When Were Stethoscopes First Used?

Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laënnec (1781–1826) was a French physician who, in 1816, invented the stethoscope. Using this new instrument, he investigated the sounds made by the heart and lungs and determined that his diagnoses were supported by the observations made during autopsies.

What did doctors use before stethoscopes?

Wee (aka urine flasks) If the stethoscope became the symbol of a new approach to medicine and diagnosis, the most obvious representation of the earlier, humoral approach was a flask of urine.

When did stethoscopes become common?

Thus in 1816 the first stethoscope was born. Many developments and modifications were made as the use of the stethoscope became more popular. In 1828 Pierre Adolphe Piorry included the concept of the diaphragm, whereby an ivory chest piece acted as a pleximeter.