Amazing stuff!
"Microscopic analysis of residues on surgical scissors and tweezers from a 1348–1411 CE tomb in Jiangyin, China, finds the first evidence for the controlled application of a highly toxic chemical as anesthetic, highlighting the sophisticated medicine of the Ming dynasty. ...
However, conventional techniques are difficult to apply to ancient Chinese medical residues, which are rarely preserved and often fail to meet minimum sample requirements for identification. ...
To tackle this, archaeologists used a novel, non-destructive microscopic technique to analyze residues on a pair of surgical scissors and tweezers from the tomb of early Ming dynasty physician Xia Quan. ...
The researchers found evidence for residue of aconitine: an alkaloid derived from the plant Aconitum. Also known as wolfsbane or monkshood, Aconitum is extremely toxic.
This toxicity was recognized and several methods to mitigate it had been developed by the time of the Ming dynasty, from vinegar-boiling to detoxifying with mung beans. The resulting powder acted as an anesthetic, enabling pain-free surgery. ..."
From the abstract:
"The analysis of archaeological trace residues is offering expanding insights into various aspects of human (pre)history, including developments in medical knowledge.
Here, the authors present results from the analysis of two medical instruments (scissors and tweezers) found in a Ming Dynasty (c. 1368–1644 CE) tomb in Jiangyin, China. While the form and composition of the instruments themselves indicate developed understandings of tool production and use, novel application of stimulated Raman scattering microscopy reveals probable traces of aconitine, likely providing direct evidence for the use of this highly toxic substance, possibly administered as a topical anaesthetic, in ancient Chinese surgery."
Surgical anaesthesia in Ming China: scientific analysis of aconitine residues on medical instruments (open access)
Fig. 1 The sampled instruments and the residues analysed on each one.
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