These 600-Year-Old Chinese Surgical Instruments Are Coated in an Early Local Anesthetic—Carefully Extracted From a Poisonous Plant
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Recent research has revealed that 600-year-old Chinese surgical instruments were coated with an early local anesthetic derived from a poisonous plant. This discovery marks the earliest chemical evidence of anesthetic use on ancient surgical tools, found in a Ming dynasty physician's tomb. The findings highlight the advanced medical practices of the time, including methods to reduce the toxicity of the anesthetic for safe surgical use.
- ▪The surgical instruments were discovered in a tomb belonging to Xia Quan, a physician from the Ming dynasty.
- ▪Researchers identified traces of aconitine, a toxic compound used historically for medicinal purposes, on the tools.
- ▪The study suggests that ancient Chinese doctors had developed methods to safely use toxic herbs as anesthetics.
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New Research These 600-Year-Old Chinese Surgical Instruments Are Coated in an Early Local Anesthetic—Carefully Extracted From a Poisonous Plant Researchers say the numbing agent splashed onto iron scissors and tweezers during a procedure. They were found in a Ming dynasty doctor’s tomb Sonja Anderson | Daily Correspondent May 29, 2026 4:15 p.m. ShareCopy linkEmailSMSFacebookXRedditLinkedInBlueskyPrintAdd as preferred source The instruments and close-ups of their residues Antiquity In the early 15th century C.E., a doctor in China was entombed with surgical instruments.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Smithsonian Magazine.
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