The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-10-03
tuberculosis Congress Sur
priSed by Sudden Visit
of President.
1911 CONFERENCE
TO BE HELD IN ROME
Formal Invitation From King Of
Italy Extended Through His
Ambassador.

Appearing Unexpectedly at the
Closing session Of the international
I Congress on tuberculosis in the
great assembly room of the New
National Museum building, Presi-
dent Roosevelt threw the gathering
into an uproar Of enthusiasm by a
speech in which he lauded the men
|of science, placing their herobm far
and above that shown by the soldier
lon the field Of battle.
The hall was filled with several
Thousand foreign and American dele
gates who shouted themselves
Ihoarse following the Presidents ad-
dress. Men threw their hats in the
iair and cheered Ike mad, while the
women delegates cried themselves
!hoarse and waved their parasols en-
Ithusiastically.
The President showed an inrmat.
knowledge Of the fight that IS being
conducted against the disease ali
over the world, and Of conditions in
Central Africa, where the deadly
sleeping sickness has been wiping off
hundreds Of thousands Of negroes.
Presidents Address
/ The President said.
/ i could not deny myself the privilege
I or saying word OF greeting 20 this
/ noteworthy gathering. It is difficult
I Tor Us 70 realize the ext-aordinarv
4 progress in certain lines Of useful en-
J oeavov during the last TWO OF three gen
/ erations, and in no other manifestation
/ OF human endeavor have the changes
/ been quite so far-reachiug. as in the
ability 20 ErappIe with disease II IS
lot so very long. measuring time bv
nlSlC y since the attitude OF man to-
Ward q disease, such as that OF con
.
( qulescence in what he considered 10
{ De the mandate Of the supernatural
{ lower
IT is but a short time since even the
most gifted member Of the medical pro-
+ tesslOn knew as little as anv Iavnan
/ or me real causes Of diseases, ana,
Z therefore, necessarily, Of the methods
I IL be invoked 10 overcome them
| 1t Is an affair OF decades: / an Al
! most tempted TO say an AFFAIR of
years IN which the real progress has
peen made Take for instance. the work
that the United States Government Is
row doing IN Panama. When the drsr
{ railroad was nrst built across Panama
{ IL was ss-,d, with some foundation of
/ truth u / every sleeper laid. cost the
! Now the work Of the canal in that
/ identical place is being prosecuted in
/ an indefinitely larger scale, OF course.
1 GAeeF .4it con9luQns which make the To-
caiLty S-ano above the ordinary locality
In the United States in point Of health.
] No Longer a By-Word.
The Isthmus OF Panama. which was
a by-vcrd for fatal disease, has be-
( come well nigh a sanatOrium. AMI il has
I become so because Of the Investigations
1 Of certain medical men, which enabled
them 10 ind out the real causes Of Ger
+ tain diseases. especially yellow fever,
and maIariaI fever. and to take meas
. "a - ~ " h~-ND4A4E AAAEaAA
The older doctors here, when they
+ were medical students, would have
z greeted the suggestion. regarding mos
/ QuirOeS as the prime source Of disease.
( as a subject for mirrh- Thus, truly un-
I expected results have fC lowed the pa
/ tient, laborlous. dangerous. ana extra
/ or0.haFlly Skl4ltUI work, that has en-
I abled the causes 10 be found, and the
I diseases 10 be comoatted with extra
! ordinary success
I I said dangerous work. Doctors have
I laid down their lives to secure the re-
I suits nave spoken OF, showing as
Z much herOlSm as was ever shown BY a
1 soldier on the field OF battle.
. AT this moment in the middle OF fh5
/ great continent Of Africa. there Is a
/ peculiarly fatal disease-the sleeping
I sickness disease which, had IL been
! known TO our ancestors IN the middle
] Black Death. probably as something
/ connected with a comet
/ We know that it is due 10 the carry
! ing Of small and deadly parasite by
/ a species of biting fly There are two
s species OF this ny One species. al
/ though harmless 10 wild animals and
men, IS deadly 10 domestic animals,
while the other form is responsible for
I the spread Of this terrible disease. the
I sleeping sickness, which, IN one region.
killed 10000 out OF 500G90, a rate OF
war
Rests With Scientists.
And the work Of combating that
rests with just such men as are as
/ sembled here You have come here 10
( combat what IS, on the whole, the most
terrible scourge OF all people throughout
the world And a few years ago hard
/ y an intelligent effort was made or
/ could be made 10 war against this Pc
cullarly deadly enemy Of the human
/ race.
/ ''C'he changes which enable US to COM
/ bat the disease came when the greatest
| experts OF the medical world turned
/ their trained intelligence TO the task II
| must remain for them 20 find ont inst
! what can be done The task then W1i
4 be for the repreSentatiYes Of the gov