OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. LI qniring the art of the surgeon or the ability of a skilled obstetrician, has done much to inspire this confidence. Nevertheless, the life led by Indians often makes the service rendered by white physicians most unsatisfactory. Thegreatest difficulty is ex-perienced in fnbjecting Indians to the discipline necessary for the giv-ing of suitat s treatment, and for enforcing the continued a r~dpr oper administratioflof medicine.. If the medicine is distasteful it will not be taken. If on dose does not cure, the patient is discouraged. They have to be t r1 a ted in their homes, where no hygienic measures can be adopted, and where they aremore or less exposed to thein0uence of con-servakive old Indians vho are opposed to the white man's methods. Were the agencies provided with hospital acco~modationsp atients could be placed beyond the in0uence of medicine men" and their friends. Invalids scattered over the reservations who, for nant of or-dinary care and the proper appl.ication of medicine, linger out a mi'ser-able existence, could be greatly relieved, and inmany cases cured, and the^ friends or relatives would thus be made converts to. the new way. Small hospitals could be erected at slight cost, and the benefits of such institations would rapidly become known among the Indians and in-spire great confidence in thu physician. Enthetic and t~tberculousd is-eases prevail among many of the tribes, and are difficult to treat or control on account of the disregard of the instructions of the physicim and the lack of proper facilities for thecare of the sick. A large number of the deaths caused by these diseases and those of an epidemic char-acter might be prevented could thecases bepl&ed where hygienic means could be enforced and proper treatment given. MISSION INDIANS IN CALIPORN* Congress having adjourned on the 4th of March last without favor-able action upon the bill for the relief of the Mission Indians (to which . reference was made in my last annual report), on the 9th of that month I recommended that authority be granted to remove all intruders from the reservations of those Indians, and that military force be employed for that purpose if necessary. On t,he 11th of March the requisite au-thority was granted, and on the 16th of the sanie month the agent was instructed to notify each and all of the tresyaseers to remove, with all of their stock, eftects, a d movable property, on or before the 1st of September, 1887. The War Departrpcnt has been requested to furnish a sufficient force to effect their removal. I am informally advised that the intruders will resort to the courts for an injunction against the en-forcement of the order. This measure was adopted after repeated attempts had been made to secure legislation authorizing the appointment. of a commission to .in-vestigate t,he condition of theseIndiana, to secure lands for them, and to ascertain the rights of all p:%rtiesi n the premises. The'enforcement of the order mill undoubtedly inflict great hardships in some oases |