'Odyssey' tour highlights area's history of innovation.(Boston History Collaborative)(Brief Article)

In the northwest corner of the Public Garden, near the intersection of Arlington and Beacon streets, stands a monument to the invention of ether. Funny thing about this statue, though--no names are listed on it. And that's because of the history of the use of ether.

Traditionally, Dr. William Morton is thought to have been the first to use ether as an anesthetic. Morton was called upon to demonstrate the use of ether during a surgery performed by another doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital. But who first used ether is disputed. Four doctors were experimenting with it at the time, and the dispute centers around who actually used it first and who published a paper …