An antique Trocar and drain. The handle is cross hatched ebony, the ferrule silver plated brass and the Trocar steel. This is a rare surgical tool dating from around 1860. Doctors used Trocars to relieve pressure build-up of fluids or gases, once the build up had been pierced the drain was put in place with the tap used for regulating the flow. Patents for Trocars appeared early in the 19th century, although their use dated back possibly thousands of years. The catalogue illustration has been taken from the Maw and Son catalogue dated 1870.
 
This is a rare example measuring 19.5cm in length, in good condition, this is a museum quality item and similar examples are held in collections such as the Science Museum in the UK and the Wellcome collection.
 
Medical and surgical items such as this are becoming increasingly rare as they were made in very small numbers to the highest quality standards as price was not the primary concern, most good examples are now in museums and private collections.