Auenbrugger, L
Full Name: Leopold von Auenbrugger
Achievements: Developed the percussion (tapping) technique for chest examination.
Born: November 19, 1722; Graz, Austria
Died: May 17, 1809; Vienna, Austria (Aged 85)
Field & Discipline: Medicine; Physician
Language: German
Father: Unknown
Mother: Unknown
Siblings: Unknown
Spouse: Unknown
Children: Unknown
Education: University of Vienna
Major Work:
“Inventum Novum” (1761)
Life & Times:
Auenbrugger studied medicine in Vienna, graduated in 1752 and gained his clinical experience working at the Spanish Hospital in Vienna, where, in 1758 he was appointed chief physician. He saw many patients with fluid in their chests and applied the technique he’d used in his father’s inn (to calculate the amount and location of fluid in a cask) by tapping the surface of the chest. The technique was known as ‘percussion.’ The tone of the sound changed when the organs of the chest were affected by disease. For example, a fingertip tap on a healthy chest surface sounds like a tap on a drum. A disease in the chest cavity produces a higher sound, an indistinct sound, or a dull sound, depending on which part of the patient’s chest is affected.
Auenbrugger was also interested in music, wrote the libretto for a comic opera by [wrote libretto for] Salieri* and his musical ability undoubted played a part in the development of his tapping technique. During his time at the Spanish Hospital, Auenbrugger was able to check his findings by post-mortem dissections and by experiment. Knowledge of pathological anatomy had improved over the previous fifty years, mainly due to the work of the Italian anatomist, [work related to] Morgagni*. In 1761 Auenbrugger described his work in “Inventum Novum.”
In 1762 he left the hospital and set up in private medical practice in Vienna. His work was reviewed in a number of journals, the first mention probably written for a London publication by the doctor/playwright [reviewed by] Goldsmith*. It was also reviewed by [reviewed by] von Haller*. Auenbrugger was ennobled in 1784 by the Austrian Emperor (Joseph II).
His percussion technique became more widely known after [translated by] Corvisart* translated “Inventum Novum” into French in 1808. From then on percussion was used by progressive doctors such as [influenced] Louis* and the technique did much to substantiate the advances in anatomy by [substantiated work of] Bichat*. The listening technique used in percussion was also employed by [influenced] Marey* who invented the sphygmograph in the ninteenth century.
Extra Connections: He influenced the work of [influenced] Flint* and [influenced] Laennec*
Assessment: Auenbrugger developed the technique of percussion, which has remained a valuable aid to diagnosis.
Oneliner: Leopold von Auenbrugger, inventor of chest-tapping
Bibliography:
- Dictionary of Scientific Biography.
- Encyclopedia Britannica.