The Ether Dome

The Ether Dome, located at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, is a historic operating theater famous for being the site of the first public demonstration of surgical anesthesia in 1846. This breakthrough allowed patients to undergo surgery without pain, revolutionizing medicine. The dome-shaped amphitheater design provided a space where surgeons and their teams could observe procedures closely. Today, it serves as a museum honoring the pioneers of anesthesia and surgical innovation, highlighting a pivotal moment that transformed surgery from a painful ordeal to a manageable medical procedure.