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#TBT: Merci, Dr. Laënnec, inventor of the stethoscope

  • 1.  #TBT: Merci, Dr. Laënnec, inventor of the stethoscope

    Posted 08-19-2021 10:20:00 AM

    Écoute ca! The stethoscope may be one of the most widely recognized symbols of medicine (yes, you too caduceus). So in this season of white coat ceremonies and stethoscope presentations, we throwback to 1816 when this seminal instrument of medicine was invented by Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laënnec. One day Dr. Laënnec, a French physician, found himself in the embarrassing position of having to listen to the heartbeat of a woman whose age and “plumpness” discouraged him from using the standard ear-to-the-chest technique. Recalling some basic principles of acoustics, he set to work on a solution. After 3 years of testing and prototyping, he developed a wooden tube that amplified chest sounds—the first stethoscope. 

    Laënnec’s stethoscope
    Laënnec’s stethoscope: 1) instrument assembled; 2) and
    3) two portions of the instrument in longitudinal section; 4) detachable chest piece;
    5) ear piece unscrewed; 6) transverse section.
    Photo courtesy of the US National Library of Medicine.

     



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    Stephanie Weiner
    Director, Digital Strategy & Engagement
    Association of American Medical Colleges
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