SPRING FLEAMS. 



143 



siderable practice ; the varying thickness and resistance of the skin 

 in different animals making it difficult to judge of the exact amount 

 of pressure required to open the vein without transfixing it. 



For this reason other instruments have come into use. The most 

 popular of these is the fleam (Fig. 197). The handle extends some- 

 what beyond the insertion of the actual cutting part, and is intended 

 to prevent the instrument entering too deeply. Sometimes the back 



Fig. 198. 



Fig. 197— Simple 

 fieain. 



of the handle is provided with a broad surface (Figs. 198 and 199) 

 on which the blow of the blood-stick is delivered. Combined fleams 

 having a number of blades in one setting are also common (Fig. 200). 

 The fleam is caused to penetrate the vein by a sharp blow from the 

 hand or blood-stick (Fig. 201). With the latter the necessary force 

 can better be estimated, and the inconvenience of either failing to 

 penetrate the vessel or completely transfixing it equally avoided ; 

 in delivering the stroke the arm should not be moved as a whole, 

 but only from the elbow. 



