Vessels (Containers), Implements, utensils, etc., Medical equipment & supplies

Bleeding bowl

1752

Bowls like this one were used to catch the blood released by bleeding. The appearance of blood was a useful diagnostic tool for physicians, who examined it for clues about the body's internal state. This large bowl was capable of holding a great deal of blood, but its maker encouraged moderation by stamping "BLEED ME LIGHT" in the basin.

Format	Physical Object
Genre	Implements, utensils, etc. Medical equipment & supplies Vessels (Containers)
Medium	Brass
Extent	3.5 in. H x 15 in. Diam.
Inscription	(Base of bowl) "BLEED ME LIGHT" (Clockwise from leftmost part of notch) "OL / TE / L? / MM / HW / BT / LM" (On lip, across from notch) "1752"
Subject	Blood Bloodletting Medicine Phlebotomy
Rights	Public Domain Mark 1.0
Credit line	Courtesy of Science History Institute

Physical location

Department	Museum
Exhibition	Making Modernity

Cite as

Science History Institute. Bleeding Bowl. Photograph, 2017. Science History Institute. Philadelphia. https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/hq37vp25j.

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