Binaural DeLee and Hillis obstetric stethoscope, made by V. Mueller and Co., American, 1915-1950

V. Mueller and Company in America made this binaural stethoscope. It is designed with a head rest. It was intended for use by obstetricians. The stethoscope freed the specialist’s hands to move the foetus to detect different sounds.

Listening to the internal sounds of the body is known as ‘auscultation’. Auscultation of the foetal heart beat was first described by F. I. Mayor of Geneva in 1818. During the 20th century, foetal heart monitoring became a routine method of checking the condition of the baby before and during birth.