Name/Title
Stethoscope, LaennecDescription
This Laennec stethoscope was originally owned by paper-mâché anatomy designer Dr. Louis Auzoux
The discovery of the stethoscope, Greek for “I look into the chest,” is credited to René Laennec (1781-1826), a French physician who invented this instrument after examining a patient in 1816. In order to listen to her chest and at the same time preserve decorum, Laennec rolled up twenty-four sheets of paper and was surprised to find that the sounds were transmitted with more intensity than by simply placing his ear against his patient’s chest.
Above is a mural painting by Theobald Chartran (1849-1907) of Laënnec listening to a patient at the Necker Hospital. That patient had tuberculosis from which Laennec eventually died.Dimensions
Height
13 inWidth
1 inDepth
1 inCondition
Overall Condition
GoodDate Examined
Jul 8, 2026Create Date
July 8, 2026Update Date
August 26, 2026
