tion. The Academy of Sciences is not a fit tribunal. The Paris
Medical Society (of which the celebrated Chevalier Ricord is President)
is; and this society, after an elaborate investigation of the whole
subject, during which it listened to a speech of several hours by Mr.
Warren, the agent of Drs. Jackson and Morton, decided with the utmost
unanimity that Dr. Wells made the discovery, and awarded him therefor
the sum of 25,000 francs.

The statement that Dr. Wells "went about the country lecturing upon
gases," is characteristically false. He never delivered even one
lecture, upon any subject whatever, in his life. It is equally false
that "the American Congress awarded to Morton the credit of the
discovery." Congress has never made any decision or award at all in the
premises. A committee was hastily appointed, and it presented a report,
probably prepared in Boston. The friends of Dr. Wells were not advised
of any such attempt, and it was thought this report, with agreeing
resolutions, could be smuggled through the House. But a counter report
was immediately offered, nevertheless, and so the game stopped.

We cannot, in these pages, enter into any detail of the history of this
important discovery; but those who wish to investigate it, are referred
to a pamphlet lately issued at Hartford, entitled, "_Discovery by the
late Dr. Horace Wells of the Applicability of Nitrous Oxide Gas,
Sulphuric Ether, and other Vapors, in Surgical Operations, nearly two
years before the Patented Discovery of Drs. Charles T. Jackson and W. T.
G. Morton_." This pamphlet was prepared by Mr. Toucey, recently Attorney
General of the United States, and nothing can be more conclusive and
satisfactory, to a fair inquirer, than the evidence contained in it,
that Drs. Jackson and Morton had never even the slightest thought of any
thing like etherization, until Dr. Wells, some time after the discovery,
proceeded to Boston, in the hope that Dr. Morton (who was under especial
private obligations to him, and therefore was regarded by him as a
friend) would assist him in procuring for it larger publicity and
recognition. Poor Wells was only laughed at by these gentlemen, who, two
years afterward, claimed the discovery as their own!

How complete the discovery, and how successful the application of it,
will appear from the affidavit of Dr. Marcy. Mr. Toucey says:

"Dr. E. E. Marcy, formerly of Hartford, now of the city of
New-York, was present