y, and on March 30, 1842, Long told Venable his idea to use ether during surgery as a way to dull the excruciating pain of surgery. As an added incentive, Long agreed to perform the operation for only two dollars instead of the usual rate of forty dollars for a tumor removal. That evening, Venable allowed Long to cut one of the tumors from his neck.10 Instead of screams and shouts during the operation, for the first time in history there was silence. After the operation was completed, James Venable awoke disappointed for he thought the operation had yet to begin. Only when Dr. Long held up his tumor did Venable believe that the surgery was complete. To be certain of the effects of ether during surgery, Long performed several other operations with ether, and each was a success.11
             Long hardly did anything to announce his discovery. Long's first use of ether was of importance to no one except to the four or five patients to whom Long administered. Four long years passed, and all the while ether remained unknown and unavailable to the world whose
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