Stethoscope

Applying a stethoscope produces some funny messages in certain situations:

Applying to a corpse, when hallucinating:
"You hear a voice say, "It's dead, Jim."

Applying to a statue:
"The grid bug seems to be in excellent health for a statue."

Trying to apply it to an invalid location:
"You hear a faint typing noise."

A medical instrument which consists of a couple of earpieces, a bell and/or diaphragm and tubing connecting it all together. It works by transmitting sound and enables the doctor or nurse to hear sounds at the other end of the stethoscope.

Essentially, a stethoscope exists for the purpose of eliminating the need for a doctor to directly place his/her ear on the patient to hear sounds. It just would not be elegant for a doctor to listen several times on a patients by leaning against the patient.

Use of the stethoscope is necessary for the auscultation bit of the physical examination.

Steth"o*scope (?), n. [Gr. the breast + -scope: cf. F. st'ethoscope.] Med.

An instrument used in auscultation for examining the organs of the chest, as the heart and lungs, by conveying to the ear of the examiner the sounds produced in the thorax.

© Webster 1913.

Steth"o*scope, v. t.

To auscultate, or examine, with a stethoscope.

M. W. Savage.

© Webster 1913.