Ether Dome: Where Anesthesia Was First Demonstrated, Now a Landmark
The Ether Dome at Massachusetts General Hospital, where anesthesia was first successfully demonstrated on October 16, 1846, is now a National Historic Landmark. The demonstration by dentist William T.G. Morton, using ether, revolutionized surgery by eliminating pain. However, the discoverers—Morton, chemist Charles Jackson, and dentist Horace Wells—fought bitterly over credit, leading to personal ruin. Wells died by suicide at 33, Morton died bankrupt at 48, and Jackson died in an asylum. Today, over 200 million surgeries under anesthesia are performed annually worldwide.
Key facts
- Ether Dome at Massachusetts General Hospital is a National Historic Landmark.
- First successful anesthesia demonstration on October 16, 1846.
- William T.G. Morton used ether to anesthetize a patient during a tumor removal.
- Surgeon John Collins Warren declared 'this is no humbug' after the surgery.
- Horace Wells had previously failed with nitrous oxide in 1844.
- Morton patented ether as 'letheon' and petitioned Congress for a reward.
- Wells died by suicide at 33; Morton died bankrupt at 48; Jackson died in an asylum.
- Over 200 million surgeries under anesthesia are performed globally each year.
Entities
Artists
- John Collins Warren
- William T.G. Morton
- Horace Wells
- Charles Jackson
- Crawford Long
Institutions
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Smithsonian magazine
- McLean Asylum for the Insane
- Codman and Shurtleff
- Center for the History of Medicine, Francis A. Countway Library, Harvard University
Locations
- Boston
- Massachusetts
- United States
- Connecticut
- Athens
- Georgia
- Washington, D.C.
- London
- Paris
- Edinburgh