person with pulmonary tuberculosis; consumptive
Refers to someone suffering from tuberculosis of the lungs; somewhat dated term as tuberculosis is now less common and often called 肺結核.
In the past, consumptives spent long periods of convalescence in sanatoriums.
He was a consumptive in his youth, but fortunately recovered.
Compound of 肺病 (lung disease) and 病み (sickness, suffering). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it likely arose as a descriptive term for a person afflicted with lung disease.