TCM Unearthed: Ming Dynasty Surgical Instrument Set

This unusual set of Ming Dynasty instruments might challenge the common misconception that TCM only uses herbs and never involves surgery. The five pieces, crafted in the shape of traditional weapons, include a knife, a hook, a spear-like instrument, and a small axe. Though their appearance is simple and unadorned, each piece served a clear surgical purpose: the knife for incisions, the hook for retracting tissue, and the spear-like tool for puncturing. These instruments with their brass handles and openwork decorations are valuable evidence of the development of surgery in Ming Dynasty TCM, demonstrating that practitioners of the time possessed a notable level of surgical skill. They are now housed in the Shaanxi Medical History Museum.