Mass General Hospital: Empathy in the Ether Dome
The Power of Empathy
by Ann C. Labossiere
"Gentleman, this is no humbug," Dr. Warren, a well-respected surgeon had historically told the curious eyes of the audience in MGH's Ether Dome. This meant business.
I do not know the life story of many. In fact, even those closest to us have a world untouched by the soul: the internal thoughts and feelings. However, as humans, we have the gift to empathize sometimes, an innate part of our system. Upon visiting Mass General Hospital with my peers for our History of Science Class, I was reminded of the importance of history. After taking the Red Line to Charles/MGH stop, we walked to the entrance of the Main Administrative Room of Mass General. It was automatically opening and social, imitating an airport as we went past the front desk. Living in Boston for about 9 years, I have never truly researched the historic nature of Boston. This field trip left the question of what lens is appropriate to approach a highly regarded event-a National Historic Landmark.
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| Stairs at MGH. 7/05/17. Photo by Labossiere. |
We arrived about 15 minutes earlier than planned after a few sets of stairs. Though there was an elevator, it was interesting to see the evident differences between the Main room and the indoor café. The hall got more narrow and with each level closer to the Ether Dome level, our eyes scanned pictures of older classes hanging on the walls near the staircases.
Before entering the Ether Dome, we entered through a neighboring door that led to a room on background on the dome itself. As my eyes scanned the captions under certain readings posted to the wall, I admittedly judged the practices of physicians of the centuries before me. I had judged how a patient’s jaws were vulnerable to the reality of being knocked in an attempt to make them unconscious. Other alternatives were the use of alcohol or opium. However, the use of alcohol would have subsequent effects during surgeries that worsened the attempt to making the patient unconscious.
All I thought was how unfortunate of the patients and irrational of the experts. What I failed to realize for a few seconds was that the tactics and practice of those before us were out of the desire to meet an objective. The issue raised at hand was: how do we prevent the patient from feeling pain? This concept of pain made performing surgery at hand difficult. While we would not necessarily give patients alcohol to create a state of unconsciousness, it is unfair to solely judge the past. Our understanding of many things today can be attributed to our modern developments.
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| Photo taken by Labossiere. 7/05/17. |
This field trip reminded me of the beauty of empathy. Such a historic site allowed us to question moments like these in history where we commemorate an achievement like anesthesia. Below is a small caption explaining the context of Ether Day. On the MGH website, under MGH Events, it describes Ether Day: "On Oct. 16, 1846, Boston dentist William T.G. Morton revolutionized the practice of medicine when he held the first successful public demonstration of ether as a surgical anesthetic. Morton successfully anesthetized patient Gilbert Abbott before a tumor was removed from Abbott's jaw by MGH co-founder and surgeon John Collins Warren, MD. Mass General remembers this medical milestone with its annual Ether Day celebration."
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Within the steep stairs of the Ether Dome, we ourselves practiced sitting down on the seats. It became clear that the audience would be able to see the surgical acts on the center floor.
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| Ether Day Painting. Robert C Hinckley. Photo was taken by Labossiere. 7/05/17. |
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| Photo was taken by Labossiere. 7/05/17. |
Next, we had performed a class activity where we would attempt to reenact the famous Ether Day. One of my classmates had volunteered to be a patient. She sat on a chair that was already in the room. Four other classmates acted as either a surgeon, a tool holder, the ether inhaler holder, or an assisting expert.
Our patient felt a bit overwhelmed. All in all, it felt strange, awkward, and overwhelming that so many things were happening to the patient. All the while, the awe-filled eye of the audience and seeing figures in the audience leaning to take a peek.
Our patient felt a bit overwhelmed. All in all, it felt strange, awkward, and overwhelming that so many things were happening to the patient. All the while, the awe-filled eye of the audience and seeing figures in the audience leaning to take a peek.
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| Photo was taken by Labossiere. 7/05/17. |
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In looking at the tools, I was reminded that history is enables us to look back and examine, but that we must also look beyond the celebration. I was intrigued by how similar the inhaler invented by William Thomas Greene Morton, the anesthetist, was structured. This is not to say to neglect any form of celebrating an achievement. Think of Ether Day when someone you know probably had their wisdom teeth removed; they were given anesthesia to alleviate the pain.
Abbott: The One Who Helped Ether Day Become Possible
Edward Gilbert Abbott was born in Massachusetts by Samuel and Harriet Ann in September of 1825. According to the Wood Library Museum site regarding the "Occasional Notes/ Edward Gilbert Abbott: Enigmatic Figure of the Ether Demonstration" (reprinted from "The New England Journal of Medicine"), Abbott had a tumor under the left side of his jaw since birth. The operation we later know as Ether Day would publicly celebrate a day where a man is being asked to take a leap of faith.
What if it's not a success? What if it hurts? What can I expect? The eyes staring from the seats of visiting physicians as well as the assurance of Surgeon John Collins Warren. This had to take guts and it brings up the importance and beauty of looking into the past with a critical lens as well as one that obtains an empathetic point of view.
We sometimes frown upon practices that seemed ineffective because we would not necessarily do them in today's day and age. However, it's important to do research and start putting ourselves in the shoes of those in the past. It's effective to learn about the roots that enable us to understand why we do certain methods in the medical world. I think it's an even stronger journey to understand when we put ourselves in the shoes of others.
We sometimes frown upon practices that seemed ineffective because we would not necessarily do them in today's day and age. However, it's important to do research and start putting ourselves in the shoes of those in the past. It's effective to learn about the roots that enable us to understand why we do certain methods in the medical world. I think it's an even stronger journey to understand when we put ourselves in the shoes of others.
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