Reviews of “Stethoscope”

written by Janna Vink

03/05/23

Maastricht-In November 2022, Anna Harris and Tom Rice published "Stethoscope," a book on the history of the iconic medical device. The book has been reviewed or mentioned in various publications.

In an article in the Sunday Post, Harris and Rice are interviewed and discuss why the stethoscope has become a symbol of medicine itself. In this interview they explain why they became interested in the stethoscope’s history, and more about the role and purpose of the stethoscope. Read the full article here.

The book has been reviewed by Brian Elliott in H-Net Reviews. Elliott notes that the authors' account of the implications of the discovery of the stethoscope is insightful. He writes that “the influence of the stethoscope is multiplied by every physician who dons one, making it not just an icon, but one of the most impactful medical inventions in history. This ubiquity makes it even more important to understand the stethoscope’s cultural impact, a task at which Stethoscope exceeds expectations. Stethoscope offers a concise cultural history of a quintessential medical icon. Through a review of literature, art, and less renowned cultural contexts, Harris and Rice present a new take on a well-told history”. Read the full review here.

Another article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine highlights the book's focus on the stethoscope's cultural context. Johanna Kuroczik, the writer of the article, argues that at a time when virtual patients and telemedicine are on the rise, heart sounds and lung rattles can easily be understood digitally. However, as noted by the authors, the stethoscope is receiving less and less attention in medical studies, and auscultation is becoming a dying skill, at least in affluent countries. But in the so-called global south, where doctors have limited access to technology, the stethoscope remains essential. Even here, Kuroczik argues, we must ask ourselves what kind of doctors we have if they are unable to perform without CT, MRI, and ultrasound. The stethoscope has spread throughout the world, yet its use remains an art that not everyone has mastered. Read the full article here.

Find more information about the book Stethoscope.

You can find additional details regarding the workshops and overall program here.

You are welcome to join us anytime! Some of our events and free workshops require registration. Apply for the workshops here.

Anna and Kaisu before the evening talk; the set-up

The podcast was recorded just before the Training the Senses lecture on the 17^th May 2022.

Listen to the full podcast here.

In this seminar, Anna explored how spatial imagination is taught in the specific setting of the medical school. She discussed the physical, sensory learning that the Making Clinical Sense research team encountered in medical schools in Ghana, Hungary, and the Netherlands. She explored the practices, places, and objects used by teachers in crafting spatial imaginations and what these materials do. In her talk she showed that this type of learning opens up a different kind of knowledge compared to virtual and online educational environments.

Read the full article via this link, enjoy!

This discussion was of much interest to ethnographers, qualitative researchers, and other scientists looking to share datasets in a meaningful way.

The exhibition showcases artifacts used in the classroom to teach the diagnosis of eye disorders. The exhibition also invites you to actively engage. You can for example listen to the experiences of individuals with visual impairments and how they perceive their world with and without corrective lenses. And if you have a story of your own to share, the exhibition provides a platform to do so digitally! For those of you feeling creative, there’s also an exciting opportunity to take a closer look at your own eyes and draw them. In this way, you can notice the intricate details that make them unique.

Come to Hae, Sint Jacobstraat 5, Maastricht to explore yourself! The exhibition is open until March 10th.

The full text can be read via this link.

Enjoy reading!

Stethoscope is be available for order via the following link.

We closed the day with some celebratory drinks at Thiessens with our friends from the Skills Lab too, where we were invited to take a look at their wine cellar.

All in all, it was a pleasure to celebrate the hard work of all the authors and advisors and to launch the new book: Making Sense of Medicine!

View all entries

Reviews of “Stethoscope”

Reviews of “Stethoscope”

Making Together

Operation Mango: A conversation