Terebra Occulta This long metal blade-like object has a rounded wooden handle. The instrument is spring-operated, with a cylindrical portion on the body containing the spring. When pressure is applied, a blade comes out of the sheath. Named the "Terebra Occulta", it was used to perforate the head of a foetus, by getting rid of part of the brain. The sheath gives protection to the mother. No manufacturer's mark present. This specific object is a nineteenth century creation, based off a seventeenth century design by Fielding Ould's "A Treatise on Midwifery" in 1742. It was commissioned and owned by Fleetwood Churchill, who declared it was almost entirely useless. 1800-1899