Crawford Long, a rural Georgia physician, removed a tumor from a patient's neck under ether anesthesia on March 30, 1842, four years before William Morton's celebrated public demonstration, but did not publish his results until 1849. That delay is central to the priority dispute over the discovery of surgical anesthesia: Long's claim is the earliest by date, but Morton's public, promptly reported demonstration is what actually changed surgical practice.
Facts
Connections
Held Differently
Anesthesia, Treatments Used ether surgically in 1842, four years before Morton, but did not publish until 1849.
Source The Greatest Benefit to Mankind: A Medical History of HumanityRoy Porter
Additional Source WikipediaWikipedia contributorsHistory of general anesthesia, Crawford Long section
Anesthesia, Discoveries Used ether surgically in 1842, four years before Morton's public demonstration, but did not publish his results at the time.
Source A History of MedicineLois N. Magner
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikidata: Crawford Long
- Wikidata Q248037, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
- Wikidata P569 (w-bbfill-medicine3-0926)
View the Source2. The Greatest Benefit to Mankind: A Medical History of Humanity
Roy Porter, W. W. Norton and Company, 1997
Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationDiscoveries: Anesthesia, History of general anesthesia, Crawford Long sectionQuote, Discoveries: Anesthesia, History of general anesthesia, Crawford Long section
On 30 March 1842, he administered diethyl ether by inhalation to a man named James Venable, in order to remove a tumor from the man's neck.
A History of Medicine
Lois N. Magner, CRC PressDiscoveries: Anesthesia
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Crawford Long use ether anesthesia before William Morton?
Yes by date: Long operated under ether on March 30, 1842, four years before Morton.
By date, yes. Crawford Long, a rural Georgia physician, removed a tumor from a patient's neck under ether anesthesia on March 30, 1842, four years before William Morton's celebrated public demonstration. But Long did not publish his results until 1849. That delay is central to the priority dispute over the discovery of surgical anesthesia.
Why is Morton usually credited with anesthesia if Long came first?
Morton's demonstration was public and promptly reported, and it changed surgical practice.
Long's claim is the earliest by date, but Morton's public, promptly reported demonstration is what actually changed surgical practice. Long's delay in publishing until 1849 is why the question of priority remains disputed.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.