OCR Text |
Show habitations of careless Indians ind the pleasant, healthy homes of Indians who have taken advantage of the opportunities the Govern-ment has given, and give appropriate lectures at the agencies they visit. Resident physicians at the agencies give talks to the pupils and reservation Indians on subjects connected with sanitation, care of the sick, preventi~n of infant mortality, and fist aid to the in-jured. Clean-up days have been instituted and !found of inestimable value in arousing enthusiasm. The hpmes of adult Indians are visited by about 78 field matrons, who teach the Indian women domestic arts and proper care of home, person, and children. With prophylactic measures must be taught the elimination of the foci of diseases which may be in existence. The work done has been fraught with difficulties, which are gradually being overcome. The old Indians' dependence upon the medicine man is still strong in many places, and the constant changes in the personnel of the agency physicians, due to the small salaries paid many of them, is not con-ducive to the development of confidence in the white man's methods, for he, like the white man, gives his confidence only after it is earned. It is believed that the influence of the Indian medicine man, how-ever, is gradually giving way. The number of cases treated by the physicians is gtadually increasing and hospital treatment is more often sought. The demand for hospitals, which are being constructed as fast as funds become available, indicates the growing popularity of this branch of the work. At the close of this fiscal year there were 52 hospitals and 4 sanatoria, with a combined capacity of 1,567. Under construction are 4 hospitals and 6 sanatoria, with a combined capacity of 265. In many of the Indian boarding schools tiachoma is no longer a problem, as experience has shown that where control can be had over the children and where careful and persistent work is done the dis-ease can be prevented or cured. This is being done. Among the camp Indians, however, conditions with respect to the disease are not good. No chance is, of course, lost to constantly exploit the value of operation and treatment of trachoma, and many Indians are taking advantage of the opportunities offered. The long duration and the painful nature of the treatment necessary before a cure is effected are, perhaps, the most important causes for the slow progress made. The problems to be solved in connection with tuberculosis are simi-lar to those among the poorer classes of whites. It means a cam-paign of education to prevent the spread of the disease and the endeavor to arrest. it in those cases with active lesions. The sana-toria already in use at Phoenix, Fort Lapwai, Sac and Fox, and S340-1b2 |