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New Life for Ether Monument

One hundred sixty years after Massachusetts General Hospital hosted the world's first demonstration of ether, Boston is unveiling a restored memorial to the medical milestone. At 40-feet-high and made of marble and granite, the "Ether Monument" is the oldest statue in The Public Garden.

It was erected to mark the moment a doctor first used inhaled anesthesia in performing an operation. On the occasion of the monument's renovation, WBUR's Health and Science reporter Allan Coukell explores the history of ether.

This program aired on September 28, 2006. The audio for this program is not available.

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