Why a fabled Chinese surgeon’s tomb may help rewrite history of anaesthetic use

New evidence suggests Chinese surgeons were using plant-based anesthetics in the 14th century AD, potentially challenging the widely accepted history of anesthesia. While ancient Chinese texts had previously recorded such practices, the discovery of physical evidence now confirms their use. This finding emerges in contrast to the 1846 demonstration of inhaled ether anesthesia by American dentist William T.G. Morton at Massachusetts General Hospital, an event long considered the start of modern surgical anesthesia. The unearthed evidence, linked to a fabled Chinese surgeon's tomb, indicates a much earlier development of anesthetic techniques in China.