William Thomas Green Morton
Pioneered the use of ether as a surgical anesthetic, making painless surgery possible.
Most quoted
"I have invented a fluid which, applied to the mouth, will cause a patient to fall into a profound sleep, from which he will awaken without pain."
— from Morton's own account, 1846
"To suffer no more pain, to dread no more the surgeon's knife, to be spared the agony of the operating table – this is a blessing beyond measure."
— from Public statement, 1846
"I have discovered a compound by inhaling which, a person is rendered insensible to pain, and can be operated upon without suffering."
— from Letter to Dr. Charles T. Jackson, 1846
All quotes by William Thomas Green Morton (394)
The greatest discovery of the age, and they argue about who gets the credit.
I have given the world a gift, and they have given me a headache.
They will remember my name long after they forget theirs.
I have put an end to suffering, and they have put an end to my peace.
My invention is so simple, it's a wonder no one thought of it before.
They called me a quack, but my quackery saved lives.
The only thing more painful than surgery is the debate about who invented anesthesia.
I have made the impossible possible, and they still doubt me.
They say necessity is the mother of invention. I say, pain is the father.
I have given mankind a new lease on life, and they have given me a lawsuit.
My legacy will outlive their petty squabbles.
To ease pain is to ease the burden of humanity.
They can take my credit, but they can't take away the pain I've prevented.
I have made the operating room a place of peace, not torture.
The greatest discovery is often met with the greatest resistance.
I have given the world a silent blessing, and they have given me a noisy controversy.
My reward is not in gold, but in the absence of suffering.
They say I'm a madman, but only a madman would try to conquer pain.
I have opened the door to a new era of medicine, and they are still fumbling with the lock.
The only thing more difficult than inventing anesthesia is convincing people it works.
Contemporaries of William Thomas Green Morton
Other Medicines born within 50 years of William Thomas Green Morton (1819–1868).