Name/Title
FleamEntry/Object ID
2019.020.0001Description
Blood Letting kit. This is a small leather covered kit that doctors used to bleed patients. It is 2.75 x 1.5 x 1 inch. It contains a brass device with a cutting edge and a lever on the other end. On the bottom are the letters "GB" and the inscription G&B embossed into the top of the case.
The fleam was used to draw blood from a patient in an effort to “rebalance the fluids” in a patient’s body. While not commonly used during the Civil War, it reminds that the conflict took place in a time of significant medical innovations.
The fleam is perhaps easiest-to-find bloodletting antique. These devices have one or more blades at right angles to the handle. The most common form is a brass case containing 2 or 3 steel blades, often stamped with a makers name (figure 8). The blades were usually of various sizes to offer a selection to the phlebotomist. Many of these fleams were likely used on animals but the ones with small blades no doubt were used at times on humans as well.
THE SPRING LANCET
A much more elegant bloodletting method was used for humans. While fleams were sometimes used it was more common to use a spring loaded device in the 18th and 19th centuries. This is when the spring lancet was developed (though its origins go back earlier than this). The case is brass and the blade is steel. The blade was cocked by the hook at end and released with the button on the side. Note the small size of the blade (for human use).Collection
Benicia Historical Museum Collection
