CHAPTER XIV. 



TUBERCULAR DISEASE. 



TUBERCULAR disease, the most common form of which 

 is that known as phthisis or consumption, has been 

 a perfect scourge to the human race from the earliest 

 times. It is to be found in every climate and in all 

 nations, and is at the present day decimating every 

 civilised community on the face of the earth. 



Much has been done in England within the past 

 quarter of a century to limit the ravages of these 

 diseases ; yet, notwithstanding all that sanitaiy science 

 has yet accomplished, tubercular diseases were respon- 

 sible for no less than 64,235 deaths in England and 

 Wales during the year 1889. This is equal to 2213 

 to the million of persons living, and is actually an 

 eighth part of the whole of the deaths recorded during 

 the year. 



As I have said, tubercular disease has been known 

 from the earliest times. Hippocrates described it as 

 attacking the lungs the most common seat of the 

 disease among the inhabitants of these countries at 

 the present day but it was not until the twelfth 

 century that the scrofulous diathesis was recognised 



