The Impact of Tuberculosis on History, Literature and Art.

DISEASE has had an incalculable influence on the history of mankind. The earliest records tell of plagues and pestilences which devastated whole countries and had profound effects on social structure, contributing to unrest, famine, migration and wars. But 'history is the essence of unnumerable biographies' and so individual illhealth, both mental and physical, has had a great impact on world events, and on the Arts-literature, poetry, painting and music. A study of the biographies of the famous shows how often they have been dogged by illness of the mind or body, and it is interesting to speculate as to the effect this may have had on their outlook, productivity or scholarship. Consider also what those geniuses in the world of poetry or music who died young might have achieved had they lived! There is no doubt, either, that illness and early death of the parents plays a part in determining the habits and character ofthe children. Tuberculosis when it was in its epidemic phases in this country exemplifies this. The story of tuberculosis gives us, perhaps, as good a picture as any of the impact of disease on life and culture. Apart from leprosy, western civilization has known no communicable disease which may run such a protracted course, affecting almost any part of the body and giving rise to such long periods of ill-health and disablement.