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September 1996
Volume 60 |
Number 9
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| Monument to a
Momentous Event |
Lydia A. Conlay, M.D.
John F. Ryan, M.D.
And God shall wipe all tears from their eyes; neither shall
there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away.
--Revelations 21:4
In this, the 150th anniversary year of William T.G. Morton's public
demonstration of ether as an anesthetic, it is fitting to discuss
the impact of this extraordinary event upon those whom it affected
most. Such triumphs may be measured not only in the remarkable
advances in surgery and impact on society as a whole, but also
by the tributes, offerings and monuments to such a discovery by
societies of the time. In 1866, 20 years after the demonstration,
Thomas Lee, Esq., of Boston proposed to erect a monument at his
own expense "in the form of a fountain, as an expression
of gratitude for the relief of human suffering occasioned by the
discovery of the anaesthetic properties of sulphuric ether."1
This splendid 40-foot obelisk remains the oldest statue in Boston's
historic Public Garden and is the only monument to a drug, to
our knowledge, in the world. [View a picture
of the monument. (442K)] Moreover, it serves as a graceful
symbol of our craft to the more than 1 million visitors passing
through the Boston Public Garden each year.
Many have puzzled at the statue that crowns the monument's peak,
which portrays the parable of the Good Samaritan tending wounds
of a suffering man. Or perhaps what catches their eye is the beauty
of the Venetian arches, the niches and columns in pink marble
or the inscriptions on the four granite reliefs, depicting the
Angel of Mercy, the interior of a field hospital, performance
of a surgical procedure and an allegory of the triumph of science.
The fountains that once sprang forth from the four lions have
long been dry, as has the pool from which the monument rises.
The fountains and pool were meant to symbolize the healing and
comforting powers of calm waters.
This magnificent monument was designed by Boston architects van
Brunt and Ware, who also designed Harvard's Memorial Hall and
other noted buildings of the time. Mr. van Brunt's efforts were
possibly aided by sketches from a flamboyant local artist, Mr.
John LaFarge. Models of the Good Samaritan and the statue's four
bas-reliefs were provided by the New York sculptor John Quincy
Adams Ward and were executed in granite by Garrett Barry, a stone
mason of Quincy, Massachusetts.
Although the group worked feverishly to complete the Monument
to Ether as Mr. Lee fell ill, they were not successful, for the
monument's benefactor passed away prior to the dedication of his
beloved work. The friends of Thomas Lee selected Henry J. Bigelow,
M.D., a surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, to present
the monument to the city of Boston in 1868. In his address, Dr.
Bigelow noted: "The philanthropist had indeed yearned to
relieve suffering humanity; the poet had prophetically announced
a world freed from physical pain; and the philosopher had made
fruitless efforts to unveil the hidden secret. ... But when these
experiments had been made, the entire civilized world simultaneously
rose up to hail it with acclamatory welcome."1
Alas, the 20th century has taken its toll on the Monument to Ether.
Years of air pollution and acid rain have eroded its granite finish;
its marble base is cracked and, if working, water would be supplied
by 19th-century vintage pipes inside the statue. The last restoration
effort was made more than a quarter century ago by a group of
private individuals, under the leadership of Boston anesthesiologist
Leroy D. Vandam, M.D.
Today, on the 130th anniversary of the Ether Monument and the
150th anniversary of Morton's historic contribution to our specialty,
the Massachusetts Society of Anesthesiologists has undertaken
the task of restoring this monument and is committed to maintaining
its beauty in perpetuity. Any member interested in participating
may contact the Massachusetts Society of Anesthesiologists.
Reference:
1. Proceedings at the Dedication of the Ether
Monument. City of Boston. 1868; 101:6-10.
Lydia A. Conlay, M.D., is Associate Professor
of Anesthesia, Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital,
Boston, Massachusetts. She is Chair of the Massachusetts Society
of Anesthesiologists Committee on Public Affairs.
John F. Ryan, M.D., is Associate Professor
of Anesthesia, Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital,
Boston, Massachusetts. He is a member of the Massachusetts Society
of Anesthesiologists Subcommittee on Monument Restoration.
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