Abstract

This article discusses a paradox in the modern history of tuberculosis: its eradication has been seen as imminent ever since it was defined as a condition with a necessary bacterial cause in 1882, but, to date, has failed to arrive. The unwavering belief in an imminent end to tuberculosis mostly illustrates the degree to which modernity trusts in pharmaceutical interventions, whether in the form of Koch's tuberculin cure of 1890, the BCG vaccine of the mid-20th century, or global health control programs that prioritize mass-treatment campaigns with antibiotics and chemotherapies. These visions of pharmaceutical-based solutions have not only failed to eradicate tuberculosis, but can often distract attention away from the social causes of the epidemic, such as poor housing and nutrition.