Flexible Monaural Stethoscopes
A unique Piorry Flexible stethoscope made of wood, ivory and horn, c. 1835. Note that the typical Piorry ear plate and chest piece are attached to the flexible tube. The stethoscope is shown assembled and with the the pieces are taken apart.
An early model flexible stethoscope made with pewter ear piece and chest piece, c. 1832.
Arnold's model flexible stethoscope also made with a wood ear piece and chest piece c. 1885.
Very interesting piece in that it combines the binaural ear piece of a stethoscope with a very long tube and wide bell characteristic of a hearing aid or conversation tube. In fact, this piece is neither a stethoscope or hearing aid, but rather a "re-educative binaural tube to enable the patient to read or speak to himself and thus stimulate the dormant auditory centre by natural means of the voice" in order to treat middle ear deafness (Mayer&Phelps, c. 1931).
Golding Bird flexible monaural stethoscope, c. 1841