Tuberculosis in the United States : Prepared for the International Congress on Tuberculosis, Washington, September 21 to October 12, 1908. Department of Commerce and Labor.

  • United States. Bureau of the Census.
Date:
[1908]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Tuberculosis in the United States : Prepared for the International Congress on Tuberculosis, Washington, September 21 to October 12, 1908. Department of Commerce and Labor. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON TUBERCULOSIS. LETTER FROM PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT. The White House, Wasliington, May 12, 1908. To Dr. Lawrence F. Flick, Ohairman, Committee on International Congress on Tuberculosis: Sir: It is with great pleasure that I accept the presidency of the ''International Congress on Tuberculosis which is to meet in this city on September 21, 1908, and extend its session to October 12, 1908. Official duties, however, may prevent my presiding at the initial meeting of the Congress, in which case I will deputize Secretary Cortelyou. The importance of the crusade against tuberculosis, in the interest of which this Congress convenes, can not be overestimated when it is realized that tuberculosis costs our country two hundred thousand lives a year, and the entire world a million lives a year, besides con- stituting a most serious handicap to material progress, prosperity, and happiness, and being an enormous expense to society, most often in those walks of life where the burden is least bearable. Science has demonstrated that this disease can be stamped out, but the rapidity and completeness with which this can be accomplished depend upon the promptness with which the new doctrines about tuberculosis can be inculcated into the minds of the people and engrafted upon our customs, habits, and laws. The presence m our midst of representatives of world-wide workers in this magnificent cause gives an unusual opportunity for accelerating the educational part of the program. The modern crusade against tuberculosis brings hope and bright prospects of recovery to hundreds and thousands of victims of the dis- ease, who under old teachings were abandoned to despair. The work of this Congress will bring the results of the latest studies and mvesti- gations before the profession at large, and place in the hands of our physicians all of the newest and most approved methods of treating the disease—a knowledge which will add many years of valuable life to our people and will thereby mcrease our public wealth and hap- piness.