Ether Dome
Encyclopedia
The Ether Dome is an amphitheater in the Bulfinch Building at Massachusetts General Hospital
in Boston. It served as the hospital's operating room from its opening in 1821 until 1867. It was the site of the first use of inhaled ether
as a surgical anesthetic on 16 October 1846. William Thomas Green Morton, a local dentist, used ether to anesthetize Edward Gilbert Abbott
. John Collins Warren
, the first dean of Harvard Medical School
, then painlessly removed a tumor from Abbott's neck. After Warren had finished, and Abbott regained consciousness, Warren asked the patient how he felt. Reportedly, Abbott said, "Feels as if my neck's been scratched". Warren then turned to his medical audience and uttered "Gentlemen, this is no Humbug". This was presumably a reference to the unsuccessful demonstration of nitrous oxide
anesthesia by Horace Wells
in the same theater the previous year, which was ended by cries of "Humbug!" after the patient groaned with pain.
The Ether Dome is now used for medical conferences and presentations, and is open to the public when not in use. It contains a remarkable contemporary painting of that historic event by Warren and Lucia Prosperi, as well as mummies and other odd artifacts and relics. It is listed as a National Historic Landmark
.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
in Boston. It served as the hospital's operating room from its opening in 1821 until 1867. It was the site of the first use of inhaled ether
Diethyl ether
Diethyl ether, also known as ethyl ether, simply ether, or ethoxyethane, is an organic compound in the ether class with the formula . It is a colorless, highly volatile flammable liquid with a characteristic odor...
as a surgical anesthetic on 16 October 1846. William Thomas Green Morton, a local dentist, used ether to anesthetize Edward Gilbert Abbott
Edward Gilbert Abbott
Edward Gilbert Abbott was the patient upon whom William TG Morton first publicly demonstrated the use of ether as a surgical anesthetic. The operation was done in an amphitheater at the Massachusetts General Hospital now known as the Ether Dome on 16 October 1846. After Morton administered the...
. John Collins Warren
John Collins Warren
John Collins Warren , of Boston, was one of the most renowned American surgeons of the 19th century. In 1846 he gave permission to William T.G. Morton to provide ether anesthesia while Warren performed a minor surgical procedure...
, the first dean of Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
, then painlessly removed a tumor from Abbott's neck. After Warren had finished, and Abbott regained consciousness, Warren asked the patient how he felt. Reportedly, Abbott said, "Feels as if my neck's been scratched". Warren then turned to his medical audience and uttered "Gentlemen, this is no Humbug". This was presumably a reference to the unsuccessful demonstration of nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or sweet air, is a chemical compound with the formula . It is an oxide of nitrogen. At room temperature, it is a colorless non-flammable gas, with a slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic...
anesthesia by Horace Wells
Horace Wells
Horace Wells was an American dentist who pioneered the use of anaesthesia in dentistry, specifically nitrous oxide .-Life:...
in the same theater the previous year, which was ended by cries of "Humbug!" after the patient groaned with pain.
The Ether Dome is now used for medical conferences and presentations, and is open to the public when not in use. It contains a remarkable contemporary painting of that historic event by Warren and Lucia Prosperi, as well as mummies and other odd artifacts and relics. It is listed as a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.