Sibson type combined percussor and pleximeter, United Kingdom, 1855-1865

Combined percussor and pleximeter, in case, Sibson type Combined percussor and pleximeter, in case, Sibson type Combined percussor and pleximeter, in case, Sibson type

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

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Combined percussor and pleximeter, in case, Sibson type
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Combined percussor and pleximeter, in case, Sibson type
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Combined percussor and pleximeter, in case, Sibson type
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Combined percussor and pleximeter, in case, Sibson type

Leopold Auenbrugger (1722-1809) discovered the diagnostic value of percussion in Vienna in 1781. He tapped the chest or another body part and listened to the resonant quality of the sounds. When a healthy patient’s chest is tapped it produces a hollow sound. Fluid congestion or certain diseases alter the sound to a dull, flat thud. This is an example of a combined pleximeter and percussor. It was developed by Francis Sibson (1814-1876) in the 1850s. The ivory pleximeter was held on the skin. It was tapped with the hammer-like rubber-tipped percussor suspended within the instrument. The belief was this gave clearer sounds than using the fingers.

Details

Category:
Clinical Diagnosis
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A600058
Materials:
ivory, wood (unidentified), brass (copper, zinc alloy), steel (metal), leather and complete
Measurements:
overall - case closed: 39 mm x 150 mm x 52 mm, .116 kg
overall - case open: 33 mm x 154 mm x 105 mm, .116 kg
type:
percussor, pleximeter
credit:
Parkes Weber