Ancient Chinese anesthetic reveals Ming dynasty's sophisticated medicine

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."

Ancient anesthetic reveals Ming China's sophisticated medicine

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. 

An easier approach to recreate the powerful nerve-blocking molecule saxitoxin found in shellfish

Good news!

"Chemists have long been fascinated and frustrated by saxitoxin: a molecule that causes temporary paralysis by blocking the electrical signals that nerve cells (neurons) use to activate muscle, and which accumulates in shellfish like clams, oysters and scallops. ...

Now [early Dec 2025], scientists ... report a streamlined approach to synthesize saxitoxin and related molecules (known as analogs) in the lab. They combined a synthetic chemical route with an engineered enzyme to make the molecule in less than 10 steps, compared to 11–21 in earlier approaches.

Reducing the total step count is a major advance in synthesis because each step typically lowers yield while increasing cost and time; a shorter route can deliver much more material with far fewer resources. ...

Published in Nature, the research team’s tactic relies on two methods.

The first is radical cross-coupling: a technique that uses highly reactive molecular fragments, called radicals, to form bonds that are difficult or even impossible to create with traditional reactions.

The second method is biocatalysis, where enzymes—proteins that speed up reactions—carry out chemical steps that would otherwise be difficult. ..."

From the abstract:

"Saxitoxin (STX, 1), a potent neurotoxin from shellfish, first isolated in 1957, offers immense pharmaceutical potential owing to its interaction with voltage-gated sodium channels, which are ubiquitously present in all excitable cells of the central and peripheral nervous system.

Hundreds of studies towards its synthesis have been disclosed so far, yet a fully modular and scalable approach to the family remains elusive.

Here we show how a tactical combination of radical retrosynthesis, biocatalysis and C–H functionalization logic can be used to solve this problem, resulting in a scalable approach to the STX family in fewer than ten steps, including the first total synthesis of neosaxitoxin (neoSTX), a hydroxylated naturally occurring STX analogue previously under clinical investigation.

The modular nature of the synthesis enables access to diverse analogues that were previously inaccessible and have now been evaluated through electrophysiological assays for biological activity."

An easier approach to recreate the powerful nerve-blocking molecule found in shellfish | Scripps Research "A Scripps Research-led study resolves the challenge of synthesizing saxitoxin, paving the way for new possibilities in pain management."

Scalable total synthesis of saxitoxin and related natural products (no public access)

Scalable, Convergent Total Synthesis of (+)-Saxitoxin and Related Natural Products (working paper, open access)

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