Bloodletting Collection

The Zodiac Man, the oldest printed bloodletting chart, showing the astrological signs for bloodletting
BLOODLETTING CHART, 1493. The Zodiac Man, the oldest printed bloodletting chart, showing the astrological signs for bloodletting

Woodblock engraving depicting a bloodletting scene
5309453 Woodblock engraving depicting a bloodletting scene; (add.info.: Woodblock engraving depicting a bloodletting scene. A physician bleeding a patient from the arm)

Bloodletting in the 18th century. From Illustrierte Sittengeschichte vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart by Eduard Fuchs
1000934 Bloodletting in the 18th century. From Illustrierte Sittengeschichte vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart by Eduard Fuchs, published 1909.; Private Collection

Essay on phlebotomy, or bloodletting in 12th century, 18th century (manuscript)
2625387 Essay on phlebotomy, or bloodletting in 12th century, 18th century (manuscript); (add.info.: The opening of an essay on phlebotomy, or bloodletting, by Ibn al-Tilmdh)

The bloodletting, 1776. Creator: Abraham Delfos
The bloodletting, 1776

Lord Byron on his death bed, pub. 1825. Creator: Robert Seymour (1798 - 1836)
Lord Byron on his death bed from The Last Days of Lord Byron by William Parry, pub. 1825 (hand coloured engraving). George Gordon Byron (1788 - 1824); 6th Baron Byron

Yaxchilan lintel 15, maya art
529921 Yaxchilan lintel 15, maya art by Mayan; (add.info.: Late Classic period (AD 600-900) From Yaxchilan, Mexico. A serpent apparition from a Maya temple, limestone lintel

Yaxchilan lintel 15 Maya art
529920 Yaxchilan lintel 15 Maya art by Mayan; (add.info.: Late Classic period (AD 600-900) From Yaxchilan, Mexico. A serpent apparition from a Maya temple, limestone lintel

Leeches, engraved by Delpech, 1827 (colour litho)
CHT168633 Leeches, engraved by Delpech, 1827 (colour litho) by Boilly, Julien Leopold (1796-1874) (after); Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, France; eArchives Charmet; French, out of copyright

Bleeding the Beauty (coloured engraving)
CHT179387 Bleeding the Beauty (coloured engraving) by Arnoult, Nicolas (17th century); Bibliotheque des Arts Decoratifs, Paris, France; eArchives Charmet; French, out of copyright

Yaxchilan lintel 25, Late Classic period, 600-900 AD (limestone)
XCF306022 Yaxchilan lintel 25, Late Classic period, 600-900 AD (limestone) by Mayan; 87.5x82.2 cm; British Museum, London

Bloodletting in the legs, from Medicina Aegyptiorum by Prospero Alpini
619462 Bloodletting in the legs, from Medicina Aegyptiorum by Prospero Alpini, published 1745 (engraving) by Italian School

Lord Byron on his Death Bed, from The Last Days of Lord Byron by William Parry, pub
1202323 Lord Byron on his Death Bed, from The Last Days of Lord Byron by William Parry, pub. 1825 (hand coloured engraving) by Seymour

How to cure illnesses, from Tractatus de Pestilencia (vellum)
XIR125466 How to cure illnesses, from Tractatus de Pestilencia (vellum) by Czech School, (15th century); National University Library, Prague, Czech Republic; Czech, out of copyright

Blood letting, from Tractatus de Pestilencia (vellum)
CHT164198 Blood letting, from Tractatus de Pestilencia (vellum) by Albik, M, (15th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: incomplete caption, see also PF 3555 (same manuscript) ?

The Man of Sorrow as Homo Signorum. Colored woodcut from Johann Regiomontanus Kalendarius teutsch, Augsburg
MAN OF SORROW, 1512. The Man of Sorrow as Homo Signorum. Colored woodcut from Johann Regiomontanus Kalendarius teutsch, Augsburg

Cupping set, 19th century C017 / 3573
Cupping set in a wooden case with a red lining. The set comprises of six glass cups, two scarificators, a spirit burner, a syringe and a tincture bottle

Bloodletting Abraham Bosse 17th Century Blood-letting
Bloodletting, after the 17th century work by Abraham Bosse. Bloodletting or blood-letting the withdrawal of blood from a patient to prevent or cure illness and disease

Bloodletting In The 18th Century. From Illustrierte Sittengeschichte Vom Mittelalter Bis Zur Gegenwart By Eduard Fuchs, Published 1909

Homo Signorum. Woodcut from Epilogo en medicina, printed by Juan de Burgos, Spain, 1495
MAN OF SIGNS, 1495. Homo Signorum. Woodcut from Epilogo en medicina, printed by Juan de Burgos, Spain, 1495

L Homme Phlebotomique as skeleton. Woodcut from Nicholas Le Rouges Grant kalendrier, Troyes, France, 1496
BLOODLETTING, 1496. L Homme Phlebotomique as skeleton. Woodcut from Nicholas Le Rouges Grant kalendrier, Troyes, France, 1496

The Zodiac Man - The oldest printed bloodletting chart, showing the astrological signs for bloodletting
BLOODLETTING CHART, 1493. The Zodiac Man - The oldest printed bloodletting chart, showing the astrological signs for bloodletting

Lintel 24, Maya, Late Classic period, c600-900
Maya relief of a priest cutting his tongue on a rope of thorns, from Lintel 24, House E, at Menche, Late Classic period, c600-900

Mexican Serpent, God and Priest, Pre-Columbian, Maya Culture, 770. Carved limestone lintel with glyphs and a scene representing Lady Wak Tuun, during a bloodletting rite

TORRES VILLARROEL, Diego de (1693-1770). Spanish writer, poet, dramatist, astrologer, doctor, mathematician, priest and professor of the University of Salamanca

Caring for the Sick, from L Abbaye de Port-Royal, c. 1710 (gouache on paper)
XIR69803 Caring for the Sick, from L Abbaye de Port-Royal, c.1710 (gouache on paper) by Cochin, Louise Madelaine (1686-1767) (after); Chateau de Versailles, France; French, out of copyright

Physician bleeding a patient in the 15th century, from The National and Domestic
KW322635 Physician bleeding a patient in the 15th century, from The National and Domestic History of England by William Hickman Smith Aubrey (1858-1916) published London

Preparation of drugs and bloodletting, Julius Milheuser, Cornelis Jansz Zwol, 1662

Astrological chart from Benjamin Franklins Poor Richards Almanack for the year 1757
POOR RICHARDs ALMANACK. Astrological chart from Benjamin Franklins Poor Richards Almanack for the year 1757. Charts such as this were used by barber surgeons

L Homme Phlebotomique. Woodcut from Godards Heures, Paris, France, 1518
BLOODLETTING, 1518. L Homme Phlebotomique. Woodcut from Godards Heures, Paris, France, 1518

Woodcut bloodletting chart by Johannes Wechtlin, 1517
BLOODLETTING CHART, 1517. Woodcut bloodletting chart by Johannes Wechtlin, 1517

German astrological bloodletting chart used by barber surgeons as fair posters, 1480
BLOODLETTING, 1480. German astrological bloodletting chart used by barber surgeons as fair posters, 1480

The Man of Sorrow as Homo Signorum. Woodcut from Johann Regiomontanus Kalendarius teutsch, Augsburg, Germany, 1512
MAN OF SORROW, 1512. The Man of Sorrow as Homo Signorum. Woodcut from Johann Regiomontanus Kalendarius teutsch, Augsburg, Germany, 1512

Homo Signorum. Woodcut from Epilogo en medicina, printed by Juan de Burgos, Spain, 1495
MAN OF SIGNS, 1495. Homo Signorum. Woodcut from Epilogo en medicina, printed by Juan de Burgos, Spain, 1495

Yaxchilan lintel 15Maya, Late Classic period (AD 600-900) From Yaxchilan, Mexico. A serpent apparition from a Maya temple, limestone lintel

Cupping set, 19th century C017 / 3568
Cased cupping set dating from 1850, England. The set comprises of a scarificator, glass cups, spirit burner, and a tincture bottle

Leeches jar, 19th century C017 / 3566
Leeches jar made from Staffordshire pottery (England) dating from around 1830. The main jar is cream coloured with red decorations

Artificial leech and syringes, circa 1840 C017 / 3582
Artificial leech with two syringes, patented by Baron Heurteloup. Artificial leeches were a mechanical instrument which superseded the use of real leaches in the practice of bloodletting which

Lancet case with 2 lancets, circa 1800 C017 / 3588
Silver lancet case with two steel lancets with mother of pearl handles. Lancets are double edged surgical blades with a pointed end

Lancet cases, circa 1800 C017 / 3576
Three English lancet cases dating from around the year 1800 photographed on a red background. The central lancet case is made from shagreen and silver, the two outer cases are made of silver

French shaving bowl, 19th century C017 / 3586
French china shaving bowl, in white china with blue details, dating from around the year 1840. In the 19th century, barbers commonly carried out bloodletting procedures in addition to cutting hair

Two lancets and shagreen case, circa 1790 C017 / 3561
Green shagreen (rough, granular surfaced leather) lancet case with two tortoiseshell lancets. Lancets are double-edged surgical blades with a pointed end

Cupping set, 19th century C017 / 3552
Cupping set in a brass-bound mahogany case. The set comprises of a brass syringe, scarificator and glass cups. This set would have been used in a procedure called wet cupping

Carved horn Lancet case, 18th century C017 / 3553
This lancet case was made in and exported from china in 1790. It is carved from horn with an extremely detailed traditional oriental scene

Crude cupping glass, 17th century C017 / 3583
Crude cupping glass dating from the seventeenth century. Cupping procedures were historically used in medicine up until the late nineteenth century

Cupping set, 19th century C017 / 3575
Cupping set comprising of four cups and two brass and steel scarificators. These are contained within a morocco leather case which bares the word Cookie, in gold letters on the inner lining

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"Exploring the Ancient Art of Bloodletting: From Zodiac Signs to Maya Art" Bloodletting, an ancient medical practice dating back centuries, has left its mark on history in various forms. One such artifact is "The Zodiac Man, " the oldest printed bloodletting chart known to mankind. This woodcut from Johannes de Ketham's Fasciculus Medicinae in 1493 showcases astrological signs associated with bloodletting and their corresponding body parts. Delving into Maya art, Yaxchilan lintel 15 captivates our attention. This masterpiece depicts a scene where bloodletting rituals were performed as part of religious ceremonies by Mayan rulers. The intricate carvings on limestone reveal the significance of this practice within their culture during the Late Classic period (600-900 AD). Moving forward in time, Hieronymous Galler's Pars Decima Americae published in 1619 sheds light on how indigenous people utilized specific remedies against diseases. An engraving titled "Quibus remediis contra morbos utantur Indiani" highlights native healing practices, including bloodletting techniques employed by Native Americans. Fast-forwarding to the early 19th century, Hannah Humphrey's hand-colored etching titled "Dr Sangrado curing John Bull of Repletion" portrays a satirical take on excessive bleeding as a cure-all remedy for ailments prevalent during that era. Intriguingly captured through Delpech's color lithograph in 1827, leeches emerge as key players in bloodletting procedures. These tiny creatures were used extensively for therapeutic purposes due to their ability to extract excess blood from patients' bodies. Further exploring artistic representations related to this practice, we encounter "Bleeding the Beauty. " A colored engraving showcasing an elegant lady undergoing bloodletting emphasizes society's belief that even beauty could be enhanced through this procedure.