10/21/2025 03:00:00 AMOn October 16, 1846, a Boston surgeon placed an ether-soaked cloth over a patient’s face—and modern surgery began. Each year, World Anesthesia Day, also known as Ether Day, commemorates that moment. At Downstate, the anniversary holds special significance: our predecessor, Long Island College Hospital (LICH), played a pivotal role in establishing anesthesiology as a distinct medical discipline in the United States.Office of the President/var/staging/oucampus/suny-downstate/downstate/about/office-of-the-president/presidents-bulletin/2025/10-21/06-ether-day.xml