1847, another letter appeared in Galignani's
Messenger, from Dr. H. Wells, of Hartford, Connecticut, in
which he claimed to be the discoverer of the fact that the
respiring of gas would produce insensibility to pain. Dr.
Wells had been about the country for a few years previous,
_lecturing upon gases_, and had often administered the
exhilarating, or nitrous oxide, gas. There is _no evidence_
that he ever administered ether. He might, in his
experiments, have found that persons under the influence of
the nitrous gas were insensible to pain, but he had no right
to claim that he discovered that the vapor of ether would
produce that effect. The French Academy, however, conferred
rewards of merit upon both Jackson and Wells, and, in 1848,
the American Congress awarded to Morton the honor of the
discovery.

"In 1847, several sharp articles appeared in the Boston
papers, some favorable to Morton, and others to Jackson.
Wells committed suicide that year, and nothing more was said
respecting his claims. Some spicy pamphlets were written.
The result has been that, under the shelter of the smoke of
controversy, every one that chose has made use of the
discovery without paying Morton for the right, and that he
has been actually impoverished by the attention he gave to
the subject."

This statement is a tissue of falsehood and absurdity. To deny to Dr.
Wells the _entire_ credit of this discovery, argues simply gross
ignorance or insolence. Whenever any matter deserving of historical
commemoration is submitted to controversy, and the evidence is not full
and absolute, and the decision is not unanimous or nearly so, the
historian must _himself_ enter into the investigation, and in his own
person pronounce judgment. Therefore Dr. Davis has no excuse for so
scandalous a misrepresentation of these events, in any communications or
suggestions by unknown parties. It was easy to be rightly informed, and
under such circumstances, ignorance is scarcely less criminal than
designed falsehood. In this case, the decision has plainly been in favor
of Dr. Wells, wherever there was authority of action. By means which we
do not care to state, but which are well known to us, Drs. Jackson and
Morton did indeed procure of the Academy of Sciences in Paris, a
recognition of their joint claims to be regarded as the discoverers of
etheriza