About Magazine Podcasts Events
Museum Hours

Digital Collections

Vessels (Containers), Implements, utensils, etc., Medical instruments and apparatus

Bleeding bowl

  • 1752

Rights

BY 4.0

Download all 2 images

PDFZIPof full-sized JPGs

Download selected image

Small JPG1200 x 904px — 143 KBLarge JPG2880 x 2169px — 737 KBFull-sized JPG9036 x 6806px — 6.1 MBOriginal fileTIFF — 9036 x 6806px — 176 MB
View
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
PDF
Download PDF
ZIP
of full-sized JPGs
Download ZIP

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
Genre
Medium
Extent
  • 3.5 in. H x 15 in. Diam.
Inscription
  • (Base of bowl) "BLEED ME LIGHT"
  • (On lip, across from notch) "1752"
  • (Clockwise from leftmost part of notch) "OL / TE / L? / MM / HW / BT / LM"
Subject
Rights Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Credit line
  • Courtesy of Science History Institute

Institutional location

Department
Exhibited in

Related Items

Cite as

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

  Export citation (RIS) ?

This citation is automatically generated and may contain errors.

Rights

BY 4.0

Download selected image

Small JPG1200 x 904px — 126 KBLarge JPG2880 x 2169px — 650 KBFull-sized JPG9036 x 6806px — 5.5 MBOriginal fileTIFF — 9036 x 6806px — 176 MB

The Science History Institute recognizes there are materials in our collections that may be offensive or harmful, containing racist, sexist, Eurocentric, ableist, or homophobic language or depictions. The history of science is not exempt from beliefs or practices harmful to traditionally marginalized groups. The Institute is engaged in ongoing efforts to responsibly present and address the evidence of oppression and injustice inextricable from the history of science. If you would like to learn more about our ongoing efforts or if you encounter harmful, inaccurate, or insufficient descriptions, please contact us at digital@sciencehistory.org.