The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-11-03
PHONEND0SCOPE.
! WONDERFUL INSTRUMENT
AND THE WORK IT DOES.
VI Transmits Sounds Which Tell
Whether the Internal Organs Are
Healthy and Traces Their
Outlines on the Skin.

| which had the privilege of al.
MISSION few days ago, writes
| . Garrett p. ServiSs in the New
York Void, / witnessed a very inter
esting revelation Of the power Of mod
ern science to penetrate the secrets of
tho human body, although they are \
visible to the eye, aud even when thew
escape the piercing glance OF the won
nerful X-rays of DR.. Roeutgen.
If / may be allowed to use such an
expression, | saw with my ears. A
man stripped TO the waist stood in the
centre of a circle of doctors, each oil
whom held in his ears pair OF fexi.
bic tubes connected It'll small ronnd
box of black rubber, which was
pressed against the patients breast. 4
| pair Of tubes was also handed to me.
and | was asked to listen.
While We all listened intcntlv Pro
/ lessor Bianchi, distinguished visitor
from Parma, whose achievements in
medical pathology have won for him
the order o. ChevalIer of the Crown Of
Italy, gently rubbed his finger upon
the mans skin over the spot where the
heart Is usually located. Immediate.
=
the circle of doctors expressed salts.
| faction with grunted ordinations and
mods. Suddenly, while the Professor
continued drawing his finger in larger
AMI larger circles across the mans
breast, the sound ceased.
''Ah! There is no longer the heart
there, said the Professor. owe have
touched the end of it. " Whereupon he
dabbei a blue pencil mark upon the
skin, to indicate the point where his
finger had arrived when the sound
stopped. The patient twisted lis eyes
downward aud stared wonderingly at
the mark. There was a touch of fear
in his look, which increased rs the pro.
ceedings were continued.
Professor Bianchi resumed his rub
bing, while the doctors aud I stuffed
the tubes once more into our ears. As
long as the Professors finger was over
the heart we heard the murmuriny
sound, but the instant the finger
passed beyond the boundaries of the
hidden organ there was dead silence
in the tube. And at every cessation of
the sound tie pencil, followed by the
strained eyes of the patient, made its
mark on the Skin. This operation was
continued for several minutes, at the
expiration Of which there appeared.
clearly drawn In blue upon the mans
breast, the outline of a huge, mis-.
shapen heart, strangely shifted TO a
position almost directly under the
chin. BIT / was glad, for the patients
sake, to hear the doctors say that 1t
was not very bad heart, after all.
Next the same method was employed
to outline the position and shape of
the lungs, the liver, the stomach and
other organs, and, at the end OF half
an hour the mans body, front and
back alike, was covered with an intri.
cate series of outline pictures showing
his internal structure and condition.
Any defect In the form or position Of
An organ and the existence of diseased
places in the lungs was indicated at
once by the sound or absence of sound
n the tubes. The practiced ear,
was tod, could detect a difference in
the quality Of the sound given by diff
.erent organs of the body, but to me
hey all sounded nearly alike, except
hat when the patient was caused to
swallow a little water a change in the
sound given forth from the stomach
was clearly perceptible.
At hasty glance the thing may APP
pear somewhat mysterious. But, there
Is really no mystery about it whatever.
Ihe instrument with which the opera
ion is conducted is called the "pho.
lendOscope," and is the invention of
Professor Bianchi. 1t may be called an
outgrowth of the "stethescope, " which
physicians have used IN various forms
.or many years, but it differs entirely
rom that instrument in its structure
and the delicacy OF its action. II de-
bends upon the well known fact that
All the organs OF the body are subject
vibratory motion, and that these
vibrations may be conveyed to the ear
II the physician in the form OF sound.
! very simple case Is that where o ply.
.ician listens % the sound given forth
~ the lungs Another instance fire.
4uently witnessed, is the examination
VI some organ supposed 20 be diseased
ny tapping with the finger, or a small
MANNER, upon the surface Of the BODY.
The trained ear Of the physician de-
ects the condition OF the organ under
examination through the character OF
be sound which 1t gives forth ne 30
yIDrates under hIs strOkes
The phOnendoscope accOmplishes all
ibis more perfectly and easily by
rnusmItting 70 the ears o! the examin.
r sounds that could not be perceived
At all by the older methods. It is, in
TACT, kind of telephone connecting
the internal organs with the outer
world. II consists of 3 hollow box.
a5out u.s. big as q large-sizod watch.
furnished with two vibrating mem
braues. On one side q short stat.
terminated with a button, serves 90
out the telephone box 70 contact with
the body = the patient tho button
1eiDg pressed firmly on the surface
lust over the organ 90 be examined
)n the opposite side flexible tubes arc
attached which convey the sounds
from the box 90 the ears OF the oper-
ttor, or operators, for, as J have re-
1tel n tho beginning, several per
sons may listen TO the sounds at the
same time.
/ saw several patients examined
with the phoncndoscopc wuiie was at
ra .,frrrr ...., ....... I..