19th Century Maw & Sons Fleam
Product Description
Bloodletting was the removal of blood for medical treatment and involved cutting a vein typically at the elbow or knee. It was believed it would rid the body of impure fluids to cure various conditions. Starting more than 3000 years ago with the Egyptians and continued through the late 20th century, it was a common practice in the civil war. Tools of bloodletting were a bleeding bowl, fleam or lancet, scarifacators, cupping cups, and leeches. Fleams were multi-bladed medical instruments named after the Greek words, “Phlebos,” for blood vessel and, “tome,” meaning to cut. Also known as a Phlebetome.
For your consideration we have a Maw and Sons 19th century fleam with a cow horn handle. Maw and Sons were founded in 1814 when George Maw, a former farmer from Lincolnshire, purchased a surgical plaster factory located in Whitecross Street in London. Soon after the acquisition, the company began to expand and diversify the product range and moved into the manufacture of surgical instruments as well as later offering a wide range of other medical and pharmaceutical products.
