Object number
55/146
Exhibition
Creator
Description
A fleam was used to pierce the jugular vein of an animal to bleed it for veterinary purposes. This fleam has three steel blades of slightly varying sizes, each stamped 'Lockwood Brothers, Sheffield', and a case made of horn and brass.
Physical description
1 fleam: steel; horn; brass
Label Text
Fleem. This was used to slaughter pigs for meat. The pig would have been killed in a particular spot in the neck so it was not as painful. It is so different from how pigs are killed today. In medieval times they killed pigs by hand now they kill pigs using 70% carbon dioxide. MERL 55/146. [Text authored by students in UIII H at The Abbey School] [Note: this object was actually used in veterinary contexts and not in animal slaughter]
Archival history
Object research project, John Masters, February 2019 – ‘The case of this fleam measures 3.5 inches and is made of horn and brass. Three steel blades fold into the case and each is stamped “Lockwood Brothers, Sheffield”. Fleams were used to pierce the jugular or saphenous vein of an animal to bleed it for veterinary purposes. Bloodletting was a widely used technique as a cure for many illnesses in both humans and animals. The fleam was used to make a small incision in the vein, the requisite amount of blood would have been drained out and then the vein would be pinned and stitched. For larger animals like cows and horses with thicker skin, a mallet (also known as a blood stick) would be used to drive the fleam blade into the vein. Bloodletting appears to have been used first by the Ancient Egyptians and became popular in Ancient Greek where the theory that bloodletting helped balance the four “humours” or fluids in the body (blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile) to drive out illnesses became popular. Bloodletting was largely ineffective against most of the illnesses it was used for and often made the situation worse. The loss of several pints of blood were likely to further weaken an already sick animal, It introduced the risk of infection and there was always the chance that the incision in the vein could be done clumsily so the animal would lose far more blood than intended. In spite of all this, bloodletting remained widespread in many parts of the world including Europe ,and it was not until the mid-nineteenth century that the practice was seriously challenged by scientists and its use fell into decline.'
Production place
Sheffield
Object name
Material
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