Toxic plant on Ming dynasty-era surgical tools may be world’s oldest chemical evidence of topical anesthetic
A recent analysis of surgical tools from the Ming dynasty has uncovered the earliest known chemical evidence of a topical anesthetic. The residue found on the tools indicates the use of a toxic plant, Chinese wolfsbane, which was likely detoxified before use. This discovery sheds light on the advanced medical practices of ancient Chinese surgeons.
- ▪The surgical tools were discovered in a tomb in Jiangyin, China, dating back to the Ming dynasty (1368 to 1644).
- ▪Researchers used micro-Raman spectroscopy to analyze the residue, revealing the presence of the alkaloid toxin aconitine, found in Chinese wolfsbane.
- ▪The findings suggest that ancient practitioners knew how to detoxify the toxic plant using substances like urine and vinegar.
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Archaeology Ancient China Toxic plant on Ming dynasty-era surgical tools may be world’s oldest chemical evidence of topical anesthetic An analysis of residue on centuries-old surgical tools reveals the use of a toxic anesthetic in Ming dynasty-era Chinese medicine. By Kristina Killgrove published 25 May 2026 in News When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. The sampled surgical instruments and a close-up of the residue found on each.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Live Science.
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