In the past while the diagnosis was primarily made by the physician, the treatment of thoracic empyema was a surgeon's job. Carrying out this treatment was something of a hit and miss affair. With the change from belief in the Hippocratic principles ofhumours towards organs and tissues being the cause of disease, the way diagnoses were made also changed. The technique of percussing the thorax developed by Auenbrugger two centuries ago, was the beginning of diagnosing based on meticulous physical examination. Chirurgeons were expected to treat thoracic empyema adequately and by employing this technique, were able to make a more exact diagnosis and consequently provide better treatment. Modern imaging techniques have rendered manual thoracic percussion less often necessary. Percussion is now carried out much more often by pulmonologists than by surgeons. Nevertheless, Auenbrugger's 'inventum novum' will continue to be a gratefully employed technique.