Celebrating Ether Day

Ether Day is an MGH tradition that has its roots in the historic date of Oct. 16, 1846, when William T.G. Morton, a Boston dentist, launched the modern era of pain-free medicine by demonstrating the use of anesthetic ether during surgery. Today, the MGH takes this October milestone as an opportunity to honor MGHers for their commitment and loyalty to the hospital. Employees who have worked at the MGH for five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 years were honored with pins, colored ribbons, speeches and special performances by the Ether Day dancers at the Oct. 12 event. This year, 2,762 employees were saluted for their years of exceptional service.