Gardner Quincy Colton

Who was Gardner Quincy Colton?

Gardner Quincy Colton was an American showman, lecturer, and former medical student who pioneered the use of nitrous oxide in dentistry.

After making $535 from his first public demonstration of nitrous oxide, Colton left medical school to travel the country giving lectures and presentations. On December 10, 1844, he gave a performance in Hartford, Connecticut, at which one of his audience volunteers injured his leg, but did not feel the pain because of the effects of the gas. Connecticut dentist Horace Wells was in attendance, realized the possibilities of using nitrous oxide in dental surgery, and obtained a supply of the gas from Colton.

In 1849, Gardner Colton went to California, where his brother Walter Colton was alcalde of Monterey, to join the California Gold Rush. He was unsuccessful in finding gold, and Colton returned to the East. In partnership with two dentists, Colton set up the Colton Dental Association, which promoted the use of nitrous oxide in dental procedures and became a thriving business. Between 1864 and 1897, Colton and his associates used nitrous oxide in tens of thousands of tooth extractions.