AN ARTIFICIAL LEECH AND A SUCKER
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles François Jules Fonrobert, of Berlin, in the
Kingdom of Prussia, for the Invention of "AN ARTIFICIAL LEECH AND A
SUCKER."
Sealed the 23rd May 1856, and dated the 8th December 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles François Jules
Fonrobert at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his '
Petition, on the 8th December 1855.
I, CHARLES FRANCOIS JULES FONROBERT, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for AN ARTIFICIAL LEECH AND A SUCKER, to be as follows:-
A cylindrical glass tube is attached to a curved end piece or elbow of ivory,
metal, glass, caoutchouc, or other suitable material, in which is placed a small
curved lancet, mounted on a pin or axis, which is capable of being easily
removed when required. A. piston is fitted into the cylindrical tube and
attached to a piston rod, which passes through a cap on the end of the
tube, and carries a ring or handle by which it can be raised. A spring
catch is formed on the side of the piston rod or attached to it, so that
when the piston is raised by its handle it may be retained by the catch.
Below the piston is a stem or prolongation of the piston rod, with a small
button at its extremity, which comes in contact with a small projecting arm

page_text: attached to or forming one piece with the lancet. The open end of the elbow
piece is placed upon the flesh of the patient, and the piston is pushed down
and then drawn up to the end of the cylindrical tube, where it is retained by
the spring catch. The lancet is thus caused to make an incision in the flesh,
and a partial vacuum is formed in the tube, into which the blood immediately
flows. In lieu of making the elbow piece separate from the cylindrical tube,
it may be made in one piece with it. Thus, a tube of glass or other suitable
material may be bent and contracted a little at the end, and a circular or
cylindrical lancet may be attached to a small disc of ivory fitted into the tube,
and connected to the piston by a helical spring of German silver or by other
suitable elastic material. The end of the tube is applied to the flesh as
before, and the piston rod is turned round by its handle so as to cause the
lancet to revolve and make the incision, and the piston is then drawn up and
rétained by the catch as before. The blood then flows into the tube. A
straight tube may be employed in lieu of a bent tube, and the circular lancet
connected directly to the piston, and in this case the spring and ivory disc are
not required. The mode of using the instrument remains the same. In
some cases I employ a similar instrument without the lancet, for drawing
the blood from an incision previously made. The materials of which the
instruments are constructed may be varied. These instruments possess the
advantages of being simple in construction and in use, and easy to clean.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles François Jules Fonrobert in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th May 1856.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
FRANÇOIS JULES FONROBERT, of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, send
greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters,
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December; in the year, of our Lord. One,
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in. the nineteenth year of Her reign,;3
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give, and grant unto me, the}
said Charles François Jules Fonrobert, Her special licence that I, the said,
Charles François Jules Fonrobert, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Charles François Jules +Fonrobert, my execu-!
tors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, 3

page_text: from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for AN ARTIFICIAL LEECH AND A SUCKER, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles François Jules Fonrobert, my exe-
eutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formned,, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
444,
I NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles François Jules Fonrobert,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be 'particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to. the accompanying
Drawing, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing is a longitudinal section of an
artificial leech constructed according to my Invention.. A. cylindrical glass.
tube A is attached to a curved end piece or elbow B of ivory, metal, glass,
caoutchouc, or other suitable material, in which is placed a 'sniall. curved
Lancet C,.mounted on a pin or axis, which is capable of being easily removed"
when required. A plan and side view of the lancet' are shewn in Figure 2.
Figure 3 is a separate view of the pin D on which the lancet turns; Figure 4
is a front view of the elbow or piece. B, with the lancet C and pin .D. A
piston E of cork or other suitable.. material is fitted. into the cylindrical tube
A, and attached to a piston rod F, which passes through a. cap G. on the end
of the tube, and, carries a ring, or handle H by which it can be raised. A
spring catch I is formed in the side of the piston rod or attached to it, so that
when the piston is raised by its handle it may be retained. by the catch I,
which springs out after passing through the cap G, and rests or catches upon
it. When it is required to push the piston down again,. the catch I is pressed
in by the finger and thumb, and it then passes. through the hole in the cap.
Below the piston is a stem or prolongation of the piston rod J, with a small
button or knob at its extremity, which comes in contact with a small pro-
jecting arm attached to or forming one piece with the lancet, as shewn in the
Drawing. Figure 5 is a detached view of the piston and piston rod.
:
The open end of the elbow piece B is placed upon the flesh of the patient,
and the piston is pushed towards the elbow, and then drawn back to the end
of the cylindrical tube A, where it is retained by the spring catch I... The

page_text: lancet is thus caused to make an incision in the flesh, and a partial vacuum is
formed in the tube, into which the blood immediately flows. The artificial
leech is kept in its place by the pressure of the atmosphere, and it may be left
until a sufficient quantity of blood has been drawn, or until it is nearly full of
blood, when it will release its hold of the flesh and drop off. Several of these
leeches may be applied at the same time if required.
In lieu of making the elbow piece separate from the cylindrical tube, it may
be made in one piece with it. Figure 6 is a section of such a form of tube,
with a somewhat different arrangement of lancet. A is the glass tube, which
is contracted a little at the end and bent to form the elbow B. E is the
piston; and F is the piston rod, passing through the cap G and terminating in
a knob H; I is the spring catch, as before; C is the lancet, which is made in
the form of a small thimble with a sharp edge, as shewn in the detached
views, Figure 7. The lancet is connected to the piston by a helical spring J,
of German silver or other suitable material; D is a disc of ivory, which fits
loosely in the narrow part of the tube, and serves to guide the lancet and
keep it in the centre of the tube.
Figure 8 is a detached view of a portion of
the piston rod, with a section of the piston E.
The narrow end of the tube is placed upon the flesh of the patient as
before, and the piston rod is turned round by the knob H, so as to cause the
lancet to revolve and make the incision. The piston is then drawn to the end
of the tube and retained by the catch, and the blood then flows into the tube,
as before. A straight tube may be employed in lieu of a bent tube, and
the circular lancet may then be connected directly to the piston, and in
this case the spring J and disc D are not required. The mode of using
the instrument remains the same.
In some cases, as, for instance, when a considerable quantity of blood is to
be drawn from the patient, in lieu of employing several artificial leeches, I
make a number of incisions with an artificial leech, and I apply to each
incision one of the suckers, shewn in section in Figure 9. This sucker is
constructed in a similar manner to the leech, but without the lancet. A is
the tube bent to form an elbow at B; E is the piston; and F is the piston rod,
passing through the cap G, and furnished with a ring or handle H; I is the
spring catch, as before. The open end is applied to the incision in the flesh,
and the piston is drawn to the end of the tube and retained there by the
catch I. The blood then flows in as before.
Having now described the nature of the Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that what I claim is,-
Firstly, the constructing an artificial leech, with a cylinder and piston and

page_text: a lancet, so arranged that motion may be communicated to the lancet by
means of the piston and rod, as herein-before described.
Secondly, the constructing an artificial leech with a circular or revolving
lancet connected to the piston by a spring or otherwise, as herein-before
described.
Thirdly, the constructing an artificial leech and a sucker, with a catch
for securing the piston, constructed and arranged in manner herein-before
described.
Fourthly, the constructing a sucker of a bent tube, with a piston and rod
provided with a catch, as herein-before described in reference to Figure 9.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles François Jules Fonrobert, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
CHARLES FRANÇOIS JULES FONROBERT. (L.S.)