Ether Monument — Attraction in Boston

I enjoyed learning about this monument's history and that it is still an ongoing project of preservation. I did not know about the history of diethyl ether and anesthesia but I am already appreciative of them with all of the surgeries I have had. There is a debate about who actually discovered ether that can be inhaled. The actual first use of this form of ether occured at the Massachusetts General Hospital, which is about a fifteen minute walk away. It is located at the intersection of Arlington and Marlborough Streets. The monument is estimated to be 40' in height. It was completed in 1868. The architect of the monument was William Robert Ware and the sculptor Quincy Adams Ward. It has four sides with inscriptions. One has short commentation, two have quotes from Scripture of both the Old Testament, Isaiah 28:29 and the New Testament,Revelation 21:4, and the final quote of gratitude. There is a fountain at the base and it was on when I visited with my daughter. The "Good Samaritan" at the top 🔝 is a man dressed in medieval Spanish Moorish clothing with a turbin on his head 🗣️. He is holding a semi naked man with his left ⬅️ hand 👏 on his knee while holding a cloth in his right hand. You can donate to the Friends of the Public Gardens who upkeep the monument. In 2006, restoration was completed. If you are interested in history and architecture, stop 🛑 on by and...

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...

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...