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When did pathology become established as a separate medical specialty?

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Pathology became established as a separate medical specialty by the end of the 19th century.1

While early efforts to study the causes of disease were hindered by religious prohibitions against autopsies, these restrictions gradually relaxed during the late Middle Ages. A significant milestone occurred in 1761 with the publication of the first systematic textbook of morbid anatomy by Giovanni Battista Morgagni, which was the first to locate diseases within individual organs.12

The field underwent a major transformation in the 19th century. In 1858, Rudolf Virchow introduced the concept of cellular pathology, arguing that disease could be understood through the microscopic analysis of affected cells. This was followed by the development of the bacteriologic theory of disease, pioneered by Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch, which provided critical insights into many disease processes. By the close of the 1800s, these scientific advancements had solidified pathology as a distinct and essential medical specialty.123