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Indian Journal of Anesthesia and Analgesia 13(2):p 73-75, April-June 2026. | DOI: https://doi.org/10.21088/ijaa.2349.8471.13226.3
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William Thomas Green Morton and the 180th Anniversary of Ether Anesthesia: A Historical and Scientific Appraisal
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Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
Indian Journal of Anesthesia and Analgesia 13(2):p 73-75, April-June 2026. | DOI: https://doi.org/10.21088/ijaa.2349.8471.13226.3
How Cite This Article:
Ankita Singh. William Thomas Green Morton and the 180th Anniversary of Ether Anesthesia: A Historical and Scientific Appraisal. Ind J Anesth Analg. 2026; 13(2): 73-75.Timeline
Received : December 19, 2025
Accepted : February 03, 2026
Published : June 30, 2026
Abstract
The year 2026 marks 180 years since William Thomas Green Morton’s public demonstration of ether anaesthesia on 16 October 1846 at Massachusetts General Hospital. This event is widely regarded as the formal inauguration of modern anesthesia. Morton’s translation of experimental observations into a reproducible clinical technique enabled the development of pain-free surgery and laid the foundation for modern anaesthesia practice. This article reviews the life of WTG Morton before and after his first successful public demonstration, which is largely unknown.
References
- 1. Giulia Petrini, Armando Fucci. Remembering William Thomas Green Morton: The Birth of Anesthesia Between Cultural Amnesia, Myth, and History. J Anest & Inten Care Med. 2019; 9(5): 555773
- 2. Poore, Benjamin Perley. Historical materials for the biography of W.T.G. Morton, M.D.: discoverer of etherization, with an account of anaesthesia. Washington: G.S. Gideon, printer, 1856.
- 3. Adams A.K. Tarnished Idol: William Thomas Green Morton and the Introduction of Surgical Anesthesia. J R Soc Med. 2002 May; 95(5): 266–7
- 4. Chaturvedi R., Gogna R.L. Retd. Ether Day: an intriguing history. Med J Armed Forces India. 2011 Oct; 67(4): 306-8.
Data Sharing Statement
There are no additional data available. All raw data and code are available upon request.
Funding
This research received no funding.
Author Contributions
All authors contributed significantly to the work and approve its publication.
Ethics Declaration
This article does not involve any human or animal subjects, and therefore does not require ethics approval.
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our gratitude to the patients, their families, and all those who have contributed to this study.
Conflicts of Interest
No conflicts of interest in this work.
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Cite this article
Ankita Singh. William Thomas Green Morton and the 180th Anniversary of Ether Anesthesia: A Historical and Scientific Appraisal. Ind J Anesth Analg. 2026; 13(2): 73-75.
Licence:
Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
| Received | Accepted | Published |
|---|---|---|
| December 19, 2025 | February 03, 2026 | June 30, 2026 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21088/ijaa.2349.8471.13226.3
Keywords
WTG MortonEther AnesthesiaSearch for Similar Articles
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Timeline
| Received | December 19, 2025 |
| Accepted | February 03, 2026 |
| Published | June 30, 2026 |
licence
Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
