Percussion
By applying his ear to and tapping lightly on the chest, the Austrian physician Leopold Auenbrugger discovered that he could assess the density of underlying tissues and organs. The technique had its origins in testing the level of wine in casks located in the cellar of his father's hotel. Corvisart translated Auenbrugger’s observations from Latin to French and taught the technique to his students.
1826 – Pleximeter: First diagnostic percussion tool, Pierre Adolphe Piorry
1828 – Barry Hammer: Added a hammer to the pleximeter, Sir David Barry
1841 & 1854 – Wintrich Hammer: Soft rubber percussion hammer with an ergonomic handle, Max Wintrich
1855–1860 – Traube Hammer: Hybrid percussion/reflex hammer, Friedrich Traube
1858 – Vernon Hammer: Early comfortable percussion hammer for reflexes, Henry Vernon
1888 – Taylor Hammer: First dedicated reflex hammer (tomahawk style), John Madison Taylor
1894 – Krauss Hammer: Multi-surface reflex/sensory hammer, William Krauss
1910 – Berliner & Trömner Hammers: Heavy metal dual-head hammer, Bernhard Berliner & Ernst Trömner
1912 – Babinski, Dejerine & Ebstein Hammers: Disc-head plantar reflex hammers, Joseph Babinski, Joseph Dejerine & William Ebstein
1920 – Rabiner Hammer: Adjustable Babinski hammer, Albert Rabiner
1922 – Stookey Hammer: Multifunctional reflex/sensory hammer, Byron Stookey
1925 – Queen Square Hammer: Bamboo/brass handle with a soft round head, Miss Wintle
1925 – ɬ Hammer: Reflex/sensory hammer with a Wartenberg wheel, Harold Elliott
1970 – Buck Hammer: Dual-headed hammer with pin and brush inserts
2021 – Smart Hammer: Wireless, app-integrated hammer, Jun Ueda Waiman Meinhold & collaborators at NITI‑ON Co. & Tohoku University
The Pleximeter
Pierre Adolphe Piorry – France, 1826
Piorry further developed the wine barrel tapping and skin percussion techniques with the creation of the pleximeter, a small plate of polished ivory that was placed on the chest and struck by the fingers. This allowed physicians to better distinguish healthy from diseased lung tissue.
The Traube Hammer
Friedrich Traube – Germany, 1855–1860
Traube’s variation of Wintrich’s 1841 hammer bridged chest percussion and neurological examination. Although intended for assessment of the lungs, its form made it adaptable for tendon reflex testing, setting the stage for the modern reflex hammer.
The Taylor Hammer
John Madison Taylor – USA, 1888
Designed by American neurologist John Madison Taylor, the triangular “tomahawk” hammer was the first dedicated reflex hammer and quickly became a symbol of neurology. Its lightweight handle made reflex testing easier by relying on wrist motion rather than arm strength, while the triangular head concentrated each tap onto a small area for precise tendon responses. A pointed handle was developed to elicit the Babinski reflex. Some models incorporated features such as a tuning fork to assess vibration sense and brushes to test touch sensation.
