René-Théophile-Hyacinthe Laënnec (February 17, 1781- August 13, 1826), French physician; inventor of the stethoscope. Dr. Laënnec was born in Quimper, Brittany and studied medicine at the Charité hospital, Paris qualifying in 1804. He invented the stethoscope in 1816, whilst working at the Hôpital Necker.
He described several medical conditions including bronchiectasis and cirrhosis. However his largest contribution to medicine was regarding tuberculosis (TB). Somewhat unfortunately, he contracted TB himself. Cirrhosis of the liver is occasionally still called Laënnec's cirrhosis, as Laënnec was one of the first to recognise this problem as a disease entity. His final appointments were that of Head of the Medical Clinic at Charité hospital and Professor at the Collège de France.
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