Ether Monument

Wake up and smell the ether. This monument is a delight and has many aspects to appreciate, including compelling depictions of persons in pain and their euphoria upon receiving the sweet ether. A nice compliment to the tranquility of the garden.

MGH was NOT first! They were just the first to publish. Crawford Long in Georgia was the first to use ether as an anesthetic during surgery.

Tucked away in the Boston Gardens is a monument to the discovery of anesthesia. Simple but grand, if you have some time walking through the park it is worth the short visit.

One of my favorite places to relax when visiting this area. Always calm and the monument itself stands for something truly incredible: the invention of modern anesthesia and to ease pain/suffering.

One of the interesting monuments you can see at the Boston Public Garden is the Ether Monument also referred to as the Good Samaritan statue, This monument commemorates the discovered use of ether as an anaesthesia here in Boston in 1846.

This 40 foot tall monument is the oldest at the park being created by by John Quincy Adams Ward in 1868. Made of granite and marble, it is topped by a figure of a Moorish-Spanish doctor, holding a sick or dying person who appears to be in great pain. The base of the monument includes four panelled inscriptions, describing the use of esther as a pain relief, topped by relief scenes.

The Ether Monument is quite attractive and an interesting link to local medical history in Boston. We quite enjoyed seeing this monument amongst others at the Boston Public Garden and nearby Boston Common.

Note: You can find it located at the northwest corner of the garden, near Arlington and Beacon streets.

I love to sit there and relax. One of my favorites in the garden.

Monument with a water features. Good for photos.