New evidence supports ancient texts on herbal anaesthetics used in 14th-century Chinese surgery
Quick Look
New evidence from an ancient tomb in China supports ancient texts describing herbal anaesthetics used by 14th-century surgeons, potentially rewriting the history of modern surgery.
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Why It Matters
The use of inhaled ether anaesthesia in 1846 is considered a turning point in modern surgery. Ancient Chinese texts previously recorded the use of herbal anaesthetics by surgeons, but physical evidence was lacking until now.
Recent discovery provides evidence to support ancient texts about a herbal anaesthetic that was said to have been used during surgery
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Published: 9:00am, 1 Jun 2026
On October 16, 1846, the American dentist William T.G. Morton successfully demonstrated the use of inhaled ether anaesthesia at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, an event widely considered a turning point in modern surgery.
But this record may have to be rewritten after new evidence emerged that in the 14th century AD, Chinese surgeons were making their own anaesthetics from plants.
Their use had previously been recorded in ancient Chinese texts, but now the first physical evidence confirming this has been found.
The paper was published on Tuesday in the peer-reviewed journal Antiquity.
Evidence for the study came from an ancient tomb in Jiangyin in China’s eastern Jiangsu province, belonging to the famous traditional Chinese medicine surgeon Xia Quan.
Open Questions
- What specific plants were used in the 14th-century Chinese anaesthetics?
- What was the efficacy and safety profile of these herbal anaesthetics?
- How widespread was the use of these anaesthetics in ancient China?
- What specific surgical procedures were these anaesthetics used for?
