This counter-irritation device consists of a wooden cylinder terminating in a hollow handle.  Within the cylinder is a piston controlled by a spring.  The piston is armed with numerous fine needles that are driven a short distance into the skin as soon as the spring is released. The extent of counter-irritation produced is enhanced by dipping the points of the needles into a mixture of equal parts or croton and olive oils. Numerous small vesicles are thus produced of the course of 24 hours. It gradually fell from favor on account of the difficulty in rendering it surgically clean.