The Scarificator: A Bloodletting 18th-Century Device

Bloodletting was a common medical practice in the 18th and 19th centuries for a wide variety of ailments, including fever, headaches, and even mental illness. Physicians believed that many illnesses were caused by an imbalance of bodily fluids, and bloodletting was thought to restore this balance. The scarificator was an essential tool for bloodletting, as it allowed physicians to create small incisions quickly and efficiently.