 developing plastic filling materials, and published the 
 results of his labors in the Dental Cosmos Aug. 1, 1861, 
 pages 6-17, giving to the profession his formula for 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS IOI 
 
 making oxy chlorid of zinc, which preparation later was 
 manufactured by Dr. Joseph H. Smith and sold to the 
 profession as Smith's Oxy-ehlorid of Zinc. Dr. Met- 
 calf was the first one to teach and practice contouring 
 with gold in New Haven. He organized the New 
 Haven Dental Association, was its president, was 
 one of the original members of the State Association 
 and president in 1 866 ; removed to New York in 1 869 
 and is still in practice. 
 
 I860. Dr. Wm, H. Sharpe was born in Killingly, 
 Conn., in 1836. Studied dentistry with Dr. Albert W. 
 Crawford in Putnam, Conn. Has practiced in Putnam 
 for the past thirty-six years. 
 
 1860. Dr. Augustus B. Smith studied dentistry with 
 Dr. Samuel Mallett of New Haven. Has practiced for 
 the past thirty-six years in New Haven. 
 
 .1860. Dr. A. H. Stevens, born in Clinton, practiced 
 for two years with H. J. Stevens, D. D. S., of New 
 Haven ; in Clinton thirty-four years. 
 
 1860. Dr. Smith Colton practiced in Meriden. 
 
 1860. Dr. G. B. Boutwell practiced in Ansonia. 
 
 1860. Dr. Franklin J. Candee practiced in Plymouth 
 for some time before the late war. Enlisted in the Sec- 
 ond Heavy Artillery, was promoted to be second lieu- 
 tenant in Company H, and was killed in the battle of 
 Cold Harbor r June 1, 1864. 
 
 DENTISTS IN NEW HAVEN IN 1 86 1 . 
 
 Dr. C. O. Crosby, 1 848-6 1 , Dr. W. G. Munson, 1 848-70 
 
 ' J. A. Dibble. " " J. D. Riggs, 1861-70 
 
 < C. L. Ely, " " J. H. Reed, 
 
 ' N. S. Gunn, " " A. B. Smith, 
 
 1 F. Hall, 1870 " J. H. Smith, 
 
 ' S. Mallett, 1P48-70, " H. J. Stevens, 
 
102 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 Dr. J. T. Metealf, 1848-70 Dr. Elias Strong, 1886-70 
 " L. P. Morel, 1848 " J. B. Wheat, 1848-61 
 
 " E. S.Gaylord, 1870 " I. Woolworth, 1870 
 
 1861. Dr. Charles P. Graham studied for three years 
 with Dr. L. Parmele in Middletown, was one of the 
 original members of the State Dental Association, was 
 elected president in 1894, and has been in practice in 
 Middletown for thirty-five years. Was appointed by 
 Governor Morris, July, 1893, one of the Board of Dental 
 Commissioners, re-appointed July, 1895, by Governor 
 O. Vincent Coffin. Dr. Graham was for several years 
 brigadier general of the military forces of Connecticut 
 and was adjutant general on the staff of Governor O. 
 Vincent Coffin during 1 895-1 896. 
 
 1861. Dr. Leroy D. Pelton practiced in Hartford for 
 about ten years ; removed to California. 
 
 1861. Dr. Wm. M. Porter practiced in Hartford. 
 
 1861. Dr. F. T. Mercer practiced in Mystic. 
 
 1861. Dr. James G. Barbour practiced in Norwalk. 
 
 1861. Dr. T. S. Scranton practiced in Madison. 
 
 1861. Dr. G. A. Grace practiced in Meriden. 
 
 1861. Dr. James Woodmansee practiced in Norwich. 
 
 1861. Dr. H. B. Bishop practiced in Norwich. 
 
 1862. Dr. C. H. Thornton practiced in Danbury. 
 1862. Dr. J. O. Fitch practiced in Willimantic. 
 
 1862. Dr. John A. Kelley practiced in Hartford. 
 
 1863. Dr. C. Bullock and Brother, Dentists ; " Mrs. 
 Bullock will be present to assist any lady who desires to 
 take ether." The first public notice that Mrs. Bullock 
 was an assistant in the office of her husband appeared 
 in the Hartford Courant Feb. 24th, 1863. Mrs. Bullock 
 previous to this notice had assisted in office work and 
 later she was known as an expert operator and mechani- 
 cal worker. After the death of her husband she prac- 
 ticed for years with her son, Dr. Henry C. Bullock. She 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 103 
 
 was the second woman to engage in the practice of den- 
 tistry in Connecticut, and among the earliest in the 
 country to make a notable success both professionally 
 and financially. 
 
 1863. Dr. Isaac N. Russell has practiced the past 
 thirty-two years in Connecticut, the greater part of the 
 time in the city of Waterbury. 
 
 1863. Dr. Charles Coffin Barker, born in Wakefield, 
 N. H., studied dentistry with John Paul, M. D., Dover, 
 N. H., practiced 1859-61 in Bethel, Maine ; has practiced 
 in Meriden for the past thirty-two years. Was elected 
 president of the State Dental Association in 1894, presi- 
 dent of the Connecticut Valley Dental Society in 1895, 
 vice-president Northeastern Dental Association in 1895. 
 
 1863. Dr. Civilion Fones has been a member of the 
 State Dental Association for many years, was elected 
 president in 1890 and served for two years. Was 
 appointed by Governor Luzon B. Morris, July, 1893, one 
 of the Board of Dental Commissioners and at the first 
 meeting was elected President ; re-appointed by Gov- 
 ernor (). Vincent Coffin, July, 1895. Was elected mayor 
 of the city of Bridgeport in 1886, re-elected in 1887. 
 Graduated from the Baltimore Dental College in 1877, 
 and has practiced in Bridgeport for the past thirty-four 
 years. — Dr. Alfred C. Fones, born in Bridgeport, grad- 
 uated from the New York College of Dentistry in 1891, 
 and is associated with his father. 
 
 1864. Dr. M. T. Nichols practiced in Central Village. 
 1864. Dr. T. S. Rust practiced in Meriden. 
 
 1864. Dr. Edward S. Gaylord, born in Gaylordsville, 
 Conn., member of the State Dental Association, was 
 elected president in 1892. Member of the Connecticut 
 Valley, New York Odontological, American Dental 
 Associations, and Northeastern Dental Society : in prac- 
 tice in New Haven the past thirty-three years. 
 
104 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 1864. Drs. James McManus and Leroy D. Pelton, 
 Sept. 15th, 1864, sent out a circular letter inviting the 
 dentists of Connecticut to meet at Hartford in Central 
 Hall, Oct 20th, 1864, to assist in organizing a State Den- 
 tal Society. Thirty-nine dentists appeared in response to 
 this invitation. A temporary organization was effected 
 by the election of Dr. E. E. Crofoot as President and Dr. 
 James McManus as Secretary, A committee was appointed 
 to report a Constitution and By-Laws, and at the afternoon 
 session they made their report, which was accepted and 
 adopted, and the following named gentlemen were 
 elected officers of the Connecticut State Dental Assoc- 
 iation : 
 
 Dr. Asa Hill, Norwalk, President. 
 
 Dr. W. W. Sheffield, New London, Vice-President. 
 
 Dr. Jas. McManus, Hartford, Rec. Secretary. 
 
 Dr. Leroy D. Pelton, " Cor. Secretary. 
 
 Dr. E. E. Crofoot, " Treasurer. 
 
 Dr. Chas. P. Graham, Middletown, Librarian. 
 
 Dr. Samuel Mallett, New Haven, \ 
 
 Dr. John T. Metcalf, " V Executive Com. 
 
 Dr. H. J. Stevens, " j 
 
 1864 = 65. The transactions of 1864-65 were pub- 
 lished in book form in 1866, including the annual ad- 
 dress by Asa Hill, D. D. S., of Norwalk, and the papers 
 that were read by Drs. Isaac Woolworth, Samuel Mallett, 
 John T. Metcalf, of New Haven, W. W. Sheffield, of 
 New London, James McManus of Hartford, L. D. Shep- 
 ard, of Salem, Mass., Prof. Wm. H. Atkinson, M. D., 
 D. D. S. of New York, and Prof. J. McQuillen, M. D., 
 D. D. S., of the Philadelphia Dental College. The in- 
 terest in the meetings was kept up for several years 
 owing to the fact that the executive committee had the 
 funds to call on, that warranted them in securing the 
 services of noted teachers and operators to give lectures 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 105 
 
 on scientific and practical subjects. Many of the older 
 members will recall the instructive and delightful talks 
 that were given them by Professors McQuillen, Atkin- 
 son, Garretson, Stellwagen, Ellis, Weatherby and Shep- 
 ard, all eminent in their day as teachers and operators. 
 
 1864 = (>7. Dr. A. Hill sent a petition to the presi- 
 dent and faculty of Yale College early in 1 866, asking 
 them to establish a Dental School. At the annual meet- 
 ing of the State Dental Association in May, 1866, Drs. 
 A. Hill, Samuel Maliett, John M. Riggs, and W. W. 
 Sheffield were appointed a committee to confer with the 
 members of the State Medical Society, with reference to 
 the establishment of a dental department in connection 
 with the medical school at Yale College. The commit- 
 tee reported a pleasant conference and that the medical 
 professors would give the petition due consideration. 
 Their decision was against the establishment of a Den- 
 tal School. 
 
 The managers of Harvard University saw their oppor- 
 tunity when the project was suggested to them by the 
 Boston dentists, and they established the Harvard Dental 
 School in the fall of 1867. Yale College took a back 
 seat in 1 866, and still occupies it. For the past thirty 
 years, its medical faculty have not got their eyes opened 
 to the fact, that instruction in medicine and surgery is 
 not complete unless lectures on dental diseases are given 
 to the students by a competent dental surgeon and path- 
 ologist. 
 
 1870. At a meeting of Hartford dentists held Mon- 
 day evening, April 11th, 1870. Dr. James McManus 
 offered the following : 
 
 Resolved, That the natural gratitude due to the mem- 
 ory of public benefactors, demands that the city of Hart- 
 ford, and the State of Connecticut, with the medical and 
 
106 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 dental professions, cause a suitable monument to be erect- 
 ed in the public park of this city in memory of Dr. Horace 
 Wells, the discoverer of Anaesthesia. 
 
 Resolved, That Drs. J. M. Riggs, James McManus, E. 
 E. Crofoot and William Blatchley be, and are hereby, 
 appointed a committee whose duty it shall be to cause 
 suitable petitions to be presented to the City Council of 
 Hartford, and the General Assembly of this State in 
 furtherance of this object, and to obtain signatures to 
 the same. 
 
 A petition was drawn up by Thomas McManus, Esq., 
 and circulated for signatures. The newspapers through- 
 out the state and country, the dental and many of the 
 medical journals gave willing help and publicity to the 
 movement. At the annual meeting of the State Dental 
 Association, held in May, 1870, the same resolution was 
 offered by Dr. McManus, and Drs. McManus and Riggs 
 of Hartford and Woolworth of New Haven were ap- 
 pointed to act with committees from other societies for 
 the purpose of procuring funds. At the annual meeting 
 of the State Medical Society in 1870, Henry P. Stearns, 
 M. D., of Hartford was appointed chairman of a com- 
 mittee to co-operate with the dentists, and such other 
 committees as might be appointed to aid in securing 
 funds for the erection of a statue to Dr. Wells. To the 
 earnest, energetic and well directed efforts in presenting 
 the claims of Dr. Wells clearly, concisely, and truthfully 
 to the public great credit is due Dr. Stearns ; and his 
 labors were untiring until success was assured. The ap- 
 peal made to the State Legislature and City Council re- 
 sulted in a grant of five thousand dollars from the State, 
 and five thousand dollars from the City, to which was 
 added individual contributions from other states and 
 cities, that enabled the committee to secure the services 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 107 
 
 of Mr. Truman H. Bartlett, sculptor of Boston, who 
 made the satisfactory portrait statue in bronze that was 
 placed on the east side of Bushnell Park, July 22, 1874. 
 
 1875 = 90. The State Dental Association made a new 
 departure and was incorporated under the Connecticut 
 State Laws in 1 876. The new order increased admission 
 fees and annual dues, which proved to be a great mis- 
 take. The interest in the meetings lessened, many of 
 the older members dropped out and there were few 
 new applicants for membership. Again the older mem- 
 bers were forced to come to the front. The admission 
 fees and annual dues were reduced, efforts were made to 
 arrange for interesting meetings, and there is again hope 
 that the future usefulness of the association is assured. 
 
 At the annual meeting in May, 1890, the following 
 gentlemen were appointed a committee on dental legis- 
 lation : Dr. Civilion Fones, Bridgeport ; Dr. James Mc- 
 Manus, Hartford ; Dr. Edward S. Gaylord, New Haven ; 
 Dr. William J. Rider, Danbury ; Dr. William H. Rider, 
 Danbury ; Dr. R. W. Brown, New London ; Dr. George 
 L. Parmele, Hartford. 
 
 1890=93. Judge Thomas McManus was engaged to 
 make a careful study of the dental laws that were then 
 in force in the United States, and to draw up a law for 
 Connecticut that the committee could present to' the 
 Legislature and ask for its passage. Owing to the cele- 
 brated "dead lock" in the Legislature of 1 891, there 
 was no action taken on the bill that was presented by 
 the committee, and the same bill was again presented to 
 the Legislature of 1893. A bill to regulate the practice 
 of medicine was before the Legislature at the same 
 time ; that was so fiercely opposed by different fac- 
 tions, and the press, that the success of the dental 
 bill seemed very doubtful. At the committee hearing 
 
I08 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 the bill was advocated by Judge McManus, Drs. Wil- 
 liam J. Rider, Edward S. Gaylord, George L. Parmele, 
 James McManus, and by letter from Dr. Civilion Fones. 
 The members of the committee asked many questions, 
 and gave an attentive hearing. There was no one pres- 
 ent to oppose the bill, a great contrast to their experi- 
 ence at the several lengthy hearings they gave to the 
 opponents of the medical bill. The dental bill was re- 
 ported on favorably, and passed, was signed by Gov- 
 ernor Morris and went into effect May 25th, 1893. 
 
 1893. Governor Morris, July, 1893, appointed as 
 dental commissioners Dr. James McManus, Hartford ; 
 Dr. William J. Rider, Danbury ; Dr. Civilion Fones, 
 Bridgeport ; Dr. Charles P. Graham, Middletown ; Dr. 
 R. W. Brown, New London. Dr. James McManus de- 
 clined the appointment and Dr. George L. Parmele of 
 Hartford was appointed to fill the vacancy. The board 
 met in July and elected Dr. Civilion Fones as president, 
 and Dr. George L. Parmele, recorder. 
 
 Under the rules established by the dental board of 
 commissioners all dentists residing and practicing in 
 Connecticut previous to May 25th, 1893, were invited 
 to apply for registration and upon complying were given 
 a certificate signed by all the members of the board. 
 All dentists coming into the State and wishing to prac- 
 tice after May 25th, 1893, are required to appear before 
 the board for examination and license. The total num- 
 ber of Dentists legally practicing in Connecticut in 1896 
 was 374, of this number four are graduates of dental and 
 medical schools and 1 34 from dental schools. His Ex- 
 cellency, O. Vincent Coffin, governor of Connecticut, 
 July 14, 1895, re-appointed the members of the board 
 to hold the offices until July 1st, 1897. 
 
 The following named dentists have been members of 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 109 
 
 the Connecticut General Assembly, the record starting 
 
 with the election of Dr. Asa Hill of Norwalk as member 
 
 of the House of Representatives in 1856. 
 
 Dr. Chas. W. Ballard practiced in New York City but 
 
 lived in Darien, Conn. Member Senate 1865-66 
 
 Dr. Robert Patton, Ellington, Member House 1868 
 
 Senate 1880 
 Dr. Henry Benton, Guilford, " House 1871 
 
 Dr. G. X. Snow, Saybrook, " " 1874 
 
 Dr. Chester Johnson, Enfield, " Senate 1874-5-6 
 Dr. J. D. Clemens, Canaan, " House 1876 
 
 Dr. Wm. E. Hyde, Killingly, " " 1879 
 
 Dr. Civilion Fones was elected Mayor of Bridgeport 
 
 in 1886 ; re-elected in 1887. 
 
 MANUFACTURERS OF COLD FOIL IN CONNECTICUT. 
 
 The first establishment for making gold foil, etc., was 
 started in Hartford by Dr. Marcus Bull in the year 181 2. 
 Here Mr. Chas. Abby became an apprentice. Mr. Bull 
 removed his business to Philadelphia in 18 16, and in 
 1835 Mr. Abbey became his partner. Upon the retire- 
 ment of Mn Bull in 1839, Mr. Abbey took the business 
 which is still successfully carried on under the name of 
 Chas. Abbey & Son, Philadelphia, Penn. A Mr. John- 
 son carried on the business for a time in Hartford. Mr. 
 Jas. H. Ashmead came to Hartford in 1834 and in 1846 
 admitted Mr. E. Hurlburt to a partnership. Mr. Hurl- 
 burt continued until 1864, when he retired and in com- 
 pany with Mr. John M. Ney, who had been an apprentice 
 with the old firm, thev started anew under the name of 
 
I TO RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 E. Hurlburt & Co. From 1839 the old establishment 
 of Jas. H. Ashmead & Son, has been in successful 
 operation. It is now under the management of Mr. 
 Robert H. Ashmead. This establishment is known all 
 over the world for uniform good work and for nearly 
 fifty years they have made the famous "Quarter Cen- 
 tury Gold-foil." 
 
 J. M. Ney & Co., successors to Hurlburt & Ney, have 
 gained a high reputation for their gold and tin-foil 
 amalgam and the manufacture of gold and silver plate, 
 solders, refining, etc. 
 
 DENTISTS BORN IN THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT. 
 
 1804. Dr. Horace H. Hayden was born in Windsor, 
 Conn. , in 1 778. He commenced the ^practice of dentistry 
 about 1804, later studied medicine and by invitation de- 
 livered a course of lectures on dentistry to the medical 
 class in the Maryland University in 1825. He was one of 
 the founders of the Baltimore Dental College and its first 
 president, as well as first professor of the principles of 
 dental science. As early as 18 17 he advocated calling 
 a national convention of dentists, but the organization 
 of the American Society of Dental Surgeons was delayed 
 until August, 1840, when Dr. Hayden was elected presi- 
 dent, Dr. Solyman Brown the recording secretary, and 
 Dr. J. Smith Dodge one of the examining board ; all 
 natives of Connecticut. This association was the first 
 regularly organized dental association in this country. 
 Dr. Brown, the secretary, in the American Journal of 
 Dental Science, vol. 1, says of Dr. Hayden : "When he 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS III 
 
 shall have been forgotten as a dental practicioner and 
 physiologist, he will be remembered by his profes- 
 sional successors as the father of the American Society 
 of Dental Surgeons." Dr. Hayden was a frequent con- 
 tributor to the literature of dentistry and medicine and 
 also wrote a work on geology. He died Jan. 26th, 1844. 
 
 1830. Solyman Brown, A. M., D. D., M. D., D. D. S., 
 was born in Litchfield, Conn., Nov. 17th, 1790. He grad- 
 uated from Yale College in 1 8 1 2. Commenced the study 
 of dentistry about 1830. At his house in Park Place, 
 New York City, Aug. 18th, 1840, the American Society 
 of Dental Surgeons was organized. Dr. Brown was elected 
 recording secretary. Dr. Brown published in 1835 "Den- 
 talogia," a poem on the diseases of the teeth and their 
 proper remedies. He was the publisher and managing 
 editor of the American Journal of Dental Science in 
 "1839, and during its first years of issue in New York, 
 and in 1841 was given the honorary degree of doctor of 
 dental surgery by the Baltimore Dental College. He 
 died Feb. 13th, 1876. 
 
 1827. Dr. J. Smith Dodge was born in Connecticut 
 in 1806, removed to New York and commenced to prac- 
 tice dentistry in 1827. He was in continuous practice 
 for sixty years, and was one of the founders of the New 
 York College of Dentistry. 
 
 1813=66. Dr. John S. Clark, born in Brooklyn, Conn. , 
 in 181 3: graduated in medicine ; later studied dentistry 
 and practiced in St. Louis, Mo., for a number of years. 
 Removed in 1850 to New Orleans and while there pub- 
 lished a magazine called the " Dental Obturator." Dr. 
 Clark published in his magazine his method of prepar- 
 ing gold and tin-foil in the shape of cylinders for filling 
 teeth, and he is credited as the first writer to give full 
 
112 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 instruction and advice to the profession to learn and 
 adopt that manner of operating. He returned to St. 
 Louis in 1865 and died in 1866. 
 
 181 7=M). Dr. W. A. Bronson was born in Connecticut 
 in 1817 ; educated in Yale College ; received the medi- 
 cal degree in 1845, later studied dentistry and in 1845 
 commenced to practice in New York City. He was one 
 of the founders of the New York Odontologieal Society, 
 and for some time its President. He died Aug. 20, 1890. 
 
 1825. Dr. Ebenezer "Merritt was born in Redding, 
 Conn., Jan. 13th, 1795. He received a common school 
 education and at about twenty years of age commenced 
 the study of medicine with Dr. Allen of Salem, Mass. 
 He graduated at the Castleton Medical College, Vermont. 
 Not liking the practice of medicine he went to Philadel- 
 phia and studied dentistry with a French dentist whose 
 name is unknown. In 1825 he located in Pittsburgh Pa., 
 and in 1828 commenced the manufacture of porcelain 
 teeth. Dr. Chas. Merritt went to Pittsburgh in 1830 and 
 found his uncle using the mallet in filling teeth with soft 
 gold-foil made by Mr. Bull of Philadelphia. He used the 
 mallet only in condensing the surface of the filling. 
 Dr. Joseph C. Merritt, a student in the New York Col- 
 lege of Dentistry in 1867, carried the original mallet to 
 the office of Dr. Wm. H. Atkinson and he assured him 
 that without a doubt his uncle was the first to use the 
 mallet in dentistry. 
 
 Dr. Granville Merritt was born in Redding, Conn., 
 July 19th, 1809. In 1829 he went to Pittsburgh and 
 commenced the study of dentistry with his uncle and 
 assisted in the manufacture of porcelain teeth. They 
 succeeded in making some very creditable teeth but 
 upon the death of Granville Merritt at the age of twenty- 
 six, Dr. E. Merritt gave up manufacturing teeth. 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS I I 3 
 
 1819 = 1838. Dr. C. A. Kingsbury was born in East 
 Windsor, Conn., in 1819. Commenced the study of 
 dentistry in 1838. He studied with Dr. N. Bevins in 
 Trenton, N. J., and later with a Mr. Charles Houpt of 
 Philadelphia in special dental mechanics. He also re- 
 ceived instruction from Dr. Horace H. Hayden in Balti- 
 more and from his cousin, Dr. Horace Wells of Hart- 
 ford, the discoverer of anaesthesia. Dr. Kingsbury 
 early in his practice experimented with and applied the 
 use of electricity as a therapeutic agent for the relief 
 from pain in dental operations. He was among the first 
 to make use of this agent, and in many cases with satis- 
 factory results. He was one of the founders of the 
 Philadelphia Dental College, and was the professor of 
 physiology and operative dentistry for several years ; 
 later emeritus professor and vice-president of the board 
 of trustees. He was a member of many dental societies 
 and contributed many articles to the "Dental Cosmos." 
 He died October, 1891. 
 
 1820 = 58. Dr. Cyrenius O. Cone was born in East 
 Haddam, Sept. 22nd, 1820. He was a student with Dr. 
 Solyman Brown of New York in 1841, and later prac- 
 ticed his profession in Massachusetts, notably in the 
 towns of Edgartown, Falmouth and Chatham, in the 
 years 1842-43-44. In the fall of 1844 he attended lec- 
 tures at the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery and 
 graduated in 1845. He then located in Georgetown, 
 Ky., where he practiced with marked success until the 
 fall of 1846, when he returned to Baltimore to accept 
 the position of professor of mechanical dentistry in the 
 college he graduated from the year previous. Dr. Cone 
 was elected a member of the Maryland Historical Society 
 in 1849, and he received the degree of M. D. from the 
 Baltimore Medical College in 1857. Dr. Cone was the 
 
114 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 pioneer professor of mechanical dentistry in the Balti- 
 more Dental College. He was a clear, forceful writer 
 and an interesting- lecturer. These duties in addition 
 to the demands of a large office practice early overtaxed 
 his strength ; his health failing he died of consumption 
 
 April i st, 1858, aged 38 years. 
 
 » 
 1851. Dr. Chas. E. Francis, born in Hartford, Conn. 
 
 He went to New York in 1845, studied medicine for a 
 time with Dr. Covert, and was a student of dentistry 
 with Dr. Edward Barlow for four years. He commenced 
 practice in New York in 1851 ; attended a partial course 
 of lectures in the University Medical College, N. Y., 
 and afterwards graduated from the Penn. Dental Col- 
 lege ; later was given the degree of M. D. S. by the 
 Board of Regents of the N. Y. University. Dr. Francis 
 was one of the founders of the New York Odontological 
 Society and one of the founders of the New York Col- 
 lege of Dentistry ; was President of the Odontological, 
 1 st District, and New York State Societies, and was 
 elected honorary member of the Conn. State Dental 
 Association in 1864 and of many other Societies in the 
 country. He was clinical lecturer for years in the Phil- 
 adelphia Dental College, and at the present time is one 
 of the professors in the dental department of the Uni- 
 versity of Buffalo, N. Y. 
 
 Was it a mistake when Dr. S. G. Perry of New 
 York intimated that the reason George Washington 
 "could not tell a lie " was on account of the faulty ar- 
 ticulation of his artificial teeth ? It certainly would be 
 a mistake to finish this history without giving the 
 
RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS I I 5 
 
 " Father of His Country " a place in this record, for the 
 following letter tells us that his preferred dentist, Mr. 
 John Greenwood, had a residence for awhile somewhere 
 in Connecticut previous to 1795 :* 
 
 Mount Vernon, Jan. 6, 1795. 
 
 Sir. — Your letter of the 28th, ult., with the parcel that 
 accompanied it, came safe to hand. I feel obliged to 5^011 
 for your attention to my request and for the directions you 
 have given me. Enclosed you will find bank notes for fifteen 
 dollars which I shall be glad to hear have got safe to your 
 hands. If you should return to Connecticut I should be glad 
 to be advised of it and to what place, as I shall always prefer 
 your services to those of any other in the line of your present 
 profession. 
 
 I am sir, your very humble servant, 
 
 G. Washington. 
 
 The many anxious dentists who have wrestled with 
 the question as to the status of dentistry for many years 
 past, are referred to this letter in which President 
 Washington, "first in war, first in peace, first in the 
 hearts of his countryman," seems also to have been first 
 in the recognition of dentistry as a profession. 
 
 In closing this record, Connecticut can proudly re- 
 mind the dental profession of to-day, that : — 
 
 The first president of the first established dental col- 
 lege in the world, the first professor of the principles of 
 dental science and the first president of the American 
 Society of Dental Surgeons, was a Connecticut man — 
 Dr. Horace H. Hayden. 
 
 * History of Dental and Oral Science in America, page n. 
 
Il6 RECORD OF CONNECTICUT DENTISTS 
 
 That " Hill's Stopping," a preparation of inestimable 
 value for filling frail and sensitive teeth, was introduced 
 by Dr. Asa Hill of Norwalk, Conn. 
 
 The use of the mallet by Dr. Ebenezer Merritt (said 
 by Dr. Atkinson to be the first to use it in dentistry) 
 who was among the first to make porcelain teeth suc- 
 cessfully. 
 
 The application of the central cavity to dental plates, 
 thereby demonstrating the great value of atmospheric 
 pressure in dentistry, by Mr. Levi Gilbert of New 
 Haven. 
 
 The surgical treatment of " Pyorrhoea Alveolaris," as 
 demonstrated by Dr. J. M. Riggs of Hartford before 
 the Connecticut Valley Dental Society. 
 
 This State justly claims the honor of giving 
 to the world the great blessing of anaesthesia, 
 discovered and demonstrated dec. ii, 1 844, by 
 Dr. Horace Wells of Hartford. 
 
 First in educational influence and above all first in the 
 practical personal blessings and comfort bestowed on 
 mankind Connecticut leads all nations in her contribu- 
 tions to dental progress. 
 

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