| Tuberculosis is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium | | | | medicine focusing on Tuberculosis. |
| Tuberculosis present even in mummies lasting from | | | | In 1865 the French doctor Villemin explained the |
| over 3000 years ago. Hippocrates called it "phthisis" | | | | existence of an infection causing microorganism and |
| meaning consumption and explained it is a very | | | | the possibility of disease transfer from man to cattle |
| common and almost in all cases deadly condition. | | | | and rabbits. He proved Tuberculosis did not appear |
| Hippocrates even dared to warn his physician | | | | spontaneously in every person. |
| colleagues not to visit patients in last stages of | | | | Robert Koch discovered 1882 a microscopic way to |
| Tuberculosis as it might harm their reputation. | | | | see Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. After his discovery |
| Sylvius described in his writings the injuries caused by | | | | the treatment for the condition began to develop. |
| Mycobacterium in the lungs and other organs, as well | | | | Nutritional diets, rest and improved environment were |
| as their evolution to cavities and abscesses. | | | | the targets of sanatoriums appeared all over Europe |
| 1702 Manget described the ethiopathogenesis of | | | | and America; these institutes offered a healthy |
| milliary Tuberculosis. Italian documents informed the | | | | atmosphere for the patients and also isolated them |
| population of the danger that lies in not burning the | | | | from the healthy population. |
| objects of the dead patients as Tuberculosis proved | | | | The hope for a treatment increased when the Italian |
| to be a contagious condition. | | | | physician Forlanini quoted that a pulmonary collapse |
| The English doctor Benjamin Marten wrote the" | | | | might improve the condition. Therapeutic pneumothorax |
| Theory of Consumption" in which he explained the | | | | began to be induced and surgical methods were found |
| existence of bacterial organisms causing the lung | | | | to decrease the volume of the lungs. |
| lesions and the capacity of transmission to another | | | | Another step forward was Roentgen's discovery of |
| person. Only the prolonged contact with a sick patient | | | | the X-rays that permitted the dynamic observation of |
| could make one catch the disease. | | | | the evolution of Tuberculosis and the caused lesions in |
| Sanatoriums began to appear over night to assure | | | | the lungs. When Calmette and Guerin invented the |
| patients dietary food and rest after a botany student | | | | BCG vaccine purified from a Mycobacterium Bovis |
| quoted "Tuberculosis is a curable disease". He was | | | | fragment, the susceptibility to Tuberculosis decreased. |
| himself infected with Tuberculosis and went to the | | | | Finally in the 1940's Chemotherapy with antibiotics anti |
| Himalaya Mountains to change the climate as | | | | Tuberculosis came to light and Tuberculosis became a |
| instructed by his physician. The student Hermann | | | | totally curable condition if treated in time. |
| Brehmer returned home cured and began to study | | | | |