crypt of Morgagni

Morgagni, Giovanni Battista (1682–1771), Italian anatomist and pathologist. Often called the “father of pathology,” Morgagni is considered to be the founder of modern pathological anatomy. He was the first to demonstrate the necessity for basing diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment on knowledge of anatomical conditions. In 1761 he published De Sedibus et Causis Morborum (The Seats and Causes of Diseases), a monumental work that established him as one of the greatest figures in the history of medicine.