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Explore the fascinating world of medical diagnostics in this 1975 Royal Institution Christmas Lecture where Professor Heinz Wolff examines how we can investigate the digestive tract without invasive procedures. Part of the "Signals from the Interior" series, this one-hour lecture focuses on probes, sondes and sounds used to discover what's happening inside our digestive system. Learn about the stethoscope as a fundamental medical instrument, the concept of the human body as a 10-meter tube from mouth to anus, and innovative techniques like swallowable radio transmitters and endoscopes that allow doctors to explore internal conditions including pressure, temperature, movement, and acidity. This historical lecture demonstrates how modern medicine increasingly relies on engineering and physical principles to amplify doctors' senses and detect signals normally imperceptible to humans.
