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TB gets weird in Part 2.

We’re diving into the disastrous history of tuberculin, the evolution of the TB skin test, and some truly brutal treatments—including collapsed lungs, rib removal, and Lucite balls stuffed into the chest.

Then we follow TB into the modern era: X-rays, the BCG vaccine, antibiotics, drug resistance, diagnosis, treatment, and why curing TB can still take six months.

And in this episode’s Ethics Autopsy, we ask:

How much evidence is enough before we intentionally hurt a patient to try to save them?

From questionable cures to evidence-based medicine, this is the story of how we learned to fight one of humanity’s oldest killers.

🎧 Listen now—and prepare to never look at a TB skin test the same way.

📚 References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Clinical overview of tuberculosis disease. Updated April 17, 2025. CDC Tuberculosis Clinical Overview
2. Croix M. Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Merck Manual Professional Edition. Updated February 2026. Merck Manual: Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis
3. [Author(s)]. History of tuberculosis. Part 2—the sanatoria and the discoveries of the tubercle bacillus. J Mil Veterans Health. Journal of Military and Veterans' Health
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. History of World TB Day. CDC: History of World TB Day
5. [Author(s)]. Miliary tuberculosis. StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. NCBI Bookshelf: Miliary Tuberculosis
6. Tuberculous spondylitis (Pott disease). StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing; NCBI Bookshelf: Tuberculous Spondylitis