47
Cupping 48
Scarificators 48
Cups 50
Cupping Sets 50
Cupping Apparatus 52
Breast Pumps 52
Leeching 53
Veterinary Bloodletting 53
Fleams 53
Spring Lancets 54
Related Artifacts 55

Notes 57

List of Trade Catalogs Consulted 63

Figures 26-124 64

PREFACE

Among the many catalogs of museum collections, few describe objects
related to the practice of medicine. This catalog is the first of a series
on the medical sciences collections in the National Museum of History and
Technology (NMHT). Bloodletting objects vary from ancient sharp-edged
instruments to the spring action and automatic devices of the last few
centuries. These instruments were used in a variety of treatments
supporting many theories of disease and therefore reflect many varied
aspects of the history of medicine. Beginning with an essay sketching the
long history of bloodletting, this catalog provides a survey of the
various kinds of instruments, both natural and man-made, that have been
used throughout the centuries.

It is a pleasure to thank the Smithsonian Research Foundation, the
Commonwealth Foundation, and the Houston Endowment for their financial
support of this project.

Miss Doris Leckie, who did much of the preliminary research and organized
part of the collection that led to a draft of this catalog with special
emphasis on the cupping apparatus, receives our highest gratitude. Her
public lectures on the topic drew much praise. The usefulness of this
catalog is due in no small part to her devoted efforts.

For photographing the Smithsonian objects so well we thank Richard
Hofmeister, John Wooten, and Alfred Harrell of the Smithsonian Office of
Printing and Photographic Se