Bloodletting device?

[CrazySlasher]

I found these two pieces at a field I've been working on private property. Both of these were found within a foot from each other and a CT copper. The black and white photo is from "Collector's Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revoltion." The text that goes with the image is as follows: "Two multiple lancets or fleams used in the common practice of bleeding patients by cutting a vein"

The weird thing about this place is that the property owner told me something about a skirmish that happened there. Now, there were no skirmishes in the town I live in (Bridgewater, MA) aside from King Phillip's War. I have not found anything that old there, or even close to that old. So, I was detecting another spot in a different town and a guy walks into the field and asks if I found anything. We chat for a bit and ask him if knows any good spots. He tells me about a field in the back of this house where, again, some skirmish supposedly happened. I asked more about it and it turns out it's the place I'm working on now. I don't know if it's all BS or it may be the reason I found two (hopefully someone can confirm it) bloodletting devices.

 

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[bradyboy]

What are the demensions of this?
Almost look like feeler gauges
Brady

 

[CrazySlasher]

What are the demensions of this?
Almost look like feeler gauges
Brady

About 2.5-3 inches long I'm guessing.. It may be shocking to some, but I don't even have a ruler in the house Here's one in comparison to a cigarette. I just looked at some photos of feeler gauges and it doesn't seem like a match to me.

 

[Sky Pilot]

Cool finds!

I gotta tell you, it sure looks like the picture to me. The way it's shaped if it ain't the lancet as pictured, I don't know what it could be.

I can't wait to see this one solved!



Sky Pilot

 

[Breezie]

Yes, it looks like a blood letting case. Super find, Breezie

 

[DirtDigler]

A fleem it is. They were used in the Rev. War, but bleeding fell out of favor by the Civil War. I have found a similar one, but the blades were badly rusted.

 

[romeo-1]

Yep, you nailed it! Cool find!

 

[RON (PA)]

Awesome find. Thanks for sharing.

 

[CrazySlasher]

Now, would mine date the Revo war or later?

 

[timekiller]

That's not a Blood letting knife.This is a blood letting knife.
I was gonna show you a couple cool ones I found but see that I did sometime in the past.
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,343484.0.html
I've only found one other this year in bad shape though (below)
Could be Rev War era I guess but the ones I found are that era and earlier & look nothing like yours there.So yours might be after not sure.

 

[Sky Pilot]

CrazySlasher (your name sure fits this one, doesn't it? LOL!)

Does the book the picture is in not tell what timeframe it's from? I think it's identical myself, so you can probably go with whatever it says (if it does).


TimeKiller: Nice blades!


Sky Pilot

 

[CrazySlasher]

CrazySlasher (your name sure fits this one, doesn't it? LOL!)

Does the book the picture is in not tell what timeframe it's from? I think it's identical myself, so you can probably go with whatever it says (if it does).


TimeKiller: Nice blades!


Sky Pilot

Doesn't have a date but it's from the Revo collectors encyclopedia so I assume it's from that period. I actually went over the to guys housewhere I found it a little while and offered him one. Really awesome guy. Gonna buy him a 30 rack this week to say thanks.

Btw, that "you bleed" knife is one of my favorite finds on the entire site.

 

[timekiller]

Thanks Crazyslasher,
Wanted to give you these sites as they are like yours & favors yours being 19th if not early 20th century.
Take Care,
Pete,
http://www.antiqueemporium.co.nz/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=167&=SID
http://www.thegarret.org.uk/collectionbloodletting.htm#1999016P

 

[ivan salis]

great medical artifact from colonial era -- doctors might have been operating on wounded soldiers from the fighting and lost the "blood letting" devices in the fury of treating the battle wounded. --seems that the local folks are giving you the straight info about nearby rev war battle site skirmish's.

what you got is the copper outer shell cover case * --the thin steel "razor blade" like thin bars were encased inside it and were slid out of the case for use ( I can eazily see them being used as a early form of scalpel) -- sort of like a mutiple set of pocket knife blades --more than one blade was in it since they become dulled with use * and several folks might be needed to be treated before the doctor got a chance to resharpen them ..with a rev war "skirmish" battle site there --- excellant chances you got a "battlefeild" used medical device from the the rev war time frame --

 

[CrazySlasher]

Thanks for all the replies and input.

 

[CrazySlasher]

Thanks Crazyslasher,
Wanted to give you these sites as they are like yours & favors yours being 19th if not early 20th century.
Take Care,
Pete,
http://www.antiqueemporium.co.nz/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=167&=SID
http://www.thegarret.org.uk/collectionbloodletting.htm#1999016P

I didn't even realize until know it says, "make you bleed." That's even cooler!

 

[ivan salis]

is it "make you bleed" or "MAY YOU BLEED" --one is like a fighting statement --I'm going to "make you bleed" --the other like a doctoring statement "may you bleed" for your heath --ie blood letting as a medical treatment .

although i guess "make you bleed" could be a doctoring term as well.

 

[Sky Pilot]

Doesn't have a date but it's from the Revo collectors encyclopedia so I assume it's from that period. I actually went over the to guys housewhere I found it a little while and offered him one. Really awesome guy. Gonna buy him a 30 rack this week to say thanks.

Btw, that "you bleed" knife is one of my favorite finds on the entire site.

 

[timekiller]

The one there says "MAKE YOU BLEED". I would give you the whole story behind it but it's a spot I'm not done hunting & can only get to on super low tides.But the coins below came from the site as well. I can say this it was in a area that has a good chance of being related to BLACK BEARD.As I've found writing putting one of his many wifves or girl friends to this area.Whether or not I found something of his. But with what's been found there so far I guess it's possible.
Also after looking at yours this one here might qualify as a blood letting knife also I was thinking old knife cause it's bigger and heavy built,but looks simular to those others. It came from a late 18th very early19th century site.And still has the bone handle plate on one side.

 

[ivan salis]

dutch 1715 2 skilling