Pewter bleeding bowl, Europe, 1601-1900
Bleeding bowls were used to collect blood during bloodletting – a practice once carried out to treat a wide range of diseases and medical conditions. Bloodletting was used as cure for many fevers, diseases which were believed to be caused by a build up of blood. This bowl is made from pewter and has a scale marked in fluid ounces engraved on the inside to allow accurate monitoring of the volume of blood being removed. One ounce is equal to 28.4 ml.
Object number:
A43203