Tuning forks in the medical profession?

[Robert Goodale]

Actually it just occured to me... perhaps they are used for tuning heart 
strings!  ZING! go the strings of my heart!   :-D

Rob Goodale, RPT
Lasw Vegas, NV


Robert Goodale wrote:

> Being a university tech I sometimes wonder down to the union for 
> lunch. Today I took a detour and browsed the book store for a moment.  
> Having a large medical program the book store stocks an inventory of 
> supplies for med students labs and classes.  In the display were 
> stethoscopes, forceps, kits for student nurses, sphygmomanometers, and 
> so on.  Along with this were tuning forks!  Huge ones, (very low 
> frequency), with sliding adjustable weights on the tines to adjust the 
> pitch. There were two different sizes and the label proudly announced 
> them as "highly accurate for the medical profession".
>
> I would find it hard to believe that these are used for testing 
> hearing since the objective of a university it to teach techniques 
> using current and modern equipment.  So what would one use a tuning 
> fork for if one were studying modern medicine?  Perhaps to scan a 
> patient's credit for paying the bill?
>
> Rob Goodale, RPT
> Las Vegas, NV
>