Flint nodule in the shape of a foot and shin, North-East England, 1908-1916

Made:
1908-1916 in England
Flint nodule, shaped as foot and shin Group shot of from left to right A665264 - Flint nodule

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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Flint nodule, shaped as foot and shin
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Group shot of from left to right A665264 - Flint nodule
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Flint nodule, shaped as foot and shin, carried or kept in bedroom as a cure for gout, north-east England, 1908-1916

The growing influence of biomedicine in the 1800s did not necessarily replace established forms of treatment based on belief and superstition. What could be referred to as folk medicine – customs that often went back generations – continued to be practised. For example, the limb-shaped flint nodule on the right was carried around or kept in the bedroom as a cure for gout. It was believed that the pain was transferred from person to stone.

The piece of flint was a gift in 1916 from Edward Lovett (1852-1933), a collector of British amulets and charms. It is shown here with two other examples (A38134 and A665276).

Details

Category:
Ethnography and Folk Medicine
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A665264
Materials:
flint
Measurements:
overall: 91 mm x 61 mm x 27 mm, .08kg
type:
flint nodule
credit:
Lovett collection