Ordinary Consumption.—­Begins slowly and the patient is not aware of the danger.  He may have loss of appetite, dyspepsia, diarrhea and distress after meals.  He looks pale, is weak and loses flesh.  Soon he has a hacking cough, worse in the morning, with a scanty, glairy sputum.  His weight continues to decrease, his heart is weak and beats faster.  He has pain in his chest below the shoulder blades.  He may have a slight bleeding from the lungs.  His cough becomes worse, the expectoration gets thicker and more profuse, with night sweats, high fever, and shortness of breath.  The eyes are bright; the cheeks are pale or flushed.  Chronic looseness of the bowels may be present.  Bleeding from the lungs may occur at any time, but it is most frequent and profuse during the last stages.  The patient becomes very weak, thin and pale, emaciated.  The brain action remains good, and he remains hopeful almost until the last.  Tuberculosis may exist in almost every part of the body and we have many forms.  It is not necessary to discuss all.  It would tend to confusion.  I will name the most of them: 

  1.  Acute Miliary Tuberculosis. 
    (A.) Acute General Miliary Tuberculosis. 
    (B.) Pulmonary (lung) type. 
    (C.) Tubercular Meningitis.

  2.  Tuberculosis of the lymph nodes (glands).  This was formerly called
  Scrofula.  This is more curable and will be treated more fully elsewhere.

  3.  Tuberculous Pleurisy.

  4.  Tuberculous Pericarditis.

  5.  Tuberculous Peritonitis. (Of this there are a good many cases.)

  6.  Tuberculosis of the Larynx.

  7.  Acute Pneumonia (Pulmonary Tuberculosis) or “Galloping Consumption.”

  8.  Chronic Ulcerative Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

  9.  Chronic Miliary Tuberculosis.

  10.  Tuberculosis of the Alimentary Canal.

  11.  Tuberculosis of the Brain.

  12.  Tuberculosis of the liver, kidneys, bladder, etc.

  13.  Tuberculosis of joints, this will be treated more fully elsewhere.

[212 Mothers’ remedies]

Cervical, tuberculosis (Scrofula).—­This is common in children that are not well nourished, living in badly ventilated and crowded houses, and in the negroes.  Chronic catarrh of the nose and throat and tonsilitis predispose to it.  The glands under the lower jaw are usually the first involved.  They are enlarged, smooth, firm and often become matted together.  Later the skin may adhere to them and suppuration occurs, that is, pus forms.  An abscess results that breaks through the skin and leaves a nasty looking sore or scar.  The glands in the back of the neck may enlarge also; or in the arm pit or under the collar bone and also the bronchial glands.  There is usually secondary anemia.  A long course and spontaneous recovery are common.  Lung or general miliary tuberculosis may occur.