Jackson, Charles Thomas (1805-1880)

US chemist who established (in Boston) the first laboratory in analytical chemistry to accept students in 1836. He did major geological surveys of New England. In 1832 he had suggested to Samuel Morse the idea of an electric telegraph and in 1844 he had suggested to William Morton the use of ether as an anaesthetic; when both men were hailed as the discoverers of the true functional applications of these concepts, Jackson devoted himself to his claims to priority.

He was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts. After graduating from Harvard Medical School, he continued his studies in Paris. By 1873 he had become insane and he spent his final years in a mental institution.