Illustration of lungs infected with tuberculosis. Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection that usually affects the lungs but can affect other body tissues. It causes inflammation and scarring in the lungs, leading to tissue damage. Here, the right lung (top) contains a large abscess with a gelatinous texture. The surrounding tissue contains many nodular lesions (grey-black). The left lung (bottom) also has a large abscess in the centre covered with red, inflamed tissue. This is likely a consequence of the haemoptysis (coughing up blood) condition that this patient suffered. Commonly called consumption in the 1800s, TB was a widespread cause of death during this period before the invention of vaccines (1921) and antibiotics (1943). Published in 'Illustrations of pulmonary consumption' by Samuel George Morton in 1834.