LITERATURE mirrors all-time societies, cultures, and contexts, whether through fictive descriptions or conceptual representations, reflecting on human experiences, emotions, politics, civilizations, science, medicine, travelogues, and more. The history of literature shows the literary and artistic representation of tuberculosis, a very enigmatic and complicated disease and a major devastating human experience since ancient times.
Initially known by different names such as Phthisis, the Great White Plague, and Consumption, it finally received the name tuberculosis in the mid-Nineteenth Century. In William Shakespeare’s masterpiece “Much Ado About Nothing,” the character Beatrice accepts Benedick’s proposal just to save him: Benedick: Come, I will have thee, but by this light I take thee for pity. Beatrice: I would not deny you, but by this good day I yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption. (V.IV.96-101)
However, the scientific definition of Tuberculosis (TB) by the World Health Organization describes it as “an infectious disease caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis.” Surprisingly, for centuries, romantic, mysterious, poetic and aesthetic representations of tuberculosis remained a significant part of English literature.
Examples include works by John Keats, Charlotte Brontë, Edgar Allan Poe, Thomas Mann, and Fyodor Dostoevsky, who portrayed either their own experiences of suffering from tuberculosis or faced the loss of friends and family due to this disease. These writers’ prolific creative power and simultaneous experience of TB lent currency to the belief that the disease was somehow connected with literary genius and artistic craft.
Consequently, in literature, tuberculosis became an art, as John Wilson, in his article “Tuberculosis and the Creative Writer,” argues that “all art is forged out of human experience, and pulmonary tuberculosis is one of the deepest and most testing experiences that a man (or woman) can undergo.” Moreover, the disease was romantically reflected in comparison with emotions of love like “inward burning,” and “diseased love,” etc.
The literary portrayal of writers’ suffering, even young deaths, and experience of pain at the hands of this fatal disease also highlighted the need to find its cure on an immediate basis. Likewise, from ancient times to the present, and from literature to scientific realities, tuberculosis has become one of the deadliest diseases, consuming a considerable chunk of human lives daily.
Apart from the complex representation through discursive modes, the actual advancement of science and medicine has tried to lessen the pain caused by tuberculosis’s “inward burning,” and “diseased love.” In this regard, March 24th is globally commemorated as World Tuberculosis Day to develop a global/national strategic plan highlighting innovative methodologies, expanding partnerships and multispectral approaches by engaging all stakeholders.
It is also an important day to spread awareness about TB control programs, treatment guidelines, and the latest WHO diagnostics, program evaluation, technical support, resource mobilization and support for development and research. If we look into the scenario of Pakistan, then, unfortunately, it is ranked as the 5th highest TB burden country.
The possible reasons for this high ratio are no check-ups even with symptoms, delays in diagnosis, inappropriate, inadequate and unsupervised drug regimens, poor follow-up, lack of health facilities and the non-existence of a social support program for vulnerable populations. However, recently, Pakistan has implemented a major practical step known as the ‘End TB Strategy’ that will involve crucial private sector partners, healthcare providers and civil society stakeholders.
This effort aligns itself with Sustainable Development Goal 2030, a step towards making the whole globe a healthy place to live in, that will also ensure a healthy community with a great combination of brilliant minds and extraordinary craft. Let us stand against tuberculosis and get rid of it once and for all.
—The writer is Head of English Dept, University of Jhang.
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