| Description |
This brass spring lancet is a common example of veterinary bloodletting instruments used in the 18th and 19th century. In an era when many ailments were believed to result from an imbalance of blood, or plethora, physicians turned to bloodletting as a cure all. Physicians believed that draining a precise amount of blood could restore health and alleviate a wide range of conditions. Veterinarians applied humoral theory to animals the same as it was applied to humans. These animals could included horses, cows, sheep, pigs, dogs, and cats.
Veterinary lancets are often confused with those designed for humans. Due to the toughness of animal skin, veterinarians needed to apply considerably more pressure to make an incision. Therefore, veterinary spring lancets are considerably larger than those made for humans. This lancet is encased in brass with a mechanical action allowing veterinarians to perform bloodletting with greater ease than other instruments which required direct manual pressure.
Due to the inscribed name “PETER FISCHER” in the case of this lancet, it is likely that this spring lancet was produced by the Fischer family of craftsmen from Vienna, Austria. However, it is unclear which of the Fischer craftsmen in particular made it. From 1818-1860, two craftsmen, Peter Fishcer and a mysterious M Fischer, were known to both sign their work with this inscription.
Despite the spring lancet’s advantages, it had a significant drawback. Due to its complex spring mechanism, the instrument was difficult to clean. Preceding the discovery of germ theory, veterinarians and physicians alike simply rinsed medical instruments in a basin of water when transferring between patients, a practice which often failed to remove harmful bacteria. As a result, the spring lancet had a much higher risk of transmitting infection than other bloodletting instruments. This made the spring lancet’s use, despite its elevated decorum, a high risk practice in an era predating modern practices of Western medicine.
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| Bibliography |
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Davis, Audrey and Toby Appel. Bloodletting Instruments in the National Museum of History and Technology. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1979.
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Kuriyama, Shigehisa. “Interpreting the History of Bloodletting.” Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences 50, no. 1 (1995): 11–46. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24623553.
Matthias, M. "What Was the Science Behind Medical Bloodletting?." Encyclopedia Britannica, March 22, 2021. https://www.britannica.com/story/what-was-the-science-be hind-medical-bloodletting.
Osborn, Catherine. “The Spring-Lancet, A ‘Bloodstain’d Faithful Friend!’” Dittrick Medical History Center, 2017. https://artsci.case.edu/dittrick/2014/07/24/the-spring-lancet-a- bloodstaind-faithful-friend/#:~:text=To%20use%20the%20lancet%2C%20the,into%20 the%20patient%20%5B3%5D.
Yarbrough, Tom. “Fischer craftsmen of Austria.” http://www.alllancets.com/Fischer.html, Accessed December 2, 2024.
Buckler, John, and John McKay. A History of Western Society. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1979.
McKay, HIll, & Buckler, History of Western Society, p. |
