Medical records

A few years ago at a jumble sale, I came across a record called Heart Sounds. The cover, which showed a couple in love on a park bench, made it likely that the record contained romantic background music, played by some anonymous orchestra. Further investigation, however, soon showed that this record had been released by a Danish company named Leo Pharmaceutical Products. The title Heart Sounds should be taken literally, as is also proved by the text on the accompanying insert: "This gramophone record contains recordings of a series of heart sounds encountered in the most congenital and acquired cardiac defects." Recordings of heart conditions, therefore, made by means of a contact microphone and commented on by a gloomy sounding gentleman. This issue, probably dating from the late sixties, is undoubtedly meant as publicity material for the pharmaceutical products by the Leo company. At the back of the sleeve, for example, a product named Pluryle K Leo is recommended as: "the ideal saluteric for long-term treatment of oedema and hypertension".

Apart from this kind of publicity issues, all sorts of medical records must have been distributed via medical magazines throughout the years. Without a doubt, there are a great many flexi discs containing sounds as those on the above-mentioned record. A further example is a double LP with a commentary on the first heart transplant by the famous Professor Barnard. This Decca issue has by now become an expensive collector's item.

Much more fun is a record entitled Medical English for German doctors - Folge 2, which was issued by the German Knoll company sometime during the seventies. Some regular language courses being already rather ridiculously absurd, this English course for German doctors is really great fun! The sleeve of the record is a splendid fold-out cover, which includes a booklet containing all texts. "Au... au! Mammi, das tut weh! Au! Mammi!" is translated into English by "Ow... ow! Mummy, that hurts! Ow! Mummy!" Very instructive, these medical courses! This record too is accompanied by information on the products marketed by the company in question. Additionally, a reply card is included, by means of which the honourable doctor is enabled to give his opinion about the record, so that the next issues will be even better! Whether the Knoll company has actually issued more records, I don't know. As a matter of fact, I hope they haven't, for I am not sure if I would survive another of these highly informative courses!

Medical records links

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 ◦ Heart sounds @ Wikipedia