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)
I pray for strength to continue this arduous battle.
The public will eventually recognize my claims.
My health is failing under the strain.
I long for peace and recognition.
The world is ungrateful to its benefactors.
I have done my duty to humanity.
My legacy will be secured, despite the machinations of my enemies.
The truth, though crushed to earth, shall rise again.
I leave my vindication to posterity.
My greatest joy is the relief of suffering.
I have endured much, but my conscience is clear.
The honor of the discovery belongs to me alone.
I am a man of science, not a politician.
My work speaks for itself.
I have no regrets, save for the pain caused to my family.
The world will remember me as the man who conquered pain.
I have given my all for the advancement of medicine.
My name is inextricably linked with the discovery of anesthesia.
I have faced adversity with courage and conviction.
The future generations will judge my contribution fairly.
Contemporaries of William Thomas Green Morton
Other Medicines born within 50 years of William Thomas Green Morton (1819–1868).