Civil War era Tiemann Bleeder
Thumb
Lancet in a Pocket Case
For the George Tiemann Company, 'Tiemann & Co.' was the name-form at
63 Chatham St. during the Civil War:
George Tiemann &
Co. (George Tiemann, Frederick A. Stohlmann, and Edward Pfarre)
surgical instruments
1855-63/64: 63 Chatham
and 44 Eldridge
The
label (not the type used on surgical
sets) shows 'Tiemann & Co.', so it's the later date at 63 Chatham and
44 Eldridge in 1855 to 1863.
Tiemann did use instruments from
other makers, (Eschmann Brothers,
1863-1869: 293 Broadway, N.Y.)
In this tiny leather case (2 1/2 x 1 1/8 x 1/4 in.) are two
tortoise shell 'thumb lancets', used to bleed a patient. The
thumb lancets were made by Eschmann Brothers who
were around the corner from Tiemann on Broadway in New York at the same time
during the Civil War.
See an
article on
bloodletting and venesection during the Civil War Use of a
thumb lancet from Bourgery's Atlas:
Click on image to
enlarge
 
The trade label
is a real rarity as it would normally have been removed during use, but
the lancets are in mint condition, so it can be assumed the set is
unused.
The U. S. Army Medical
Department specified what instruments were to be found in various set and in
the list below are shown two thumb lancets specified for a Pocket
Case, so thumb lancets were being used during the War.
The Pocket Case contained: 1 scalpel, 3 bistouries, 1 tenotome, 1 gum lancet,
2 thumb lancets, 1 razor (small), 1 artery
forceps, 1 dressing forceps, 1 artery needle, 6 surgeon's needles, 1
exploring needle, 1 tenaculum, 1 scissors, 1 director, 3
probes, 1 caustic holder, 1 silver catheter (compound), 6 yards suture
wire (iron), ¼ oz. ligature silk, 1/8 oz. wax, 1 Russia leather case.
Source: "The
Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion. (1861-65.) Part
III, Volume II, Chapter XIV.--The Medical Staff and Materia Chirugica"
A list of what was found in various surgical sets during the Civil War:
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