Stethoscope (2019.06.016)
Dublin Core
Title
Stethoscope (2019.06.016)
Subject
Nebraska State Tuberculosis Hospital, Stethoscope, Dr. Burton Bancroft, Artifact
Description
Pieces of a stethoscope, with only one metal binaual side. The tube is hard, red rubber and in eight pieces of varying sizes. NOTE: Red rubber tubing is extremely brittle. Use extreme care when handling.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: There is information about Dr. Burton Bancroft in the Frank Museum archives, as well as in the paper accession record. AW ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Since the advent of medicine, doctors recognized the importance that the heart and the lungs played in health, and that listening to them allowed doctors to diagnose ailments. The act of listening to the heart/lungs is called auscultation. Prior to the invention of the stethoscope, doctors would place their ear directly on the patient’s chest or back, or alternatively doctors placed their hands on the chest or back, though the hand method was less effective. The first stethoscope was invented by French doctor Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laënnec in 1816. Dr. Laënnec was attempting to diagnose a young woman and after failing to find a good heartbeat with his hand and reluctant to place his ear on the woman’s chest or back, Dr. Laënnec rolled up a piece of paper in the shape of a funnel and used that instead. Dr. Laënnec was surprised that not only could he hear the heartbeat, the paper amplified the sound. Soon after, Dr. Laënnec invented the first stethoscope, which was a long, wooden trumpet shaped device, very similar to ear trumpets. The device worked by placing the large end on the chest and the doctor would listen by placing their ear on the other end. Dr. Laënnec would continue to work and improve his design over the years. The device was soon used to diagnose all types of heart and lung issues, and the medical community widely adopted it, though some doctors resisted using it preferring the old methods of direct contact instead. Later in 1851 an Irish doctor, Arthur Leared, would invent a stethoscope where the doctor used both their ears, however, it still used the horn design to listen.The device was refined by George Cammann. Though some doctors had concerns that using both their ears would create imbalances, these concerns quickly subsided. In 1961, Dr. David Littmann, a Harvard doctor specializing in cardiology and professor, created a stethoscope that instead of using a horn, used a chest piece. This device better filtered out background noises, but most importantly it could be adjusted to listen to a wide range of pitches. The design was bought by 3M and mass produced, and the device changed little. Later in 1999, Dr. Richard Deslauriers created the electric stethoscope, which could record and playback noises. Despite this development and the development of more advanced stethoscopes, Littmann’s basic design is still widely used today (2022). Though a stethoscope alone cannot diagnose tuberculosis, it can help diagnose the disease. Tuberculosis can fill the lungs with liquid, and when a person breathes in a “crackling” sound can be heard when listening with a stethoscope. This alone cannot diagnose someone with tuberculosis as this “crackling” sound can be caused by other ailments, but when in combination with other tests it can lead to a tuberculosis diagnosis. Information gathered from: The National Library of Medicine’s collection of Clinical Medicine & Research (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1570491/) The American Lung Association (https://www.lung.org/blog/stethoscopes-history#:~:text=The%20origins%20of%20the%20stethoscope,using%20it%20as%20a%20funnel) The American Diagnostic Corporation (https://www.adctoday.com/learning-center/about-stethoscopes/history-stethoscope) Cureus (https://www.cureus.com/articles/103799-the-history-and-evolution-of-the-stethoscope) Excel Medical (https://www.excel-medical.com/the-use-of-a-stethoscope-in-detecting-tuberculosis/). Information compiled by Logan Osmera.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: There is information about Dr. Burton Bancroft in the Frank Museum archives, as well as in the paper accession record. AW ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Since the advent of medicine, doctors recognized the importance that the heart and the lungs played in health, and that listening to them allowed doctors to diagnose ailments. The act of listening to the heart/lungs is called auscultation. Prior to the invention of the stethoscope, doctors would place their ear directly on the patient’s chest or back, or alternatively doctors placed their hands on the chest or back, though the hand method was less effective. The first stethoscope was invented by French doctor Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laënnec in 1816. Dr. Laënnec was attempting to diagnose a young woman and after failing to find a good heartbeat with his hand and reluctant to place his ear on the woman’s chest or back, Dr. Laënnec rolled up a piece of paper in the shape of a funnel and used that instead. Dr. Laënnec was surprised that not only could he hear the heartbeat, the paper amplified the sound. Soon after, Dr. Laënnec invented the first stethoscope, which was a long, wooden trumpet shaped device, very similar to ear trumpets. The device worked by placing the large end on the chest and the doctor would listen by placing their ear on the other end. Dr. Laënnec would continue to work and improve his design over the years. The device was soon used to diagnose all types of heart and lung issues, and the medical community widely adopted it, though some doctors resisted using it preferring the old methods of direct contact instead. Later in 1851 an Irish doctor, Arthur Leared, would invent a stethoscope where the doctor used both their ears, however, it still used the horn design to listen.The device was refined by George Cammann. Though some doctors had concerns that using both their ears would create imbalances, these concerns quickly subsided. In 1961, Dr. David Littmann, a Harvard doctor specializing in cardiology and professor, created a stethoscope that instead of using a horn, used a chest piece. This device better filtered out background noises, but most importantly it could be adjusted to listen to a wide range of pitches. The design was bought by 3M and mass produced, and the device changed little. Later in 1999, Dr. Richard Deslauriers created the electric stethoscope, which could record and playback noises. Despite this development and the development of more advanced stethoscopes, Littmann’s basic design is still widely used today (2022). Though a stethoscope alone cannot diagnose tuberculosis, it can help diagnose the disease. Tuberculosis can fill the lungs with liquid, and when a person breathes in a “crackling” sound can be heard when listening with a stethoscope. This alone cannot diagnose someone with tuberculosis as this “crackling” sound can be caused by other ailments, but when in combination with other tests it can lead to a tuberculosis diagnosis. Information gathered from: The National Library of Medicine’s collection of Clinical Medicine & Research (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1570491/) The American Lung Association (https://www.lung.org/blog/stethoscopes-history#:~:text=The%20origins%20of%20the%20stethoscope,using%20it%20as%20a%20funnel) The American Diagnostic Corporation (https://www.adctoday.com/learning-center/about-stethoscopes/history-stethoscope) Cureus (https://www.cureus.com/articles/103799-the-history-and-evolution-of-the-stethoscope) Excel Medical (https://www.excel-medical.com/the-use-of-a-stethoscope-in-detecting-tuberculosis/). Information compiled by Logan Osmera.
Date
ca. 1950s
Contributor
For all objects in accession # 2019.06: Doctor's bag, medical equipment, medicine, and other items all originally belonged to Dr. Burton Bancroft who came to Kearney is 1956 and was the first trained surgeon in the community, according to John Bancroft- Dr. Burton Bancroft's son who found the the doctor's bag in a closet. The bag contained all of the items within accession record #2019.06. Dr. Bancroft occasionally provided aid to patients at the Nebraska State Hospital for Tuberculosis in Kearney, NE.
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Metal & Rubber Stethoscope
Collection
Citation
“Stethoscope (2019.06.016),” Museums and Material Culture (Fall 2023), accessed October 1, 2024, https://mail.unkpublichistory.reclaim.hosting/items/show/369.