William T. G. Morton

Lore & Background

William T. G. Morton was born in Charlton, Massachusetts, the son of a miner. Nathan Cooley Keep. In 1843, he married Elizabeth Whitman, whose parents objected to his profession and agreed only after he promised to study medicine. Jackson, who introduced him to the anesthetic properties of ether. Morton left Harvard without graduating. Morton tried to hide the substance by calling it 'Letheon,' but it was soon found to be ether. A patent was issued for 'letheon,' but the medical community condemned it. Morton's pursuit of credit and profit was complicated by competing claims from Horace Wells and Charles T. Jackson.

Reader's Guide

The Ether Dome at MGH was preserved as a monument. Morton's attempts to patent ether and seek financial reward were criticized, and his rivalry with Wells and Jackson complicated his claims. Despite this, many consider him the 'inventor and revealer' of anesthesia. The Ether Monument in Boston Public Garden commemorates the first use of ether but avoids naming the discoverer. His work enabled the development of modern surgery and anesthesiology.

Did You Know?

• He tried to hide the identity of the anesthetic by calling it 'Letheon' before it was discovered to be ether.
• His son William J. Morton became a noted doctor and authority in electrotherapeutics.