Stethoscope

Hello there. I am a stethoscope. You have probably seen me hanging around a doctor’s neck. I have two little earpieces and a round part that feels cool on your tummy. Before I was invented, it was very hard for doctors to hear the important sounds inside your body. They couldn't hear the thump-thump-thump of your strong heart. But then, a very kind doctor had a wonderful idea, and I was born to help.

My story begins a long, long time ago, on a special day in 1816. A kind doctor named René Laennec was taking a walk. He saw some children playing a fun game. They were tapping on one end of a big, hollow log, and their friends on the other end could hear the sounds perfectly. It was like a secret message. This gave Dr. Laennec a super smart idea. He went back to help someone feel better but couldn't hear their heartbeat very well. He remembered the children and their log game. He took a piece of paper, rolled it up tight into a tube, and gently placed one end on the person's chest. He put his ear to the other end and, WOW. He could hear the heartbeat loud and clear. That little paper tube was the very first me.

I wasn't a paper tube for long. Soon, I was made of wood, which made the sounds even clearer. As time went on, I changed more and more until I looked like I do today, with soft earpieces for the doctor and a shiny circle to listen to you. My job is the best job in the world. I get to listen to your body’s amazing music. I listen to your heart’s happy drumbeat and the soft whoosh of your breath. I help doctors make sure you are healthy and strong so you can run, play, and giggle all day long.