Variations
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Flat brass fleam by Charriere
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Brass fleam inscribed to George Oliver of South Shields in 1828
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Horn handles fleam with pivoting bolsters for cleaning
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Folding iron fleam with multiple blades
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Aluminum fleam with images of horses and cows on the bolster
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Horn-handled fleam with inset thumb lancet
Early craftsmen often varied the number of blades, the types of materials used for the bolsters and the types of instruments included in the bolster for patient care. Pictured to the right is a three-blade fleam with a horn handle made in Scotland by the Sanderson craftsmen. This piece has a thumb lancet in one shield of the bolster and a thumb forceps in the other. Controversy exists among collectors of antique surgical instruments that these types of fleams were made with the lancet so that frontier families could bleed the animals and family members alike. This is likely not the case in that there are descriptions of the use of thumb lancets in horses for opening the facial vein and for bleeding cats and dogs.
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Famous quotes containing the word variations:
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