Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/380

 AVELLS

WELLS

made an unsuccessful demonstration before Dr. Warren's medical class at Harvard college, owing to the insufficiency of gas administered to the patient. In 1846 Dr. W. T. G. Morton (q.v.), his former jwirtner. proved that sulphuric ether could be used in the same manner as gas, and obtained a patent for his discovery. Dr. C. T. Jackson (q.v.) also made a similar claim for chloroform dissolved in alcoliol, and Dr. Crawford W. Long of Georgia (q.v.) had used sulphuric ether in surgical practice so early as 1842. Thus the lionor of having made the original discovery of anaesthesia had four distinguished claimants. Dr. Wells and Dr. Morton applied to the Institute of France, tlie former in person, receiving the lionor of an M.D. degree. Wliile in Europe he supiK)rted himself by the selling of pictures, and by lecturing on birds, having been always in- terested in ornithology. The humiliation of his failure to obtain recognition of his discovery and the excessive use of ether to which he became addicted upon his return to New York city, re- sulted in mental aberration and the taking of his own life. He invented and patented most of his own instruments, also a new solder for fasten- ing false teeth to the plate. He is the author of the pamphlet : *4 History of the Application of Xitroxis-Oxide Gas. Ether and other Vapors to Surgical Operations (1847). A bronze bust of Dr. Wells by Truman H. Bartlett was placed by the dentists of America in Bushnell park, Hart- ford, Vt., and in 18.5-3 his cause was defended in the U.S. senate by Truman Smith, and published as : "• An Examination of the Question of Anees- thesia " (1839). See also Smith's ''An Inquiiy into the Origin of Modern Aneesthesia" (1867). The fiftieth anniversary of the discoveiy of anaesthesia by Dr. Wells was celebrated by the American Dentalassociation in Philadelphia. Pa., Dec. 11, 1894. See : " The Discovery of Ana-sthe- sia by Dr. Horace Wells" (1900)'. Dr. W^ells died in New York city. Jan. 24. 1848.

WELLS, James Madison, governor of Louis- iana, was born in Lecompte, La., near Donald- tonville, in 1808. He was educated in Washing- ton, D.C., and in Kentucky, and on his return to Lecompte, became a sugar and cotton planter. He served as sheriff of Lecompte, 1840; became lieutenant-governor of Louisiana through the special election ordered by President Lincoln in 1*«>4; sufcee<led Mi<-Iiael Hahn to the govemor- Miip in January, I^Or, ; was elect. -^l to the office o4i the Democratic ticket in October, 1865. and was removed from office by General Sheridan in 1867. He was surveyor of the port of New Orleans, La. ; chairman of the state returning board of 1876 that decided the Presidential contest in favor of Hayes ; and although found guilty the following year of connection with " the returning board

steal," the finding was dismissed • on a legal technicality " by the state supreme court. He died in Lecompte, La., Feb. 28, 1899.

WELLS, John, political writer, was born in Cherry Valley. Otsego county. X.Y., in 1770 ; son of Robert and (Dunlop) Wells ; and grand- son of Jolm Wells, who emigrated from Ireland in 1743 and settled in Cherry Valley, and of the Rev. Samuel Dunlop. His parents were killed by the Indians in the Cherry Valley massacre, and John went to New York city with his aunt, Mrs. Eleanor Wilson. He was graduated from the College of New Jersey, A.B., 1788, A.M., 1791 ; was admitted to the bar in 1791, and was appointed an associate justice of the peace in 1797. His replies in the Evening Post to James Cheetham's attacks on the Federalists in the American Citizen, were credited to Hamilton, and when he brought out the papers known as Tlie Federalist, Hamilton revised them before publication. He was counsel for ^Ir. Cheethara in the case of William S. Smith (son-in-law of President Adams) vs. Cheetham. and his defence, although unsuccessful, won him reputation. He was a trustee of the General Theological seminary and of Columbia college, 1815-23. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Union college in 1819. He was a vestryman of Grace Church, N.Y., and a bust was placed in that church by the bar in New York, and later re- moved to St. Paul's Chapel. He died in Brook- lyn, N.Y.. Sept. 7. 1823.

WELLS, John Sullivan, senator, was born in Durham. N.II.. Oct. 18, 1803 : son of Edward and Margery (Hardy) Wells, and brother of .Samuel Wells (q.v.). He learned the trade of a cabinet maker in early life ; attended the academy at Pembroke, N.H.; studied law, teaching in the academy as a means of support, and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1828. He practised in Guildhall, Vt., 1828-35, in Bangor, Maine, 1835 ; in Lancaster, N.H., 1836-46. and thereafter in Exeter, N.H. While in Lancaster he served two terms as solicitor of Coos county, and as a repre- sentative in the New Hampshire legislature. 1839- 41, serving as speaker, 1841. He was married in 1832, to Rebecca E., daughter of Josiah Bellows, 2d, of Lancaster. He was attorney-general of New Hampshire, 1847 ; a member and president of the state senate, 1851-52 ; a Democratic candi- date for U.S. senator in 1854 ; appointed U.S. senator to complete the unexpired term of Moses Norris, deceased, serving Jan. 22-March 3, 18.55. and defeated in the senatorial election of 1860 and as candidate for the governorship of New Hampshire in 1856 and 1857. He was a delegate to two Democratic national conventions. He received the degree of A.M. from Dartmouth in 18.57. He died in Exeter, N.H., Aug. 1, 1860.