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Show COMMISSIONEB OF INDIAX AFFAIRS. 2 1 I - appropriation, if granted by Congress, it is believed that tbe tide can be turuecl, that the danger of infection among the Indians themselves and to the several millions of white persons now living as neighbors to them can be greatly reduced, and genuine cooperation with local State boards of health now already under way can be adequately provided for. It is not expected to build up a highli organized Indian medical service, but rather to put efficient physicians and nurses and field matrons, properly equipped to reach all the Indian families, in the fleld. where service under the best conditions is one of constant self-sacrifice and hardship, but where conatant application to those methods which the study of modern hygiene has developed will show results so encouraging as fully to justify the expenditure of the sums herein asked. WM. H. T m . THE WRITE HOUSE, Auflust 10, 1918. The estimates submitted were as follows: For the construction of a tuberculosis hospital for the treatment of adult tuberculosis cases, and cases past the incipient atage of the disease, for the use of Indian patients from all sections of the country, $100,000; for the em-ployment of two additional medical inspectors, including salary and expenses, $8,400; for the employment and expenses of an assistant supervisor for the developing to greater efficiency the teaching of home sanitation by fleld matrons and teachers of housekeeping, $4,200; for increasing tbe number of and salaries of physicians, $85,000; for increasing the salaries of nurses, $2,750; for in-creasing the salaries of certain fleld matrons, $4,000: PToVtded, That the amounts paid to physicians, nurses, and matrons out of the funds hereby ap-propriated ,shall not be included within the limitation on salaries and eom-pensation of employees contained in the act of June 7, 1897. TO establish a central pathological laboratory, $1,000; for the purchase of transportation equipment for physicians, field matrons, and field nurses, $10,000; for the correction of sanitary defets in Indian homee, $10,000: for the building of screened sleeping porches on schools and hospitals, $10,000; for equipping sebools with playground apparatus, $15,000; for the purchase of standard medical literature for physicians, $2,WO; for the purchase or pub-lication of pamphlets, postcards, placards, and other literature on health snb-jects for distribution among Indians, $1,000; in all (submitted), $253,350. NwE.-To defray the expenses of a special bealth campaign planned for the flscal year 1913 Congress was asked for an appropriation of $250,000. At the present date the Senate has allowed $160,000 only, and if the work is to be carried out as planned additional funds mumt be appropriated. If the bill for $150,000, mentioned above, is enacted, the money will be used to defray expenses of the field campaign against the two diseases, trachoma and tuberculosis, and would not be available for use in increasing the e5ciencg of the work on the reservations where it is proposed to inaugurate separate campaigns for the betterment of the local sanitary conditions. Of 42,645 Indians examined for disease 16.11 per cent, or 6.870, were found to be suffering from tuberculosis. There is no sanatorium in the United States for the treatment of adult tubercular Indians and there is provision for only 175 incipient tubercular cbildren of school age. The necessity for a Government sanatorium for the accommodation of some of the more needy eases is cer-talnly apparent. ~t present the entire Indian country is receiving only such medical inspection as may be made by the medical supervisor and a physician expert who is en- |
