History of Science 2220 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Thomas Sydenham, Stethoscope, French Revolution

• School: Western University
• Department: History of Science
• Course: History of Science 2220
• Professor: Dorotea Gucciardo

Document Summary

How to asses health symptoms before stethoscope. Before the stethoscope the doctor listened to your subjectively telling of yourself. Stethoscope: for doctor to determine what is going on in the body without dissecting. Makes it a lot easier for doctors to diagnosis and asses patients. Allowing for doctors to see the value of knowing anatomy and knowing the body in relation to dissection how they can use their knowledge in the process of diagnosing a patient. Changes in the body were hidden until that patient died, did not know what exactly was causing anatomical change (dying or disease), even if they knew; there was nothing they could do about it. Physical diagnosis was not logical in the 18th century, especially for those who did not see beyond galen. Physical diagnosis becomes relevant by most doctors by the 19th century. Its roots are from the 17th century = sensualism. Sensualism one must use all 5 senses to experience the world.