For centuries, consumption disease haunted humanity like a ghostly predator. Known today by its medical name, tuberculosis (TB) , this ancient illness once held the world in its grip. It’s a disease that claimed millions of lives before modern medicine could combat it—and even today, it hasn't disappeared. But what exactly is consumption , why was it given such a poetic yet haunting name, and what can you do to protect yourself and others? ⚰️ The Origins of "Consumption Disease" ⚰️ The term " consumption " dates back to a time before medical science understood the cause of TB. Derived from the Latin word consumere , meaning “to eat up or devour,” the name reflected how the disease seemed to waste away the body. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was often romanticized in literature and art—seen as a "gentle killer" that claimed young lives quietly but tragically. Victims of consumption disease appeared pale, thin, and drained of energy—almost ghost...