Short works #2: Leo Kofler and the Legacy of Tuberculosis.

Have you ever heard of Leo Kofler?

He was an Austrian-born singing teacher (1837-1908), who spent most of his career in the United States. His ideas were later taken up in Germany. You may hear the story that he cured himself of tuberculosis by singing. Spoiler alert: he didn't. Tuberculosis cannot be cured by singing. But he created some beneficial breathing exercises, and we can learn a lot by looking at the way he (and others) thought about breathing, back in his day. 

Here's my podcast on the question of tuberculosis when it comes to Kofler's work.

You can find his entire book online at the Wellcome Collection.

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