Another name for tuberculosis. This is what they meant in the
2001 movie, Moulin Rouge, when they said that Satine had a fatal
disease - tuberculosis is usually fatal unless treated with
antibiotics ... which would not be available in the era in which
the movie was set.  The thing about Moulin Rouge, of course, was
how these people so calmly said that Satine had consumption yet
stood nearby while she coughed up blood. Equally so for the
doctor who so gallantly pronounced that she had consumption
right in front of her. Didn't these people know anything about
infection control?  Having recently (July 2001) seen a young
person with consumption, I can appreciate why they used to call
it such. It's like having your organs consumed from within. This
23 year old man was literally coughing his lungs out.
Haemoptysis (coughing up blood) by the cupful. Poor guy. Luckily
for him, modern anti-tuberculous treatment is pretty good -
after less than one week, he had recovered sufficiently such
that he was well enough to wal