Laennec's stethoscope

Made:
1815-1825 in France
maker:
René Théophile Hyacinthe Laennec
Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820 Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820 Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820 Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820 Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c1820 Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c1820 Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c1820 Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820 Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820 Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820 Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820 Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820 Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820 Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820 Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820 Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820

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Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c1820
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c1820
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c1820
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

Laennec stethoscope made by Laennec, c.1820

In 1816, the French doctor René Laennec listened to a young woman's heart through a tube of rolled-up paper to avoid the embarrassment and impropriety of putting his ear to her chest. He called his invention the stethoscope (from the Greek word for chest, stethos), and went on to make wooden versions like this early example. The famous binaural stethoscope came into use in the 1840s.

The stethoscope is labelled as follows: "This is one of Laennec's original stethoscopes, and it was presented by him to Dr Bégin a French Army surgeon whose widow gave it to me in 1863."

Details

Category:
Clinical Diagnosis
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A106078
Materials:
whole, wood, whole, brass and whole, string
Measurements:
overall: 243 mm 39 mm, .173 kg
type:
stethoscope and monaural stethoscope
credit:
Humphreys, E.