René Laennec

René-Théophile-Hyacinthe Laennec was a French physician and musician. His skill of carving his own wooden flutes led him to invent the stethoscope in 1816, while working at the Hôpital Necker. He pioneered its usage in diagnosing various chest conditions. His final appointments were that of head of the medical clinic at the Hôpital de la Charité and professor at the Collège de France.