Complete Antique Medical Suction Cup Set, ca. 1900.

This fascinating item is a complete set of cupping glasses for medical use preserved in its original wooden case. The set was made in the early 20th century (circa 1900) and remains in excellent condition. The cupping glasses are made of blown glass and are all original from the period: in spite of being so old they have survived to our days intact, with no cracks or dents. They are stored in a light-colored oak wooden box, properly compartmented in order to carry the glasses with no harm at all.To attach the cupping glasses to the patients skin, the practitioner should evacuate the air inside them. In this case, he or she would burn an alcohol-wetted cotton pad inside each cupping glass: after the oxygen burnt, the vacuum would be made and the glass would get stuck to the skin. Inside the box there is a compartment for the cotton pads and another to store utensils such as a cleaning cloth or a pair of metal tweezers. The wooden case is well preserved though its outside surface shows signs of an intensive use. The metal handles and hooks are original and remain in good condition.This antique cupping set will be the starring piece in a complete collection of old-time medical items.Medidas: Ancho: 32 cm. Fondo: 23 cm.History of cupping therapyCupping is a thousand-year-old therapy which is believed to have started in the Mesopotamic era (3.000 b.C.), when ancient medicine men used it to remove the spirits responsible for the disease. It was also common in different places such as Egypt, India or Greece, where Hippocrates wrote instructions about its use. The Arabs also used cupping glasses in their medicine and so did the Egyptians. In Europe and America, cupping therapy started to be applied in the early 19th century. Years after this therapy felt into disuse, but in the 20th century it became popular again thanks to the alternative medicine. Today its benefits create controversy: some people sing their praises and some other think it has no effect whatsoever.