Doctor  Warren  promised  that  he  would  do  so.  .  .  .  The
operation  was  therefore  deferred  until  Friday,  October  16,
when  the  ether  was  administered  by  Doctor  Morton,  and
the  operation  performed  by  Doctor  Warren."

It  was  eminently  fitting  that  Dr.  John  C.  War-
ren should  be  the  one  to  introduce  painless  sur-
gery to  the  medical  profession.  Next  to  Mor-
ton he  deserves  the  highest  credit  for  the
revolution  which  it  effected :  a  glorious  revolu-
tion, fully  equal  to  that  of  1688.  His  quick
recognition  of  Morton's  character,  and  the  con-
fidence he  placed  in  him  as  the  man  of  the  hour,
deserve    the    highest    commendation.      Doctor


318  CAMBRIDGE    SKETCHES

Warren  had  invited  Doctor  Jackson  to  attend
this  critical  experiment  with  sulphuric  ether  at
the  Massachusetts  Hospital;  but  he  declined
with  the  trite  excuse  that  he  was  obliged  to  go
out  of  town.  This  has  been  generally  inter-
preted by  the  medical  profession  as  a  lack  of
courage  on  Jackson's  part  to  face  the  music,
but  it  may  also  have  been  owing  to  his  jealousy
of  Morton.
