René Laennec
(1781 - 1826)
(1781 - 1826)
René then spent the
next three years experimenting with various tubes,
finally settling upon a hollow piece of wood 3.5 cm
in diameter and 25 cm in length. This was the
forerunner of the modern stethoscope. It was made
in parts that could be disassembled to make it
portable.
In 1851 Arthur Leared invented a binaural stethoscope, and in 1852 George Cammann perfected the design of the instrument for commercial production, which has become the standard ever since.
In 1851 Arthur Leared invented a binaural stethoscope, and in 1852 George Cammann perfected the design of the instrument for commercial production, which has become the standard ever since.
"In 1816 I was
consulted by a young woman labouring under general
symptoms of diseased heart, and in whose case
percussion and the application of the hand were of
little avail on account of the great degree of
fatness. The other method just mentioned [direct
auscultation] being rendered inadmissible by the
age and sex of the patient..."
In this moment of modesty and intense shyness, René Laennec invented the stethoscope (Greek, stéthos - chest and skopé - examination) in 1816. He rolled up a sheet of paper tightly and applied it to the patient's chest. He was elated to hear with great clarity the sounds of her beating heart.
In this moment of modesty and intense shyness, René Laennec invented the stethoscope (Greek, stéthos - chest and skopé - examination) in 1816. He rolled up a sheet of paper tightly and applied it to the patient's chest. He was elated to hear with great clarity the sounds of her beating heart.
René Laennec's stethoscope
