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Show REPORT OF COMMIB8IONEB Or INDIiW AFFAIRS 3 be brought about until a well organized field nursing service has been instituted, together with an educational program which will reach the Indian home. The extension of this program will have its effect also in the reduction of mortality among infants and children. While fluctuations occur in the reported incidence of trachoma, it is believed that the activities conducted b the special physicians of the service arereb ringing about a greater il ecrease in this disease. Organized primarily as a program exclusively for trachoma preven-tion and eradication, the work of this group of special physicians tends more and more to comprise a broader field of activity and now includes general and special operative procedure for other eye con-ditions, for the removal of diseased tonsils and adenoids, and the care of other ailments. Epidemics of contagious diseases have been somewhat less as com-pared to preceding years. Influenza has been quite prevalent. Out-breaks of measles have been infrequent, due in all probability to the fact that a number of eoidemics of this disease occurred during the two or three years prior io tho period of this report. The incider& of whoonine coueh and chicken DOX has been about as usual. The num-ber of diYphthgna cases has b& low and almost no cases of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis hape occurred. Smallpox has occurred .on five or six of the reservations, the lvgest number, of eases belug reported from the Nez Perce Reservation at Lapwm, Idaho. Vac-cination of Indians throughout tho country again$ smallpox hss,heen continued and protection secured against diphtheria by admbstra-tion of toxin anlitoxin wherever posiible. - Preparations were made during the latter part of the year to operate the Tacoma Hospital, Washington, which has been for some years operated by the Veterans' Bureau and was formerly the Cushman Indian School. This institution will have a capacity of about 100 beds and will be principally for treatment of tuberculosis A new general hospital was constructed at the Western Navajo jurisdiction, Arizona, with a capacity of 36 beds. Small general hospitals were constructed at Taos in the Northern Pueblos jurisdiction, New Mexico, at Chin Lee, Ariz., and Tohatchi, N. Mex., both within the Southern Navajo Reservation. A small hospital or infirmary was erected in the Hava-supai Canyon, Aziz., for the benefit of the Indians at this point. A converted hospital proposition was established at Toadlena in the Northern Navajo junsd~ctionN, ew Mexlco, with an approxbatecapac-it of 20 beds Anew brick hospital was constructed at the Western d v a j o jurisdiotion, Arizona,with a capacity of 20 beds. A new brick hospital was constructed at the Keshena Agency, Wis., to replace the old frame hospital destroyed by !ire. This has a capacity of 36 to 40 beds. The school plant at Kayenta within the Western Navajo jurisdictzon, Arizona, was converted into a tuberculosis sanatorium, with a capacity of 40 beds and with provision of 10 beds for general cases. This sanatorium is 160 miles from the railroad. Its conduct under great administrative difliculties is in the nature of an experi-ment because of its distance from transportation lines. The Nava'o Indians in this isolated section, however, are responding quite rapidy to the facilities thus provided for their welfare. A converted bddmg has been made into an improvised sanatorium at the Crow Creek jurisdiction, South Dakota, and will provide for approximately 22 cases of tuberculosis. A new sanatorium of 40 beds was built on the |
