Tuberculosis.* 



This disease has been Icnown by various names, as consmription, 

 pulmonary consumption, tuberculous consumption, consumption of 

 tlie bowels, phthisis, pulmonary phthisis, tuberculous phthisis, pul- 

 monary ulceration, pining, wasting of the luugs, pearl disease, 

 perlsucht, nymphomania, satyriasis, knots, kernels, grapes, angle- 

 berries, human tuberculosis, bovine tuberculosis, tubercle, miliary 

 tubercle, tubercular disease and tuberculosis. 



The last name is more widely used at the present time than any 

 of the others, and it is adopted in this [mper for a general tei-m ; but 

 I make use of the name human tuberculosis for the disease in man, 

 and bovine tuberculosis for the disease in other animals. 



Tuberculosis has been observed to attack nearly every organ in the 

 body, but the lungs and lymphatic glands appear to be particularly 

 subject to it. 



The tubercles in the lungs at first are small, semi-transparent, 

 grayish, or colorless grains, varying from one-sixteenth to one-half 

 an inch in diameter. Tliese gradually increase in size and become 

 yellowish or opaque. Several unite and form larger masses of a pale 

 yellow color, and of a cheesy consistency, which finally soften and 

 liquefy. These masses, often as large as a grape and sometimes even 

 much larger, are more or less globular, and may fill the entire diseased 

 portion of the lung, and exhibit a series of hemispherical elevations 

 over the surface. 



The lining membranes of the thorax and abdomen, and also the 

 membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, are subject to tuber- 

 cular growths which appear Irke the pile on velvet, or wart-like 

 growths over the surface. 



Not uufrequently joints become diseased, and, when opened, dis- 

 charge a pale yellow granular matter. I recently examined a cow 

 that had died with tuberculosis, and besides the characteristic tuber- 

 cles in the lungs, the caul was so thoroughly affected as to be one 

 mass of putrefaction. This same animal had tlie fetlock joint on one 

 hind leg badly affected with tuberculous matter, and there were also a 

 few tubercles in the liver. 



*Prepare(l by Charles H. Fernald, at the request of the Director, in response to the 

 many demands from all over the state for information on the subject. 



