Tuberculosis is examined through both the lens of science and that of social history. The disease, whose origins have recently been traced back three million years to microorganisms in the soil and water of Africa, is tracked from ancient times to medieval years through the sanatorium cures of the 1800 and 1900s. A final chapter summarizes the recent emergence of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis and efforts to halt further progression of the disease. Changes in our understanding of tuberculosis over time and evolving approaches to treatment range from the barbaric to the cutting-edge, and provide insight into social history, such as how race and class impacted access to treatment in the first half of the twentieth century. The text is supplemented with numerous black-and-white photos and other visual material, and the end matter includes detailed source notes and a bibliography. (Ages 11–15)