Overview
- Researchers examined scissors and tweezers from the tomb of Ming physician Xia Quan and found three minute reddish particles on the metal surfaces that matched the chemical signature of aconitine, a toxic alkaloid from Aconitum plants.
- The team used portable stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy to map and identify residues in situ at the Jiangyin Museum so the artifacts remained in museum custody while being analyzed.
- The residues were concentrated on the blades and tips in places consistent with topical application during procedures, which the authors say reduces the likelihood the material is from later contamination.
- The chemical results align with Ming medical texts that record recipes and detoxification steps for Aconitum, including boiling and soaking, which historical writers said made the plant safer for topical use.
- The evidence offers a direct material link between texts and practice but rests on only three particles from a single tomb, so wider claims about routine clinical use will need corroboration from more sites and samples.