Clinical Examination as a Tool for Diagnosis: Historical Perspective

The purpose of diagnosis, since the days of classical Greece, when the concept was introduced, has been to provide a basis for prognosis and for the prescription of a regimen of management. Prognosis, i.e., explaining to the patient and family what the future holds, remains the central purpose of medicine, encapsulated in the private consultation. All other matters, including such important things as investigation as an aid to diagnosis and treatment as a component of management, are peripheral to this.