Ether Day: The Strange Tale of America's Greatest Medical Discovery and the Haunted Men Who Made It

The story of America's first major scientific discovery -- the use of anesthesia Traces the dawn of modern surgery through the lives of 3 extraordinary men. Ironically, ether & nitrous oxide had been known for more than 40 years to cause insensitivity to pain, yet, with names like laughing gas,Ó they were used almost solely for entertainment. The breakthrough finally came about as a Boston dentist crossed paths with a colleague from Hartford & a Harvard-trained physician: William Morton, Horace Wells, & Charles Jackson. Though Wells was crushed by derision when he tried to introduce anesthetics, Morton prevailed, with help from Jackson. The result was Ether Day, Oct. 16, 1846, celebrated around the world. Illustrations.Fenster, Julie M. is the author of 'Ether Day: The Strange Tale of America's Greatest Medical Discovery and the Haunted Men Who Made It', published 2006 under ISBN 9781422357569 and ISBN 1422357562.