Silver etui with two tortoiseshell lancets, a pencil, and a needle with ear scoop. Lancets are double edged surgical blades with a pointed end. These instruments were used to open patient's veins for 'bloodletting'. This was a common practice in medicine until the late nineteenth century and was believed to 'treat' a range of ailments by removing surplus bodily 'humours' (fluids within the body). This set dates from around the year 1800.