Paste and Metal Medical Stethoscope, Good Condition. XIX Century

Medical stethoscope made in the 19th century and in very good condition. This curious object is a fully original piece worthy of a good collection or a museum of scientific and medical antiques. The stethoscope is made of a paste that imitates wood and metal pieces that reinforce it and provide the design with a remarkable aesthetic interest. It is composed of two parts: the base, circular in shape and with a protuberance at the top, and the removable rod. The protuberance has a top hole where the rod must be inserted so the doctor can listen to the sounds. It has also a side hole to insert the rod when the instrument is not in use. In spite of being quite old, this device is well preserved and could perfectly be used: the user must just insert the rod in the top hole of the base, put this piece against the laying patients chest and listen through the funnel-shaped end. The stethoscope was developed by the French physician René Laënnec who published his invention in 1816. It is believed that the doctor designed the instrument so he could listen to his patients chests without touching it with his ear, something that he considered quite embarrassing. This attractive antique stethoscope is a collectors piece, very ancient and a hundred per cent original. Measurements: