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BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
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LicenseAutomatic lancet, cased, Europe, 1801-1851
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London
Automatic lancet, cased, Europe, 1801-1851
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London
Automatic lancet, cased, Europe, 1801-1851
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London
Group shot of A643317, Tin-glazed earthenware albarello
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London
Spring fleam, cased or automatic lancet
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Spring fleam, cased. Black perspex back background.
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Spring fleam, cased or automatic lancet
Lancets were used in bloodletting, a practice once carried out to treat a wide range of diseases and medical conditions. This type of lancet works by the blade being swiftly released to cut into a vein by means of an automatic spring mechanism. Much depended on the skill and experience of the operator in determining the depth of the cut.
The main body of the lancet is made of brass, but the double-sided blade is made of a stronger, finer metal. It is likely that this lancet would have been used on a number of patients without any effective form of sterilisation.
Details
- Category:
- Therapeutics
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A116036
- Materials:
- body, brass, body, steel, blade, steel, case, leather and case, brass
- Measurements:
-
overall: 25 mm x 70 mm x 35 mm, .05kg
- type:
- automatic lancet
- credit:
- Moos, S.
