A medical instrument used to amplify and listen to sounds produced within the human body.
The physician uses the stethoscope by putting the tips of the two narrow tubes in his or her ears, and placing the round section against the patient's body.
Many people have had the experience of sitting undressed before a doctor, and being told, "OK, take a deep breath." Nowadays, there is a new electric stethoscope which can pick up sounds even through one's clothing, so these experiences may soon become very rare.
Historically speaking, the first stethoscope, invented by a clinician in France in 1816, was made of thick paper rolled into the shape of a cylinder. Today there are two kinds of stethoscopes: the tubular type, and the type with two earpieces. The second type, which is more common, is the one enclosed in the time capsule.