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William Russ PughPrint Page 
The statue commemorates Dr William Russ Pugh, the first doctor to use ether in surgery in Australia.
William Russ Pugh (1806–97) was a medical practitioner credited with administering the first surgical anaesthetic in the southern hemisphere. Pugh received instruction in Edinburgh and Dublin, and in 1835 set up practice in Launceston. An enthusiastic experimenter, he produced coal gas to light his house, and the ether for his anaesthetics.
On 7 June 1847 he performed two operations at St John`s Hospital, removing a tumour from a woman`s jaw and cataracts from a man, under ether anaesthesia. That day he wrote an account of the procedures for the Australian Medical Journal.
Location
| Address: | St John & Elizabeth Streets, Princes Park, Launceston, 7250 |
|---|---|
| State: | TAS |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -41.440738 Long: 147.141034 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Medicine |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 07-June-1847 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 07-June-1847 |
| Designer: | Peter Corlett |
| Link: | http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/adbonl… |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Saturday 7th June, 1997 |
|---|
7 June 1847
First use of Ether for surgery in Australia
William Russ Pugh administered ether to "Mrs L" for the removal of a tumour from the jaw at St. John`s Hospital, now Morton House 180 Charles Street Launceston
Sculptor : Peter Corlett
7 June 1997
