Dr. Horace Wells

Dr. Horace Wells was an American dentist who pioneered the use of anesthesia in dentistry, specifically the use of nitrous oxide (or laughing gas).

Wells first voiced his concern for minimizing his patient's pain during dental procedures in 1841. He was known for caring about his patient's comfort. During his time as a dentist, Wells advocated for regular check ups for dental hygiene, and also began the practice of pediatric dentistry in order to start dental care early.

Twelve days before his death, the Parisian Medical Society voted and honored him as the first to discover and perform surgical operations without pain. In addition, he was elected an honorary member and awarded an honorary MD degree. The American Dental Association honored Wells posthumously in 1864 as the discoverer of modern anesthesia, and the American Medical Association recognized his achievement in 1870. A monument to Horace Wells was raised in the Place des États-Unis, Paris. Hartford, Connecticut, has a statue of Horace Wells in Bushnell Park. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

The end of Wells' life was marred by the effects of self-experimentation using nitrous oxide, ether, and chloroform, which were not yet understood to be addictive and have psychological effects. Wells left his practice, wife, and son in Hartford, Connecticut and moved to New York City, where he descended deeper into addiction. After throwing sulfuric acid on the clothing of two women on Broadway -- an event of which he had no recollection due to the influence of chloroform -- he learned of what he had done and made the decision to die by suicide in his prison cell at New York's infamous "Tombs" prison complex.

Modern doctors have looked at the records of Wells' life and determined that, in addition to having inadvertently developed an addiction disorder, he also likely dealt with major depressive disorder, hypomania, and seasonal affective disorder for most of his life. Public embarrassment over a failed public anaesthesia demonstration -- which is now understood to have failed based on larger patients needing more anaesthetic, a fact no one yet knew -- contributed to his severe anxiety and depression. Following his death, his widow and son spent nearly two decades on their successful effort to have his significant, humane contributions to medicine recognized.

Note: Some sources say Wells was buried in Old North Cemetery, in Clay-Arsenal, Hartford, Connecticut. Cedar Hill Cemetery says he is a "resident" of their cemetery, in Section 4, Lot 94.

Sources

• "Horace Wells." Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation. < link > Accessed 13 December 2021.
• "Horace Wells." Wikipedia, revision of 11 November 2021. < link > Accessed 13 December 2021.
• Thorpe, Burton Lee. History of Dental Surgery, Vol. III: Biographies of Pioneer American Dentists and Their Successors, p. 353. Fort Wayne, Ind.: National Art Publishing Company.
• Woodward, Walt. "A Stage Show Entertainment Leads to the Discovery of Anesthesia." Today in Connecticut History, published 10 December 2021. < link > Accessed 13 December 2021.