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19TH CENTURY
CASED SET OF THUMB LANCETS, OR FLEAMS, Dated 1837 and ID'd to "J. D. Ward"
Small (about 2-1/2"
tall) flip-top container made of paper mache' with a cool built up hard painted
surface. The interior is divided to hold four folding lancets (knives)
with tortise shell handles that when unfolded are about
2-1/2"
long. While many of the larger
fleams that we see were sometimes used for veterinary work, the "thumb lancet"
as seen here was definitely intended for the purpose of medical bloodletting on
humans! This was done when your doctor
determined that your illness resulted from an imbalance of the fluids in your
body, and the remedy was to reduce the amount of your blood!
Lancets like these were also used
by some doctors for vaccinations.
The blades here are marked "W&H /
Hutchinson / Sheffield"
who was a Surgical Instrument Maker to the Royal Navy
based in Sheffield, England, and also sold surgical
instruments to the Union and Confederate Armies during the US Civil War.
A silver plaque on the top is engraved with the
owners name: "J.D. Ward" and dated
"1837".
This is a cool medical artifact in pretty much mint
condition!
SOLD!!!
(35-32)
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