282 A HISTORY OF NATIONAL TUBERCULOSIS ASSOCIATION 



versations with her brother he had shown his deep interest in the 

 tuberculosis campaign. In a personal letter to the author she 

 writes: "His whole life was an endorsement of preventive meas- 

 ures along the line of medicine and sanitation." 



It is interesting to note that, at the instance of the National 

 Tuberculosis Association, Mr. Roosevelt, as President of the 

 United States, issued an executive order prohibiting promiscuous 

 spitting and providing for individual drinking cups and other 

 sanitary arrangements in all Federal offices. 



While believing that the consumptive should be conscientious 

 in the disposal of his sputum and favoring rigid rules concerning 

 this vital point in the prevention of tuberculosis, Roosevelt's 

 heart was with the consumptive sufferer. A case in point is that 

 of an Irishman who had lived many years in America and raised 

 a family, but who, by some oversight or carelessness, had failed 

 to become an American citizen, although he had taken out his 

 first papers years before. He returned to visit his native country 

 and while there tuberculosis, which had probably been latent for 

 many years, suddenly became active. He hastened to return to 

 his family in the United States, but because of the evident symp- 

 toms which the man showed and the new law prohibiting those 

 who are not American citizens from entering the United States 

 when tuberculous, he was detained at Ellis Island. The invalid 

 sought legal aid, and the author was called in as expert to testify 

 that as long as the man was instructed and careful concerning 

 the disposal of his sputum and had sufficient means to enter a 

 private sanatorium at once he would be neither a burden to the 

 community nor a danger to his fellow- men. The lawyer's eloquent 

 plea before the court, as well as this testimony, was in vain. Our 

 last resort was to appeal to the magnanimity and generous heart 

 of President Roosevelt. This did not fail, and the man was per- 

 mitted to reenter the United States. 



Theodore Roosevelt was indeed an ideal citizen. This nec- 

 essarily inadequate biographical sketch has sought to record 

 mainly events of interest to the medical profession, and particu- 

 larly to tuberculosis workers. Of his character and patriotism 

 his successor in the presidential chair, the Hon. William H. Taft, 

 has said : 



