Consumption is one of the greatest enemies of the human race. Its slow insidious attack, has for centuries kept its infectious nature in the background, but thanks to modern research, with the aids of the microscope and medical science, its real nature is much better understood.

It is best known by the masses as a disease of gradual emaciation of the body, suppuration and wasting of the lungs, accompanied by cough. The disease is caused by a microbe called bacillus tuberculosis. Those who possess a high degree of physical vigor, seem to have greater immunity from this disease, than those who are weak. The bacillus may be transmitted to children, but they are not likely to live long. It is quite probable that hereditary weakness causes a pre-disposition to this disease, but the fatalities of consumptive families are due to contagion rather than hereditary tendencies. One consumptive in a family, furnishes infection for all the relatives, and sooner or later, some one will be sufficiently weakened to furnish a lodging place, and ultimately become a victim of the tubercle bacilli. This is the principal reason why several or all of some families die of this disease.

While consumption is caused by the tubercle bacilli, indirect causes are insufficient nourishment, bad ventilation, hot gas-lit shops, ulcers in the throat, and moist atmosphere.

The disease is said to sometimes arise from the milk of tuberculous milk cows. Bronchitis is said to cause twelve per cent of the cases, but the cause of bronchitis is also due to bad hygienic living. The tubercle bacillus measures about one eight thousandth of an inch in diameter, and two or three times as long as thick. The disease usually begins at the apex of the lungs.

The early symptoms of this disease are indigestion, failure of appetite, repugnance to fats, exhaustion on slight exercise, slight fever, night sweats and expectoration. The formation of a cavity is generally followed by regular morning expectoration, and after this night sweats, slightly elevated temperature in the afternoon, loss of flesh, weight and color, the drawn look of the face, the hectic spot on the cheek.

In first stage there is constipation, third stage likely diarrhoea.

Diet

As tuberculosis is a disease dependent on sub-nutrition, its cure is pre-eminently dependent upon forced feeding. The tubercle bacillus will not stay in good blood for a great length of time. As a rule, the patient loses appetite, eats but little fat, and as a result the tissue of the body is burned for heat. Now when the system must use part of itself to furnish heat, it can be readily understood how consumptives grow gradually weaker and less and less able to throw off disease. The diet must therefore be rich, and ready for assimilation, and nothing meets this demand as well as whisky and emulsified fats, which may be either milk and cream, nut oils, or cod-liver oil. The patient should take all the milk possible. Some of the methods heretofore described will insure success. Some prescribe raw beef steak, but meat powder is far better. It should be made of chicken or beef, always from fresh meat. Meat broths, and a diet of "slops" will not do. As soon as the stomach will digest rich food, powdered nuts may be added to the dietary, but so long as the system is weak, nut butter is much more easily assimilated.

Next to meat powder, beaten eggs, is the best proteid food. Constipation can be avoided by using- the entire grain of the cereals, wheat, oats, rice and corn. They should be boiled for some hours dried and roasted, and then ground to fine flour. If desired, they may again be cooked for a few minutes and served with milk, eggs, or meat powder, or flavored to suit.

It will aid digestion to eat a good deal of dry food. If the cereals prepared as described do not prevent constipation, bran should be treated as heretofore described in diseases of the stomach, and used with each meal. Coffee is only permissible for flavor, and tea not at all. Fried foods, coarse vegetables, raw vegetables, pickles, pastry, and doughy bread, candy, salt meats, cheese, and condiments should form no part of the dietary. Should there be sour stomach, or flatulence, sugar must be omitted, otherwise it can be used in a. moderate way. Fruit juices, peaches and cooked apples may be used freely in most cases.

The patient must take all the food that can be used in the system, but never gormandize. If it is too much trouble to take so much pains with the diet, don't do it, but order your funeral outfit. Don't be foolish enough to rely on drugs. They are useful adjuncts, but good blood alone, can cure.