Description

A good example of a Bazzi and Bianchi Phonendoscope, cased and in good condition

This is copied from Woods Library and Museum of Anaesthesiology-In 1894, Italian physicians Eugenio Bazzi and Aurelio Bianchi introduced their new instrument for listening to the sounds made by the body’s organs. The metal base was fitted with an inner diaphragm and a removable outer disc, both made of rubber. A metal rod holding a smaller rubber disk was inserted into the center, and it was this part which was placed on the patient’s skin. Two short metal rods were fitted into the back of the base, which connected to two long rubber tubes. The tubes connected at the opposite end to small, glass ear pieces that could be inserted into the auditory canal. The length of the tubes permitted two persons to listen simultaneously. The inventors claimed that the phonendoscope was more sensitive and accurate than other stethoscopes. Although this claim was soon disputed, it remained in production for over 40 years.