Earliest use of anaesthetics uncovered in Chinese doctor’s tomb
Scissors and tweezers from the tomb of Xia Quan, with residues containing the anaesthetic aconitine Courtesy Xue Ling, et al Two medical instruments recovered from the 15th-century tomb of a Chinese surgeon carry traces of an anaesthetic compound, the earliest chemical evidence ever found of doctors attempting to reduce the pain of a medical procedure. The surgical scissors and tweezers were unearthed in 1974 from the tomb of a famous doctor named Xia Quan who lived from 1348 to 1411, in Jiangsu province. Congcang Zhao at Northwest University in Xi’an, China, and his colleagues used lasers to study the composition of residues on the instruments, revealing traces of aconitine. This compound is produced by plants of the Aconitum genus, commonly known as wolfsbane and monkshood. They are frequently listed as ingredients in ancient Chinese medicinal prescriptions. Aconitine interacts with sodium channels in the cell membranes of neurons. At the right dose, it has an anaesthetic effect, but it is highly toxic and is rarely used today due to the risks of poisoning. The residues are …
