This is an antique veterinary mouth gag (or drenching bit) made by Dr. LeGear’s Stock Remedies out of St. Louis, Missouri.

It was an essential farming tool used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to safely treat livestock—primarily horses and cattle.

How It Worked

• Mouth Speculum / Gag: The heavy cast-iron frame was placed in the animal’s mouth, and the leather strap buckled securely behind the ears/poll to keep the bit in place.
• Administering Doses & Pills: The hollow cone/funnel section on the bottom allowed farmers or veterinarians to pour liquid medicine (“drenches”), insert large bolus pills, or pass a stomach tube safely down the animal’s throat without the risk of getting bitten.
• Dental Inspection: It was also used to hold the animal’s jaw propped open to inspect teeth or remove lodged food/foreign objects.

Dr. L.D. LeGear was a prominent veterinary surgeon in the early 1900s who built a massive livestock medicine business out of St. Louis, producing everything from wormers to specialized drenching tools like this one.