Google marks stethoscope inventor Rene Laennec's 235th birthday with a doodle

Google is celebrating the 235th birth anniversary of French physician Rene Laennec, who invented the stethoscope. The indispensable medical instrument fundamentally changed the way that lung and heart problems are detected and diagnosed.

The doodle shows the original stethoscope from way back in the 1800s to the modern version that uses rubber tubing along with a lung - strategically positioned inside the Google logo.

Laennec discovered the stethoscope in 1816 when he observed children playing with a long stick. He observed as one child scraped the stick with a pin while the other listened to the amplified sound on the other end.

He then rolled up a piece of paper and pressed it to his patient's chest - only to discover that the paper device enabled him to listen to the beating of the heart loud and clear.

Laennec died in 1826, age 45, from cavitating tuberculosis. In what can only be described as a tragic turn of events, the scientist diagnosed himself and realised he was dying.

His invention has helped in the early diagnosis of a number of diseases - and has cemented its place as the most recognisable symbol for doctors across the world.

- ANI