Research. . .the Endless Possibilities

Established in 1811 by some of America's founding fathers and most respected physicians, The Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is the first and the largest teaching hospital affiliated with the Harvard Medical School.

From the moment we opened our doors in 1821, MGH dramatically raised patient care standards in America. In 1846, dentist William T.G. Morton demonstrated the first use of ether during surgery at MGH (performed by Dr. Warren), ushering in the age of anesthesia and ending forever the agony endured by patients undergoing operations. Two decades later, Dr. Warren's grandson brought Joseph Lister's newly discovered techniques of asepsis to MGH, finally bringing under control the deadly infection that had stalked every surgical patient.

An MGH physician made the first X-Ray in the United States in 1896, just 30 days after the technique was developed in Europe. MGH created the first medical social service department in a hospital in 1905, to help patients with non-medical issues arising from illness or injury. In 1925, MGH opened the first tumor clinic in a hospital launching a battle against cancer that is today carried on by hundreds of MGH researchers and specialists in one of the largest cancer research facilities in the world.

Together with the Harvard Medical School, MGH established Boston as a respected center for the education of young doctors and the pursuit of clinical research. In its early days, MGH was one of the few hospitals in the world to conduct research. Today that commitment has grown into the largest hospital-based research program in the United States. The scale may be larger, but the mission remains: to understand disease, to teach the art and science of medicine, and to improve the care of patients.

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