New research published in Nature reveals evidence that surgeons in imperial China employed anaesthetics during medical procedures, administering them with careful attention to dosage. The study was published online on May 29, 2026.
The findings are based on trace evidence discovered on medical instruments. Researchers identified traces on tweezers and surgical scissors, which suggest that liquid medication was applied directly to the skin of patients. This method of application indicates that imperial Chinese surgeons had developed specific techniques for delivering anaesthetic substances.
The discovery provides insight into the medical practices of ancient China. The careful dosing referenced in the findings demonstrates that practitioners understood the importance of measured application when using these substances on patients undergoing surgical procedures.
These traces on surgical instruments represent physical evidence of medical practices that had previously been understood primarily through historical texts. The material analysis of the tweezers and scissors offers scientific confirmation of anaesthetic use in imperial China.
The research article is available at doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01669-4.
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