• Stethoscope •

Greek for “chest” & “I view”

The first “stethoscope” was constructed of stacked paper rolled into a solid cylinder shape by Rene’ Laennec, a French physician, in 1816. After great success he would make new models out of wood. Prior to this invention physicians would place their ear to the patient’s chest to hear sounds of the lungs and heart. This type of stethoscope is called a “Monaural” stethoscope due to it having only one earpiece. To make your very own simple working model see the instructions below. Monaural stethoscopes for listening to an unborn baby’s heartbeat are still made today. As time went on many other stethoscopes were developed and made from different materials such as various woods (pine, ebony, cedar), metallic wire tubing, gutta-percha, ivory, metal, India rubber. . .

1829 - Binaural Stethoscopes (two earpiece models) make their debut, but not with much success by a doctor in Dublin. 

1860s - The Camman Stethoscope, a binaural model with a bell shaped chest piece is now considered the standard for superior “auscultation” (to listen to sounds in the chest) by American physicians (see illustration above). It would soon be followed by the Ford model.

1890s - A physician & surgeon supply catalog offers stethoscopes from 40 cents for a simple wooden monaural model up to $4.00 for a fancier binaural example.

1898 - The Bowles Stethoscope with its diaphragm chest piece in a flat-iron shape appears. These would be joined by the “combination stethoscopes” in 1902 - having both bell & diaphragm chest pieces for better diagnosis.

1900 - The “Cardiophone” an early electronic instrument to help augment heart sounds arrives on the medical scene. Today’s electronic stethoscopes, powered by two hearing aid batteries, can amplify superbly up to 100 times.

Make Your Own Simple Monaural Stethoscope

• Supplies Needed •

2 small plastic kitchen Funnels (funnel opening to be no larger than 3 inches in diameter and with a 1/2 inch diameter spout). These can be purchased at 99c discount stores or grocery stores (we purchased ours at a “Greenbacks” discount store).

Rubber Tubing (1 piece 18 inches long, 5/8 inch diameter or enough of an opening to snugly fit over the funnel spout as in the photo above). Rubber or vinyl tubing can be purchased at hardware or home improvement stores in the pond/garden or plumbing department for approx. 15 - 24 cents per foot.

All there is to it is to take your piece of rubber tubing and insert a funnel into each end. Place one end of your “stethoscope” to your ear and the other funnel end over your heart. You may have to find a quiet area to listen to your heart beat, but it will work. Notice how the heart sounds and the speed of the beating. Does it sound different when you are calm? How about when you are excited or after exercising? Why does that happen? Enlist the help of a parent or grandparent and try your stethoscope with them. Is their heartbeat different than yours? 

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