Milestone · 16 October 1846

Public demonstration of ether anaesthesia in Boston

On 16 October 1846, Morton and Warren took part in a public demonstration of ether anaesthesia at Massachusetts General Hospital. The episode became a major surgical milestone. Review of the original records nevertheless shows incomplete anaesthesia: the traditional account of an unqualified success requires nuance.

Painting by Robert Hinckley (1882–1893) depicting the ether anaesthesia demonstration of 16 October 1846; not a photograph of the event.
Credit and rights
Robert Cutler Hinckley / Countway Library, Harvard / Wikimedia Commons · Domaine public · œuvre publiée avant 1931 aux États-Unis ; auteur mort en 1941. · Redimensionnement proportionnel et conversion WebP, cadre complet conservé. Aucune retouche générative.
Original source · Licence

Documentary sources

A Narrative History of Mass General
Mass General Brigham · Historical date : 1846-10-16
Ether Day Revisited: The Surgical Records of Edward Gilbert Abbott
Annals of Surgery Open · PubMed Central · Historical date : 1846-10-16

Historical note. The anniversary date is distinct from later discoveries and publications.

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