[A small contribution to the history of pulmonary tuberculosis]

The distribution of tuberculosis cannot be described correctly until after the discovery of the tubercle bacillus but typical skeletal tuberculosis has been found and lung diseases with symptoms as consumption (phtisis) have been described long before our calendar from almost all continents. - In our country it has probably existed a long time but became a widespread disease with increasing mortality the last 2 - 300 years with a maximum mortality during the second half of the last century. Attempts to cure the disease with many different sorts of treatment, herbs, woman's milk. living in a cow-house etc., were predominent. also staying in different health bringing milieus occurred, partly reminding of later practised sanatorium treatment. After half a century's attempts in Sweden to cure tuberculosis with sanatorium treatment and collaps therapy, definite possibilities to cure the disease radically came with chemotherapy after 1945-1950. Where this therapy is available, e.g. from economic point of view, the cure is successful to practically a 100%, if not bacterial resistance or deficient immunity prevent the effect.