General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

bleeding or blood letting cup

Patents

N/A

General Description

BLOWN GLASS

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

N/A

Width

6.5 cm

Height

5.3 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Medical Technology

Category

Instruments

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Unknown

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

Unknown

Function

Used to draw blood to surface of skin by creating localized vacuum.

Technical

Used since ancient times as an alternate form of blood letting, cups like this were used in treatments involving local blood depletion. Two forms of cupping were practised: dry cupping, in which no blood is removed and wet cupping, where the skin is pierced and blood drawn. In both forms, a flint or glass cup is heated and placed on the skin. As the cup cools, the air inside contracts and caused the blood to swell to the surface of the skin. Cups typically placed behind the ears, on the temples and/or at the base of the spine. Advocates of leeching, as opposed to cupping, claimed the leech could be used on almost any part of the body, including on internal membranes,

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

None evident.

Missing

Appears complete.

Finish

Clear blown glass.

Decoration

N/A