- Date: 19th Century
- Condition: Very Good
- Inches: 5 x 5 x 7 in display case
- Centimeters: 12.82 x 12.82 x 17.95
- Product ID: 004248
A scarificator was a medical instrument used primarily in the 18th and 19th centuries for bloodletting, a once-common medical practice believed to cure various illnesses. This device was designed to create multiple small, parallel cuts in the patient's skin quickly and efficiently. The use of scarificators declined as bloodletting fell out of favor in Western medicine. However, these instruments remain important artifacts in medical history collections, providing insight into past medical practices and instrument design.
Typically made of brass, scarificators were often octagonal in shape by the 1790s in Britain and North America. The device contained multiple spring-loaded blades (up to sixteen) that could be retracted and released using a lever and button.