A long time ago the doctor would have felt badly if he had been obliged to tell you that you had consumption; but now he knows that if you go to him early in the disease and follow his directions, you will get well.
How consumption is cured: (1) By rest
When the doctor finds that a person has consumption, the first thing he orders is rest. By this he means absolute rest. He does not mean that the patient can go to school or to the office part of the day and rest the remainder of the day. The doctor will want to watch him constantly. Then there comes a time when he must begin to take a little exercise; the doctor tells him just how much exercise to take, and just what form of exercise is best for him.
(2) By fresh air
The consumptive must have plenty of fresh air all the time; he must be out-of-doors as much as possible. You will wonder how the doctor expects him to be out-of-doors when he has been told that he must have absolute rest. Later we will show you how one can practically be out-of-doors and yet at the same time be in bed.
(3) By sunshine
Sunshine will kill the germs of any disease more quickly than almost anything we know of, and a consumptive must have all the sunshine that he can get. Of course it cannot get into the body to kill the germs, but it strengthens the cells of the body so much that they can fight with just that much more energy.
Figs. 72 and 73. Living outdoors in cold weather.
(4) By nourishing food