It was used for a common procedure during that time frame. this one is thought to have been used on both humans and animals.
That was my next guess. However, we used to just use a pocket knife. I knew a dude who used his teeth.
Man... mention medical and we immediately get hemorrhoids, foreskins, and castration. Think a little outside the britches. They used this to perform a medical procedure that was thought to be a treatment for a host of ailments.
I found it, although I am still not quite positive about how it was used. It is called a Fleam and is a bloodletting tool.