How did Giovanni Morgagni compare patients’ symptoms with anatomical findings?

Giovanni Morgagni, often regarded as the father of modern pathology, revolutionized medical practice by shifting the focus from studying books and commentaries to the direct study of the patient.1

In his seminal 1761 work, On the Seats and Causes of Diseases as Investigated by Anatomy, Morgagni systematically compared the clinical symptoms and observations of approximately 700 patients with the anatomical findings discovered during the examination of their bodies after death. By correlating these clinical manifestations with the physical evidence of disease observed with the naked eye, he demonstrated the necessity of basing diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment on a comprehensive understanding of anatomical conditions. This approach established the foundation for modern clinical-pathological correlation.21