A Short History Of Stethoscope
Author: Gary Gordon

For nearly 200 years stethoscopes have been one of the most
important diagnostic tools in the medical profession. The
medical stethoscope has become so common a symbol of the medical
profession that nothing else identifies a healthcare
professional more than a medical stethoscope draped around the
neck.

Medical stethoscopes are used to examine sounds generated from
the interior of the body. They are used to listen to normal and
abnormal respiratory, cardiac, pleural, arterial, venous,
uterine, fetal, and intestinal sounds. With the assistance of a
sphygmomanometer, they're also used to monitor blood pressure.
The qualities of the sounds produced can signify abnormalities
of these organs. Many diseases of the heart, lungs, stomach, and
blood vessels can be recognized with the trained use of medical
stethoscopes.

From the time the instrument was invented in 1816 the medical
stethoscope has been the most informative and reliable tool for
diagnosing many diseases. A young French physician by the name
of Rene Theophile-Hyacinthe Laennec invented the instrument in
order to examine a young female patient for fear she may have
contracted tuberculosis. During that time, the common method of
listening to a patient's chest was to simply place one's ear
directly on the patient's chest. Laennec was embarrassed to
conduct this procedure to a female patient out of modesty.
Recalling a fact he learned in childhood, being that sound
travels through solids, he immediately rolled up 24 sheets of
paper and placed one end to the woman's chest and placed the
other end to his ear. Not only did he discover that the sounds
were transmitted through the paper, but the sounds were louder
and clearer. From then on, Laennec devoted the majority of his
life to developing this instrument.

The medical stethoscope has undergone many significant
developments since Laennec's time. A binaural instrument was
developed by G.P. Cammann, a New York physician, at the
beginning of the 20th century. This instrument consisted of two
earpieces with flexible rubber tubing that connected them to a
two branched metal chest cone. This enabled sound to be heard in
both ears while the instrument's flexibility allowed the
physician to listen to various areas of the body without
changing position. By the end of the 19th century, flexible,
binaural stethoscopes were quite common. Although some
detracting physicians felt the invention weakened the
physician's powers of diagnosis, the instrument nevertheless has
remained the most important of all diagnostic instruments in the
medical profession. Developments and innovations continue to be
made to this day.

Medical and cardiac stethoscopes have undergone many
innovations since their inception. To evaluate some of the
latest innovations in this technology, click the links below:

Electronic Stethoscopes
These units amplify sound and some units make it possible for
several clinicians to listen to a particular organ at the same
time.

Pediatric Stethoscopes
These units feature a unique raised diaphragm for greater sound
amplification.

Fetal Doppler Ultrasound Stethoscopes
These units allow you to detect the fetal heart rate as early
as 9 weeks, confirm fetal life throughout pregnancy, and assess
fetal heart rate and rhythm during labor and delivery.


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stethoscopes.