Consumption & Tuberculosis

Consumption is the classic Yin-deficient Heat disease. In traditional theory, long-term heat has damaged the Yin and is now burning the fluids and tissues of the body. The body slowly wastes, becomes emaciated, with Night Sweats and fevers in the Afternoons, a withered look, dull eyes and a parched mouth. This describes the Yin deficient Heat of TCM perfectly, and is also the cause of the Hectic Fever of the Western Tradition.

Treatment:

Treatment requires clearing the Deficient Heat while Nourishing the Yin. Acute and serious cases may require stronger medicines to attack Heat (anti-bacterial medicines), while Chronic cases with marked weakness require a focus on restoring Yin and nourishing the Body.

While TCM has specific herbs for clearing Deficient Heat, in practice Yin tonics with cooling medicines are often used. Medicines such as Pearls can be used to support the Yin while clearing Heat.

“Sugar of Roses is very profitable, as also the Conserve; by use whereof, Avicenna reports that he cured a Woman of a desperate Consumption, so that she was not-only sound but very fat afterwards.
Mesue also witnesses that many have been recovered by the same, and he directs that the Conserve of Roses be new, not above a year old, taken in a great quantity.
Montanus, Valeriola, and Foreslus, say that they have seen some cured by taking Sugar of Roses in great quantities. An Apothecary whom I knew in a Consumption, made a great quantity of Sugar of Roses for himself, and eat it constantly, by which he was cured”. (The Practice of Physick, 1663)

Diet:

Barley, Almonds, Pine-nuts, Rice, Walnut, Raisins, Dates etc., 
“Milk commended at first is very good”
“Let his Drink be Water and Sugar, Barley Water and Licorice; an Infusion of Licorice, a thin Hydrome), or a weak Decoction of China [root]”. (The Practice of Physick, 1663)

Special formula