According to Jiangyin, China-A biology Traces of anesthetic have been found on a pair of iron scissors and tweezers recovered from the 600-year-old tomb of Xia Quan in eastern China, according to reports. Kangkang Zhao of Northwest University in China and colleagues used X-ray fluorescence analysis to identify the metal in the devices, and then used a microscope to remove three particles from their surfaces for additional study with micro-Raman spectroscopy. This technique focuses a laser beam on the sample residue, scattering photons. The patterns of scattered photons can be used to identify molecules in the residue. The researchers determined that both samples contained aconitine, an alkaloid toxin found in plants in North America, Europe, and Asia. The substance in the samples was probably made from wolfsbane, which was prepared by Ming Dynasty medical practitioners with acidic substances such as mung beans, vinegar, or the urine of young boys to detoxify aconite. “Ming physicians used iron surgical instruments and controlled the toxicity of aconitine through topical application, compound prescription, and strict procedural controls, demonstrating the practical ability to balance the potency of the drug,” Zhao explained. They concluded that this is the first time that direct chemical evidence of anesthetics has been found on surgical instruments. Read the original scholarly article about this research ancient times. To read about the fall of the Ming Dynasty, visit “china’s river of gold“
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