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 great secret is out, and I am the discoverer.
I have done a great thing for humanity.
The world will acknowledge my claim.
I have given to the world the greatest boon it has ever received.
My discovery will save thousands of lives and prevent untold suffering.
I am persecuted for my discovery.
The ingratitude of men is astonishing.
My life has been a struggle for justice.
I shall never give up the fight for my rights.
The truth will prevail in the end.
I have sacrificed everything for this discovery.
My name will live forever in the annals of medicine.
I am a martyr to science.
The world owes me a debt it can never repay.
I have endured poverty and calumny for the sake of humanity.
My only desire is to see justice done.
I have been basely defrauded.
The history of anesthesia is a history of injustice.
I am the true discoverer, and no one can deny it.
My heart is heavy with disappointment.
Contemporaries of William Thomas Green Morton
Other Medicines born within 50 years of William Thomas Green Morton (1819–1868).