276 A HISTORY OF NATIONAL TUBERCULOSIS ASSOCIATION 



and destruction lately passed by medical science upon a certain annex or 

 attachment of the human body, which has for centuries substantially escaped 

 more serious accusation than that of inactive uselessness. Its detection in 

 conspiracy against life and health has stimulated our doctors in such hot pur- 

 suit that the man who carries his appendix about with other personal belong- 

 ings is probably just as comfortable if he has never heard the story of the way 

 the devil lost his tail. 



"In all seriousness, therefore, I desire to concede, without the least reserva- 

 tion, on behalf of the great army of patients, that they owe to the medical pro- 

 fession a debt of gratitude which they can never repay, on account of hard, 

 self-sacrificing work done for their benefit, and for beneficent results accom- 

 plished in their interest. But at the same time we are inclined to insist that, 

 while our doctors have wonderfully advanced in all that increases the useful- 

 ness and nobility of their profession, this thing has not happened without some 

 corresponding advance in the intelligent thought and ready information of 

 their patients along the same lines. We have come to think of ourselves as 

 worthy of confidence in the treatment of our ailments; and we believe if this 

 were accorded to us in greater measure it would be better for the treatment and 

 better for us." 



This extract from President Cleveland's address was selected 

 because it applies so markedly to tuberculosis workers. We have 

 perhaps in a measure endeavored to follow this advice. The con- 

 scientious physician treating a tuberculous patient usually takes 

 him into his confidence, realizing that, in this disease at least, the 

 cooperation of the patient and his full knowledge of the character 

 of his affliction are essential to the cure, but we cannot say that 

 this practice is universal. A repetition of Grover Cleveland's wise 

 counsel is not untimely. 



Of his personal interest in tuberculosis it was the biographer's 

 privilege to learn from a letter he received a few years before 

 President Cleveland's death. Expressing his satisfaction at hav- 

 ing become acquainted with some of the author's writings, which 

 had aroused his interest in the tuberculosis problem some years 

 ago, he closed his letter by saying: "Hoping that the movement 

 on foot for the study and prevention of this direful disease may 

 be upon such lines as will make it practical and effective, I am, 

 etc." 



Grover Cleveland passed away on June 24, 1908, at his home in 

 Princeton, universally regretted, forever to be remembered as one 

 of the ablest and most conscientious of statesmen, and a most 

 efficient chief executive of our country. 



