THEODORE ROOSEVELT 



279 



As governor of the state of New York he looked with favor on 

 the then rising tide of anti-tuberculosis propaganda, and as 

 President of the United States he was, of course, interested in the 

 larger problem of public health of the nation. 



Dr. Lambert had been asked whether by reason of his intimate 

 relation as family physician to Roosevelt he could not write 

 something worth reproducing in this biography, showing Roose- 

 velt's interest in state hygiene, in public health in general, and in 

 tuberculosis in particular. With Dr. Lambert's permission part 

 of his letter to the author is here reproduced : 



"You can say that it was through Roosevelt's knowledge and appreciation 

 of the problems of sanitation and public health, as shown in the problems in- 

 volved in the Panama Canal, that he raised Gorgas from a petty, hampered, 

 bureau chief to a Commissioner with equal powers to the others, in order that 

 Gorgas might make the place safe and livable for the workmen to build the 

 Canal. . . . The President was greatly interested in the Tuberculosis 

 Congress of 1908, and talked to me a good deal about it when I was in Wash- 

 ington just after it had occurred." 



Roosevelt's great interest in the International Congress on 

 Tuberculosis referred to by Dr. Lambert was manifest by his 

 acceptance of the presidency of that great scientific gathering, to 

 which all the civilized nations of the world sent their representa- 

 tives. In his letter of acceptance of the presidency of the Tuber- 

 culosis Congress he said: "The modern crusade against tuber- 

 culosis brings hope and bright prospects of recovery to hundreds 

 and thousands of victims of the disease who, under old teachings, 

 were abandoned to despair." The letter of acceptance speaks 

 volumes for the Colonel's comprehension of the tuberculosis prob- 

 lem and will be found printed in full in the chapter on the Con- 

 gress (p. 143). The Congress was held in Washington September 

 21 to October 12, 1908. At the closing session the President made 

 a short but very brilliant address, which shows perhaps more than 

 anything else, how well versed he was in public sanitation and how 

 appreciative of what medical science had done to prolong the 

 average of life and add to the happiness of the human race. Mr. 

 Roosevelt said: 



" I could not deny myself the privilege of saying a word of greeting to this 

 noteworthy gathering. It is difficult for us to realize the extraordinary changes, 



