CASTLETOWN, OMAGH, COUNTY TYRONE BT78 5QY, NORTHERN IRELAND, TEL +44 (0)28 8224 3292
Fleam
The fleam was used to puncture the skin in bloodletting or phlebotomy, thought until the late 1800s to be the cure for many illnesses in animals as well as humans. This veterinary fleam, length 9cm when closed, has three blades which fold into a brass case lined with bone. Each blade is triangular in shape, and graduated in size according to the size of cut to be made. The fleam was usually placed over the jugular vein and inserted using a fleam stick, a heavy wooden club used to drive the blade in with a quick motion. This fleam was made in the 1800s by Abram Brooksbank of Sheffield, England.