The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-09-24
PHONENDOSCOPE.
A WONDERFUL INsTRpMENT
AND THE WORK 1T DOES.
It Transmits Sounds which Tell
Whether the Internal Organs Are
Healthy and Traces Their
Outlines on the Skin.

mission o few days ago, writes
Garrett p. Serviss in the New
York World, l witnessed very inter.
esting revelation of the power OF mod.
ern science tn penetrate tho secrets of
the human body. although they are in.
visible to the eye, and even when they
escape the piercing glance of the won.
nerful X.rays of DR.. Roentgen.
II may be allowed to use such an
expression, saw with my ears. A
man stripped to the waist stood in the
centre of circle of doctors, each oil
whom held in his ears a pair of aexi-
bic tubes connected with a small round
box Of black rubber, which was
pressed against the patients breast. A
pair of tubes was also handed to me,
and was asked to listen.
While we all listened intently Pro.
fessor Bianchi, distinguished visitor
from Parma, whose achievements in
medical pathology have won for him
the order OF Chovalier of the Crown of
Italy, gently rubbed his finger upon
the mans skin over the spot where the
heart is usually located. Immediate.
ly We heard murmuring sound, and
the circle of doctors expressed salts.
faction with grnnted exclamations and
mods. Suddenly, while the Professor
continued drawing his finger in larger
and larger circles across the mans
breast, the sound ceased.
"Ah There is no longer the heart
there" said the Professor. ave have
touched the end of it," Whereupon he
dabbed blue pencil mark upon the
skin, to indicate the point where his
finger had arrived when the sound
stopped. The patient twisted Ills eyes
downward aud stared wonderingly Mt
the mark. There was touch of fear
in his look, which increased as the pro.
ceedings were continued.
Professor Bianchi resumed his rub
bing, while the doctors and / stuffed
the tubes once more into our ears. As
long as the Professors finger was over
the heart we heard the murmuring
sound, but the instant the fingor
passed beyond the boundaries of the
hidden organ there was dead silence
in the tube. And at every cessation Of
the sound the 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 n huge, mis-.
shapen heart, strangely shifted to u
position almost directly under the
chin. But was glad, for the patients
sake, to hear the doctors say that 1T
was not very bad heart, after oil.
Next the same method was employed
to outline the position and shape of
the lungs, the liver, the stomach and
other organs, and, ut the end of half
an hour the mans body, front and
back alike, was covered with an iptri-
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
in the tubes. The practiced ear, l
was told, could detect u difference in
the quality of the sound given by diff
ferent organs of the body, but to me
they all sounded nearly alike, except
that when the patient was caused to
swallow little water n change in the
sound given forth from the stomach
was clearly perceptible.
At hasty glance the thing may up.
pear somewhat mysterious. Bat, there
is really no mystery about it whatever.
The instrument with which the opera.
ton is conducted is called tho "pho-
nendoscope," ana is the invention of
Professor Bianchi. 1t may be called eu
outgrowth OF the "stethescope, which
physicians have used IN various forms
for many years, but it differs entirely
from that instrument in it's structure
and the delicGcy OF It's action. 1t de-
pends upon the well known fuct that
all the organs OF the body are subject
to vibratory motion, and that these
vibrations may be conveyed to the ear
of the physician in the form of sound.
A very simple case is that where o ply
sician listens to the sound given forth
by the lungs. Another instance fire.
quently witnessed. is the examination
of some organ supposed to be diseased
by tapping with the finger, or a small
hammer, upon the surface of the body.
The trained ear OF the physician de-
tects the condition of the organ under
examination through the character of
the sound which it gives forth Gs it
vibrates under his strokes.
The phonendOscope accomplishes all
this moro perfectly and easily by
transmitting TO the ears OF the examin-
er sounds that could not be perceived
at all by the older methods. 1t is, in
fact, kind OF telephone connecting
the internal organs with the outer
world. 1t consists OF hollow box,
about as big as large.sized watch.
furnished with two vibrating mem
braues. On one side short staff,
terminated with button, serves to
put the telephone boz in contact with
the body OF the patient, the button