Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/51

MORTON. 39 MORTUARY CUSTOMS. therapeutics at the New York Post-Graduate Aledioal Stlioul. Dr. ilortoa's mime has been intimately connected with the recent advances in electro-tlierapculics, and he lias contributed not a little to the advanooment of this science. In 1880 he devised a meclianism consisting of a Holt/, machine and Lejdcn jars bj' means of which a new variety of electric current was established (condensed currents in rapid dis- charge) and named by him the 'static induced current.' By the aid of this Jlorton current, {is it is called in the scientific world, the X-ray can be produced, and Dr. Morton probalily made the fifst X-ray picture in this country. He has made many contributions to medical literature, and is a member of numerous scientific bodies. He is a member of the State and county so- cieties; of the Xew York .Academy of Jledicine; was president of the New York X'eurological So- ciety in 1874; of the New York Electro-thera- peutic Society in 1894: of the American Electro- therapeutic Association in 1893; and is a member of several foreign societies. MORTON", WiLUAM Thomas Green (1819- G8 ) . An Ajnerican dentist, exploiter of the general anaesthetic properties of sulphuric ether. He was born at Charlton, Mass. In 1840 he took up the study of dentistry at the Baltimore Col- lege of Dental Surgery, then recently eslablislied by the new Society of American Dental Surgeons. On his return to Boston in 1842 to practice Morton's attenti<m was drawn toward medicine, and in 1844 he began study with Dr. Jackson of Boston, and continued in the Harvard Medical School. He did not complete his course, but was afterwards awarded the degree of M.D. honoi-is causa, by the present College of Pliysicians and Surgeons, Baltimore. The art of dentistry was at that time in a transition stage, and Morton's inventive genius discovered many improvements, especially in attaching false teeth. He first de- vised a new solder by which teeth could be at- tached to gold plates, and further contrived to ol>viate dependence upon old fangs in inserting new teeth. The removal of these stumps or roots was attended with great pain, and alcoholic stim- ulation, laudanum, and the galvanic current were tried to diminisli it, without avail. In the course of his investigations ilorton became acquainted with the value of sulphuric ether as a local anaesthetic and used it in minor operations. After a long series of exiieriments on animals, he finally succeeded in )iroving the efficacy of vapor- ized ether, and making known his results to Dr. John C. ^Varren, he administered ether at the latter's refjucst in the Massachusette General Hosjiital, the*operation being that of removing a tumor from the jaw. The first public demon- stration was made October 16. 1S40. At the sug- gestion of Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes the new form of narcosis was christened 'anaesthesia.' Dr. Alorton obtained a patent for the use of ether, under the name of 'lethcou.' in 1840. a month after the operation in the hos])ital, and a month after this, in England. Dr. C. T. .Tackson also claimed the honor of having made the discovery, and the Montyon prize of the French Academy was equally awarded to Dr. Morton and to Dr. Jack- son, hut Dr. Morton declined to accept it. which resulted in his receiving in 18.52 the large gold medal, the Montyon prize in medicine and sur- gery. He claimed compensation from Congress for his invention, the Government having used it, and also from individuals, and he was involved in many suits. He received, however, no com- pensation, and his life was spent in contests, literary and legal, in regard to his invention. Memorials weie presented to Congress signed by many physicians, but for one reason or another they failed to secure what was asked. MORTON'S FORK. A famous dilemma said to have been proposed by the Chancellor of Henrj' ^'II. of England, .John Morton (q.v.). In 1491 Henry resorted to the unconstitutional method of obtaining money by a benevolence (q.v.), and Jlorton in carrying out the scheme is supposed to have told those who lived well that their opulence was proved by their large expenditure; while those who spent little were told that they must have saved considerable by their economy. Either class could well afford to assist the sov- ereign. MORTUARY CUSTOMS. Observances con- nected with death and burial. The care of the dj'ing and of the dead is a marked feature of re- ligion among all peoples, from the lowest to the highest, and is associated most closely with spirit belief and custom. It is possible to treat the subject ethnically, enumerating and classifying peoples by their mortuary customs, or culturally, studying the genesis and development of each class of actions and beliefs involved. The latter method is here adopted. ^Mortuary customs, for the convenience of study, may be considered un- der the following heads, which by their character- istics as well as by their presence or absence are worthy of note. ( 1 ) Customs concerning the dying. (2) Treatment of the corpse, including the posture of the body, bathing, cutting, decapitat- ing, embalming, or cremating the corpse, or scraping the bones. (3) Clothing or wrappings of the corpse. (4) Incasement of the corpse in the crate, basket, jar, box, or other receptacle which may answer to the coffin. In this, protection and con- venience of carrying are the ends desired. (5) Watching the corpse, including the -wake and funeral feast. (6) Bearing the corpse to the place intended for it, the funeral, with all its apparatus, pro- cessions, and rites. (7) Disposal of the corpse. (8) Post-mortem ceremonies, passing under the general term mourning. (9) Cult of and for the dead, beliefs about the dead, the ghost, necromancy. (10) Memorials for the dead, mementos pre- served or worn, and monuments of every kind. (11) Ascriptions to the dead, epitaphs, mor- tuary sayings, and literature. CrsTOMS Concerning the Dying. In the belief of the lower races, death from natural causes is a thing unknown; it is always the act of some god or personage, designed and chiefly malevolent. Every disease and every death among the Poly- nesians is held to be caused by the gods for some crime against taboo or as the result of some of- fering Iw an enemy. Hence the neglect and cruel treatment of the sick. Even death caused by poison is thought to be due to the displeasure of the gods. Care for the dying can scarcely be said to ex- ist among savages, although the most strenuou."!