The images of the consumptive and of tuberculosis throughout history are powerful. Caldwell explores this imagery as it pertains to American social consciousness in the 19th and 20th centuries and, as a literary critic, he adds an interesting dimension to the study of medical history. He suggests that the public health campaign to eradicate tuberculosis demystified the disease, and thus minimized its impact on American literature and the arts. He examines the sanatorium's role in fighting effects of the disease, clinical research aimed at a cure, and roles of the medical profession and public health organizations. An excellent reflection on a largely forgotten disease.